Suggestions to hire a photographer service

[Rehesan]

Hi DPSers,

Today I want to ask you for your help:

A friend of mine will held a "sweet sixteen" party for one of her daughters, so she wants to hire a photographer for taking photos of the event but she has no idea on how to proceed. So I would like to know if you can give us hints and/or advice on what to take on account when searching for photography services. The event will take place in a community center party ballroom and will last for about 4 hours, so we need the photographer services for that period of time.

Here are some specific questions we have:

1. Does the photographer can be hired by hour? or that is not the usual?
2. How much do you think is a fair price for this kind of services? taking in account my friend´s idea is just to have event photos not something too elaborated or professional.
3. What is the typical deliverable we should expect: CD, prints, album, etc.?
4. What is the typical process for hiring: agreement, payment terms (cash in advance), terms and conditions?.

The whole idea of hiring a photographer is to avoid my friend or her husband to be taking photos during the party, they want to enjoy that moment with ther daughter instead of being worried about taking pictures.

By the way, we are in Southern California, just to know the prices range a work like this could have.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Rehesan]

So, 40 visits and not even one comment-suggestion?.... mmm I think DPS is no longer the helpful photography website it used to be... too bad.

[elkidogz]

I wouldn't say that it's not helpful, just that the people who are on, don't have much to say about this subject.

I would think that you can get information about your question from some of the statements about "i have an event to shoot, what do I need" threads, which abound in the earning forum.

that being said.

I would take this as a wedding shoot, you are going to have a 16 year old who wants shots of everyone important in her life. Parents Grandparents and her brothers and sisters will want to be included in some shots as well as other friends and candid shots.

I'd look for a package of photo's from a photographer, a session fee is also to be expected with a 4+ hour party.

[glowmaster]

Rehesan, I think the end price depends upon what the customer ultimately wants. If she doesn't want anything too professional then I might suggest going in with a super-zoom point-and-shoot and spending the four hours taking shots of events as they unfold and get some shots of the birthday girl's best friends and other party guests, sorta like a second-shooter at a wedding. This keeps you from racking up another 400-500 shots on your favorite SLR. I might even suggest taking the SLR for a few shots with the birthday cake so you CAN have that one shot for an 8X10 of her blowing out the candles or some such. Since it wouldn't be too elaborate you may only charge $250-300 for the four hours (1/2 on agreement, non-refundable to book the date, and the other half upon delivery of the finished product, be it on CD/DVD or in the form of 4X6 prints). The agreement could be verbal/handshake since it isn't one of those huge wedding-type deals but it IS an event and needs to be taken at least as seriously as they're taking it. It's a judgment call on the photographer's part as to how much you'll accept for doing this gig.
Again, I personally would look at this and see if it's going to interfere with any other events on my schedule. If not then I would suggest $250-300 depending on what they're looking at spending on the entire affair. This could lead to further calls to you when she graduates high school, debutante parties, engagement parties, et cetera in the future.
These are merely suggestions and not a set-in-stone guideline for every event like this. It's more or less your call depending on what the customer wants. The biggest problem we photographers face is actually under-bidding a job for fear of losing it. If you underbid too much the customer may feel you're too amateur for them. Some people actually WANT bragging rights to spending a fair amount on photos. So give them a fair amount.

[Vagebond]

Originally Posted by Rehesan

So, 40 visits and not even one comment-suggestion?.... mmm I think DPS is no longer the helpful photography website it used to be... too bad.

I respectfully object to this statement.

You post a question that you could research yourself right here in the forum, as elkidogz said. You post it on a Saturday evening and wake up on Sunday morning expecting an answer, and decide to insult the community because it's not there.

Generally the number of members -others can't post- to non-members is 4 or 5 to one. At 40 views that leaves 7 to 8 members. How many of those 7 members live in the States, do you think, and how many elsewhere, seeing as you waited a whole California night for an answer? How many of those have the local knowledge you're looking for? Guess where it's day when it's night in the U.S.A.?

Sorry, but the DPS community does not deserve to be judged like that by you or anyone.

[candleman]

Originally Posted by Rehesan

So, 40 visits and not even one comment-suggestion?.... mmm I think DPS is no longer the helpful photography website it used to be... too bad.

...or live on the other side of the planet and have no useful information on that area.

search MarketingTool.com - Find Professional Photographers, Photography Studios, Commercial Photo Studio Prices, Family Portraits, Senior Pictures. for a local person though

[Sime]

Originally Posted by Rehesan

1. Does the photographer can be hired by hour? or that is not the usual?
2. How much do you think is a fair price for this kind of services? taking in account my friend´s idea is just to have event photos not something too elaborated or professional.
3. What is the typical deliverable we should expect: CD, prints, album, etc.?
4. What is the typical process for hiring: agreement, payment terms (cash in advance), terms and conditions?.


By the way, we are in Southern California, just to know the prices range a work like this could have.

Thanks in advance for your help.

1. Some do, you'd need to ask someone in your local area.
2. I'd charge you £125.00/Hr, but you'd have to ask someone in your local area.
3. I deliver mostly by FTP, but you'd have to ask someone in your local area.
4. I take a deposit, deliver prints on receipt of payment / post proof approval - but you'd have to ask someone in your local area.

Google is your friend...

Sime

[Rehesan]

Originally Posted by elkidogz

I wouldn't say that it's not helpful, just that the people who are on, don't have much to say about this subject.

I would think that you can get information about your question from some of the statements about "i have an event to shoot, what do I need" threads, which abound in the earning forum.

that being said.

I would take this as a wedding shoot, you are going to have a 16 year old who wants shots of everyone important in her life. Parents Grandparents and her brothers and sisters will want to be included in some shots as well as other friends and candid shots.

I'd look for a package of photo's from a photographer, a session fee is also to be expected with a 4+ hour party.

Thank you for your kind reply.

I now my second post sounded not to kind and I apologize for that.

I have been reading some of the topics you suggested and I have a little more idea on what to expect when my friend go out there to hire the service.

Thank you again.

[Rehesan]

Originally Posted by glowmaster

Rehesan, I think the end price depends upon what the customer ultimately wants. If she doesn't want anything too professional then I might suggest going in with a super-zoom point-and-shoot and spending the four hours taking shots of events as they unfold and get some shots of the birthday girl's best friends and other party guests, sorta like a second-shooter at a wedding. This keeps you from racking up another 400-500 shots on your favorite SLR. I might even suggest taking the SLR for a few shots with the birthday cake so you CAN have that one shot for an 8X10 of her blowing out the candles or some such. Since it wouldn't be too elaborate you may only charge $250-300 for the four hours (1/2 on agreement, non-refundable to book the date, and the other half upon delivery of the finished product, be it on CD/DVD or in the form of 4X6 prints). The agreement could be verbal/handshake since it isn't one of those huge wedding-type deals but it IS an event and needs to be taken at least as seriously as they're taking it. It's a judgment call on the photographer's part as to how much you'll accept for doing this gig.
Again, I personally would look at this and see if it's going to interfere with any other events on my schedule. If not then I would suggest $250-300 depending on what they're looking at spending on the entire affair. This could lead to further calls to you when she graduates high school, debutante parties, engagement parties, et cetera in the future.
These are merely suggestions and not a set-in-stone guideline for every event like this. It's more or less your call depending on what the customer wants. The biggest problem we photographers face is actually under-bidding a job for fear of losing it. If you underbid too much the customer may feel you're too amateur for them. Some people actually WANT bragging rights to spending a fair amount on photos. So give them a fair amount.

Thanks for your input.

I just want to be clear: this isn´t a job I will be doing or willing to be doing, since I am not a professional photographer, I mean I do not do photography as a way of living, I am just a photography enthusiast.

But, your comments gives me some idea on what could be a fair price for the job and what to expect as a customer from the photographer that my friend will eventually hire.

Thanks.

[Rehesan]

Originally Posted by BryanC

You can contact photographers in the actual area that you are in and get these questions answered a lot better than here, I would think...maybe...

Yes, definitely that should be the best way to get the information and the questions we have to be answered, but since neither me nor my friend has ever hired a photographer services, we just wanted a general guideline to know which points to be aware of when contacting the local businesses.

Thanks.