Home Forums Photography Showcase New and Aspiring Photographer Here

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  • #5531
    JanJan
    Participant

    Hi everyone! I’m a new and aspiring photographer. (My portoflio – http://www.photosbyanjanette.com/) I have been taking pictures of people for only 4-5 months. Prior to this, I used to only take pictures of landscapes for years, so I had some basic understanding of aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. It wasn’t until 4-5 months ago that I started to build my equipment and invest in lenses. I started off doing TFP shoots through postings from Craig’s List and Model Mayhem, but this one particular person took advantage of my time. She entered in a calendar contest for an online store that only gears to a certain type of clientele and she won to appear on the cover and the month of January. However, the company expected her to submit the photos. Because this was my first photo shoot ever, I agreed to it for exposure and portfolio building. I did a series of photo shoots that totaled up to about 6-7 hours on 3 separate days. I also spent about 2-3 hours editing photos in Lightroom and retouching in Photoshop. (I work full-time as a graphic and web designer, and have 7 years experience working in Photoshop.) The only money that came out of her pocket was $5 to pay half of a $10 admission for a festival where SHE wanted me to take pictures. When the calendar came out, she didn’t even bother to get me a copy. About a couple months ago, I placed a post on Craig’s List advertising $60 for up to 2 hours to ensure that no one takes advantage of me. I only do TFP shoots for models who I actually believe has a shot of getting agency work (for example, a wannabe male model with a 6-pack and nice face will take priority over someone who is too scrawny and has a decent face). I’ve been getting very good feedback from friends and every person who has paid me $60 for my work were very happy with the results. I don’t want to be associated with fauxtographers on this website just because I charge $60 for 2 hours max. Whenever I book a shoot with someone, I make sure to tell them that I’m new and have limited equipment. If you’re wondering, my equipment is as follows: Nikon D3000, 3 Nikkor lenses (35mm f/1.8 DX, 18-55 f/3.5-5.5 kit lens, 50mm f/1.8G FX), a Tamron 18-200 f/3.5-6.3, Nikon SB-400 speedlight, and a Yongnuo YN560-II speedlight. Again, here is the link to my portfolio. Let me know you think! http://www.photosbyanjanette.com/

    #5737
    Mrs Woo
    Participant

    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.

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