Nothing wrong to charge a lower rate for freelancing right?

[kongmalikong]

I personally think its ok to charge whatever rates u r happy with for freelancing photography, regardless of events or wedding, as long as the client has no complains and u r happy with what u are doing? M i correct to say this?

[JRC]

Originally Posted by kongmalikong I personally think its ok to charge whatever rates u r happy with for freelancing photography, regardless of events or wedding, as long as the client has no complains and u r happy with what u are doing? M i correct to say this?

It depends on whose point of view. Customer's love it, your competitors hate it.

For those who offers services below market rate:
- do you really treasure your time so little ?
- why not consider pricing closer to market rate and getting fewer businesses, but gain more time for yourself and family ?
- do you really think by offering low price, it means you have less responsibilities ? Wait till you mess up somebody's wedding or event....

For those who is the full-time professionals:
- what can I say....you must be better than them lah. You are the pro mah, right ?

For customers' of these very below market service provider:
- these people subsidise their rates for you because they think they are enjoying what they are doing.
- I dun want to comment that their product is no good because they also can be top class, it's just that they decided to subsidize you on what they can actually charge in the normal market rate.
- But especially for weddings, they may be unable to take your wedding due to one thousand and one valid reasons. If that happens, who else can they turn to help who is willing to accept the low pay and have the quality of work as themselves (if i assume they are good) ?

[khairi]

it's ok to charge what you like If you are happy with it. You can freelance happy.

but the trouble will come when
1. your client starts 'abusing' you
2. you have many assignments and your pay cannot justify what you do for 'happiness'
3. you shoot a lot and your equipment starts to show signs of depreciation
4. you start to think freelance at low prices is really a pain.
5. ppl starts thinking that photography is really nuts, anyone can do.

in the end, you are killing market rates among freelancers.
In the end, You will make clients happy, and you will be suffer in happiness.

[stprmit]

Originally Posted by khairi it's ok to charge what you like If you are happy with it. You can freelance happy. but the trouble will come when 1. your client starts 'abusing' you 2. you have many assignments and your pay cannot justify what you do for 'happiness' 3. you shoot a lot and your equipment starts to show signs of depreciation 4. you start to think freelance at low prices is really a pain. 5. ppl starts thinking that photography is really nuts, anyone can do. in the end, you are killing market rates among freelancers. In the end, You will make clients happy, and you will be suffer in happiness.

Fully agree with you....
It may looks that you are happy now
but the trouble will come when so many clients start abusing you
and one more thing....
once you have set a new standard,
It is going to be really difficult to change it once you have done it....
just my 2 cents.....

[Wai]

yah rite..it is *not* wrong just like FT coming to singapore to snatch your rice bowl

so dont complain if your boss never give you a pay rise as there are someone else who cost lower.

[Hobbes00]

nothing wrong totally. this is life! haha

[canturn]

Now-ser-days, clients are pretty sensible to know what they are paying for. When they've seen what the top photographers are producing vs the lower price range, and if they see the justification, why not?

Being a free market here in Singapore, anyone can charge any price they like. But do your maths first, factor in all the costs involved, and you'll see that when you're charging below a certain price, working in fast food joint or ushering job actually pay you better.

With 10,000 couples getting married each year, there's more than enough market for everyone, it's a question of WHICH market you want to be in

[sundazz]

Originally Posted by kongmalikong I personally think its ok to charge whatever rates u r happy with for freelancing photography, regardless of events or wedding, as long as the client has no complains and u r happy with what u are doing? M i correct to say this?

its totally fine, nobody can stop u for how much u charge, but pls spare some tots for
- your time & effort spent
- your equip invested
- the "tan jiak" pro or full time or part-time freelancers which may be thier rice bowl.
- the worth and value of your skills and experieces that u have learnt regardless whether from schools, self taught or watever..
- And importantly the impact on the market and industry.

[kongmalikong]

I agree, but thats why we are called freelancing, rates probably go from 300-800, unless u are some known photographer, i dare say that some freelancer produce better photography then the full time pros. And before the event/wedding, for my part i would always tell them that i do it as a way of gaining experience and also of interest. i might not be able to produce what they want, but i try to follow as close to their guidelines, or they can hire a full time one, probably with much better photography skills and experience then me. which the prices goes up too.

There was this event that CK perfume hired photographers from certain photography studio, for the 1st day of the event, they sent a freelancer who produced up to standard shoots, while the nxt day, they sent in a full time photographer who produced images, which pissed that in-charge off, they asked him to at least photoshop alittle, know what he said, "I don't know how......."

[STEV]

charge to what u think u r worth...

[grantyale]

Being professional simply means there lies his rice bowl. What kind of marvel or crap he produces is another matter.

[sundazz]

Originally Posted by kongmalikong I agree, but thats why we are called freelancing, rates probably go from 300-800, unless u are some known photographer, i dare say that some freelancer produce better photography then the full time pros. And before the event/wedding, for my part i would always tell them that i do it as a way of gaining experience and also of interest. i might not be able to produce what they want, but i try to follow as close to their guidelines, or they can hire a full time one, probably with much better photography skills and experience then me. which the prices goes up too. There was this event that CK perfume hired photographers from certain photography studio, for the 1st day of the event, they sent a freelancer who produced up to standard shoots, while the nxt day, they sent in a full time photographer who produced images, which pissed that in-charge off, they asked him to at least photoshop alittle, know what he said, "I don't know how......."

i agree w u that quality doesnt goes in line with whether full time, part time, freelance or just hobbyist. but that also can be very subjective.

in the video industry.. the past was that the camera person may not kno how to edit video.. the editor may not know how to shoot.. and likewise, many producers may not be able to handle camera and do editing as well.. same to graphics and animators..
but i think atleast in local industry is moving towards cross train in diff aspect of skill set inorder to still afloat in the industry. but some times we still have people who are so specialise in thier skills and just doing thier specialality work..
.. or sometimes is people know how but just dont want to do it...

[kongmalikong]

I totally agree, charge to what your are worth,t hats why i can't go around charging ppl rates like the pros does, so i charge to what my level of skill can produce. I agreed that if freelancer charges too low, in a way or another, it may spoil the market, but we can't charge too much too, if not we also spoil market mah, freelancing charge so much, then the pros how? For my part, i just want to charge the rate i think i'm worth, who doesn't want to charge more $$, earn more, just sometimes us freelancer, is stuck between...

[kongmalikong]

In times like this, u need to know at least abit of image processing, if not, hwo to maintain rice bowl. My mentor, who is somewhat well known in the photography industry, also hates the digital age now, coz every can claim themselves as photographers, but even he, went to learn basic course for photoshop, well, i would say, to mantain his rice bowl, even if he hates it. Correct?

[catchlights]

Originally Posted by kongmalikong I totally agree, charge to what your are worth,t hats why i can't go around charging ppl rates like the pros does, so i charge to what my level of skill can produce. I agreed that if freelancer charges too low, in a way or another, it may spoil the market, but we can't charge too much too, if not we also spoil market mah, freelancing charge so much, then the pros how? For my part, i just want to charge the rate i think i'm worth, who doesn't want to charge more $$, earn more, just sometimes us freelancer, is stuck between...

if you charge too low, than you are really "spoil" the markets, cos most people won't respect someone is cheap.

if you work is good, charge whatever you think your work are worth, don't bother about is there any fulltime pros charge lesser than you, if he is good, he know how to rises his rate, if he is no good, he should know what to do.

[ckuang]

Originally Posted by kongmalikong I personally think its ok to charge whatever rates u r happy with for freelancing photography, regardless of events or wedding, as long as the client has no complains and u r happy with what u are doing? M i correct to say this?

Sure why not? I think finding happiness is the most important thing in life. Making more money doesn't alway equate to more happiness.

There are days when I wish i could just shoot for free and never have to worry about money or retirement and just be really happy with what i do and what i produce with no obligations to clients.

[Kit]

Clients won't be happy for long. If you under cut long enough, you'll start to cut corners and that's where its realy glaring to them. You suffer because they would still demand the same standard of work as before and its very difficult for you to negotiate a new price. You die a slow death.

[Kit]

If I were to choose, I would rather be a rich unhappy individual than a penniless grunbling *******!!