Thread: Professional Photography in Southern Florida (on the cheap)

For one you are charging way too cheap you are basically paying people for you to take pictures of their car (you have to factor in the cost of equipment, insurance ( for the cars your shooting and your equipment), taxes, business fees, payroll, food, gas, travel costs, your time, interest fees if you put anything on a credit card, editing time and the impact of your cheap prices on other photographers that actually need to make a living) that's the reason why photographers charge what they do.
.
2 I would hardly call that professional (horizons tilted, too much dead space, trees/ poles growing out of weird places, shadows/ highlights in wrong places, bad crops (most real photographers like to show their best work when they are prospecting jobs not unedited photos)
.
3 your email address is unprofessional
.
4 what kind of camera do you have? Do you use it in manual or auto, what other equipment do you have? (Tripods, lights, reflectors, scrims, gobos, ladders) Reflectors would benefit you a lot
.
5 another reason to not be cheap is that you can never raise your prices, you do it cheap now and people will forever expect it from you (look at startup sports shooters they give the newspapers their pictures to use then when they get good enough to make a living off of it the newspapers still expect the pictures for free)
.
6 you should spend some time on photography-on-the.net forum to learn all you can from just about every type of photographer around the world
.
.
How do I know this, because I'm going to the art institute of ft lauderdale for my bachelors in photography, I've been doing photography since I was 16 (I'm 23 now) and I'm still nowhere near being a professional photographer. I've had over 10 works of art in different galleries and won many photo contests, photography takes a lifetime to master and my life isn't over yet
.
nowadays anyone can pick up a camera and call themselves a photographer and it makes it harder for photographers that actually have to make a living off of photography, luckily I have a really good job (as long as the plant doesn't shut down) that I don't have to rely on photography do make a living, for me its just a supplement
.
.
No offense to you but I'm just making you aware of the situation from a photographers standpoint
.
if I were to do a regular car shoot I would start off between $100- $300 depending on what kind of car it is, and that doesn't include editing which for me would be $10-$25 a picture (which if the photos are shot right from the beginning they wouldn't need much editing. ie. use a tripod, do cropping in camera, dof, proper exposure), then again there's consumers that go the cheap route and then there's consumers that go the more expensive route, you get what you pay for.
(since I'm a member of this forum I would probably do it for $80 with minor editing included)
Anyway if you need any help ill be glad to help you just let me know.

^ Much Appreciated. I Can't Stand The Under Cut I Constantly Run Into This Ultra Frustrating.

Im Sorry Your Getting Bashed A Bit Code No Offense And Maybe You Have No Idea.

But Understand For Photogs Who Do This For A Living Like Myself Seeing These Kind Of

Posts Is Extremely Frustrating As Im Sure You Can Understand Now...

Good Luck In Whatever You Do!

Mike PM Me .

Maybe I should just change the title to Un-professional Photography...

And You Know What's Really Annoying? When you use caps so start off every word. Maybe when you learn proper grammar, I can learn to take good photos.

Thanks for the... Well... Kind remarks, but did it ever cross anyone's mind that I was doing this more to learn then to make some $$$?

I'm a college student that is currently un-employed and would like to learn more about shooting and editing while making some extra cash.

My setup is a Sony DSLR A300, quantaray lense, and manfrotto tripod.

So I thank you all for your concerns, but maybe the old adage should hold true. If you have nothing nice to day, don't say it... Or, if you have nothing nice to say PM me.

honestly? Since we're in phonics class, I did a little grammar editing and capitalized all the errors.

Oh and he was just explaining a truth and some great knowledge. Even in the end offering his expertise. Seemed nice to me

.
Ok sounds like you have some pretty decent equipment, so why are you charging so cheap? Your time should be worth more than $20.
.
Basically what it comes down to is be at or about other photographers prices so you don't ruin it for other photographers that make a living off of it. If people see one person charging $20 and another charging $80 who are they going to go with, then people are going to expect every photographer to be $20 thus ruining many photographers income, if you understand what I'm saying,
.
I'm not trying to offend you, just trying to help you and other photographers out

^ To each its Own ,

Danny is not a profesional Photographer like say Phill,for example . The caliber of clientele is what will set your earnings. some people cant afford $100 -200 photo shoot keep that in mind.

he is doing it as a side thing he has some equipment and is just trying to make some extra $$$ . He can charge what ever he would like , who are we to judge.

I dont see how down playing some ones thread and telling them to charge more helps him out. if thats what he wants to charge let it be.

I too went to Ai as well , so no need to sell the buissness plan on here.
I graduated with 2 degrees and still going.

All im trying to say is every one starts some where and if you think a amateur photographer is taking up you lime light maybe your in the wrong field.

I as a chef welcome all challenges and those who can say they cook this and they cook that i tell them bring it ! show me your skills and ill show you mine ,when i was in Ai most "chefs" that talked all this BS saysing they are the best , iwould step up i would quietly lets see who fininshes first and who applies proper technique , knife skills and cooking methods.

Im confident in what i do and my abilities and if your good you should be too.

just allways stay on top of the current trends in your field other wise some body is bound to get the jump on you.

^^ Just an FYI... If Rodrigo offers you guys crackers... Don't take them

Good luck Danny. I'll give you $5 to shoot my car.

x2 Well said



I charge 60-80 bucks for my computer services, but geek quad and everyone else charge x2 that. What does my service and say "Geek Squad" service have to do with each other? I am not going to Best buy taking there customers, my work is done by word of mouth. If i wanted to charge 20 bucks for my service it is really my businees.

x3 well said rodrigo.


i say the guy wants to do people a favor and not charge a crazy fee then so be it.

i'm not a professional photographer so to me those pics he took look better than any pics i could ever take.

+1

If the quality of his pictures areen't up to the standard of a customer, then the customer can't find someone who will take "more professional" pictures...I'm sure at a higher cost. You pay for what you get, and if somebody is happy to pay $20 for some pictures from a budding photographer, then that's what the market demands. It's simple capitalism.

Don't "professional photographers" typically do a lot of free Model shoots, etc. to build their porfolio anyway?!? How does that under cut the competition?

I think it's fair to say that he can offer whatever he wants for his services. He could offer to do a DET swap into my P11 for $19.95, but I shouldn't be surprised if the end result was less than perfect.

Say he charged $100 for the car pictures and they weren't Professional quality? I think there would be a much longer "bash" thread about the quality of his work.

I say take "Professional" out of the thread title and don't listen to what anyone else has to say.