Reply To: New and Aspiring Photographer Here

[Mrs Woo]

Hey Anjanette!  There are little nitpicky things in some pictures – like in one pose where someone is leaning against the wall with the cell phone in their hand…  there’s nothing that connects you to the person, the background, etc.  My eyes went straight to the cell phone.  Some of them images had very distracting backgrounds and/or your subject was placed in a point where they were more ‘lost’ than they would have been if you had moved them a little bit.  Don’t be afraid to direct them to create the image you want, okay?

You’re braver than me – I have really struggled with whether or not I will *ever* put anything up on this site.

There seem to be two philosophies about the “low-balling.”  I have heard some pros say <i>never</i>, that you should learn either in a school or second shooting under a seasoned pro, and other say that you should either never charge or barely charge until you’re good enough to ask for the right fees, and then you should charge what it will take to run a business and never look back.  Opponents to the latter point out (with some truth) that former clients who got $50 sitting fee plus disk deals usually don’t want to come back if you raise your rates, etc.

If you really want to pursue this as a business and do not have the money for business courses, you might want to get “Best Business Practices for Photographers” – it will have a long list of expenses to consider as you figure out your hourly rate (including paying income taxes; as a self-employed person you pay both sides of FICA).

I have only done portrait photography for people who can’t afford real photographers, for free, or when forced into it by family members, so I might not be the best critic.  I can tell you something one pro who is encouraging me taught me:  “Your photos are worth whatever you can get someone to pay for them.”

In today’s market, sadly, it seems like quality has little to do with price, too.

Anyhow – saw you had posted and no comments back, didn’t want you ignored too long.