My first paying gig... questions...

[aropilot]

Okay, until now I have volunteered myself to photo events for a good cause like WWII vets etc. and do some trading but now, I have a paying job.
It is for an assisted living facility. The Director wants pics of the entire staff to put on Christmas cards and group pics of the "original" residents to send to various places/people as well as some group photos to send to the Corp. Office.
I already quoted them a reasonable price for my time to go do the shoot but how do I price for the pictures and prints and so on?
Input is GREATLY appreciated!
Tim

[Jim Poor]

Did you make clear to them that your quote was for time only?
If not, they are probably expecting the photos to be included.

Do they expect you to produce the cards, prints etc or do the expect the files from you so that they can do that part on their own?

[acedrew]

Smugmug just added some really nice card features. SmugBlog: Release Notes » Blog Archive » Major card upgrade – November 10, 2009

Andrew Rodgers
Perfected Perspectives -- Photography by Andrew Rodgers | Andrew Rodgers (acedrew) on Twitter | Login | Facebook

[aropilot]

I did tell him the initial price was for time only (photo shoot) and photos would be extra.
I just am not sure how to price things like this.
Do I ask them what size prints they want, order them and resell them with my mark up? And how much a mark up?
What about photos they want for their use for cards etc?

Thanks!

[nokiN]

Key phrase here is "send to the corporate office."

This is a commercial shoot, not a retail shoot (portraiture). The company expects to earn profits by using your images, apparently, in various ways.

Commercial photography is licensed by usage. The cost for a use license is determined by exclusivity, if any, number of uses, methods of use, geographical extent of use, and the length of time of the use.

As an example, the portrait of a staff member, licensed for use on a web site for 12 months would go for about $250 a year. Any other uses of that image would require amending the use license and, of couse, payment of a higher fee. Say the company also wanted to use the image in a print run of 5000 brochures. The use license would stipulate that additional usage and the fee would now be $500 for the use of that 1 portrait.

At any rate, the exact numbers aren't important, the concept is.

There is software to help determine the pricing for such things because it varies regionally. fotoQuote Pro is quite popular software for such.

You can also find pricing guides at American Society of Media Photographers. Click on "Business Resources" and then "Pricing Guides".