So if I take eight hours of shooting, six hours of editing, four hours of communication, 15 minutes of travel each way and a second round of revisions for four hours, that’s 22.5 hours. I could spend six hours editing those images, but the client might request additional revisions. But then there’s setup, increased communication with not only the client, but models and locations.
If I’m bidding on an eight-hour shoot, my standard hourly rate would bring this to $800. These might include the same amount of work, or might be drastically more involved. On the opposite end, as you begin to make a name for yourself, you’ll ultimately be asked to submit proposals for larger jobs. That means I’d charge the client $62.50 instead of $100. By knowing the breakdown of your hourly rate, you know that, maybe it’s feasible for you to earn $25 an hour instead of $40 an hour. But you need an absolute minimum price you’re willing to accept, too. Offering a discount can be a good thing - it can help you get your foot in the door. I sometimes lose track of the amount of times I’m asked to offer my services at a discounted rate.
So while my client sees $100, I see $40 an hour. If I charge $100 total to my client for an hour event, that means I spend an hour shooting, 15 minutes traveling each way, and an hour editing my photographs. What’s included in that hourly rate? Is it just your shooting cost, or does it include basic post-processing work? If it does include post-processing work, how much time on average do you spend editing an hour-long photoshoot? How much time do you spend traveling and communicating with clients? Let’s break it down. To keep the numbers easy, let’s say my standard hourly rate is $100. This will determine how much you’re worth, and will ultimately help you make decisions about future jobs. It’s important to have a standard rate that you work off of. While most of us have a standard rate we work off of, this can be interrupted by things like requested discounts, or when you have a larger job that requires more work. There’s a few key things to take into account when you’re thinking about pricing. The same can be said about pricing your photography services. We all know the phrase, “Keep it Simple, Stupid.” There’s no reason to go in-depth or overanalyze something when it can be done in a simple way.