Charges for wedding shoot


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chongkm

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Dec 6, 2002
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Hey guys,

Just to be sure I don't over or undercharge for my services, need to get a brief idea of the costs.

1) How much for whole day or just wedding dinner?
2) How many digital or rolls of film?
3) For digitals, give CDs or develop?

I'm shooting with a D60...

Thanks...
 

Originally posted by chongkm
Hey guys,

Just to be sure I don't over or undercharge for my services, need to get a brief idea of the costs.

1) How much for whole day or just wedding dinner?
2) How many digital or rolls of film?
3) For digitals, give CDs or develop?

I'm shooting with a D60...

Thanks...
Overcharge? Undercharge? How good are you? If you are as good as Kim from de'-studio, then you can charge as much as $3,600. But if you are as good / lousy as the Tom, Dick and Harry, do you think people will even pay for your service? Market rate for which level?

OK, I'm not trying to be harsh here.
I'm using a D100 to shoot wedding photos.
1) Whole day (morning and evening, max 6 hours) = $888 for max 300 photos.
2) Dinner (4 hours) = $588 for max 200 photos.

Honestly, how much you charge depends on how much you carry yourself. If you are confident, (but so-so in skills), people may still engage you. But I do noticed that if you charge low, people may think that you ar just a beginner in wedding photography. So go for the medium rate.

Most important, keep a portfolia to show your clients. Tlet them see your portfolia first before stating your charges. If they like your skills, you will be willing to pay your named price. It's not a wet-market, so no need to bargain.
Good luck.

:)
 

For freelance market,

Some charge $700 to $1200 whole day 10 rolls of film.
Service include scanning into CDs


Digital... you can try 99photo for a gauge. or on what Pegasus shared. One thing about shooting digitial is Client expect faster turnaround time (99photo can upload photo to website the next day for your wedding guest to view and order!)


I agree portfolio very important. Not just to show your skill, but the STYLE you shoot. Some will like it, some don't.

BTW, are you doing it for a friend or stranger?

If friend.... they trust you more, less barrier on actual day shoot.
If stranger, have to spend more time building up rapport for photo to look nice.
 

Originally posted by Snowcrash

I agree portfolio very important. Not just to show your skill, but the STYLE you shoot. Some will like it, some don't.

If friend.... they trust you more, less barrier on actual day shoot.
If stranger, have to spend more time building up rapport for photo to look nice.

Agreed with you on the portfolia part. Sometimes I felt very strange why couples bother to go look at those photo ablums displayed outside the bridal shops. The photographer who took that ablum's photos may not be the photographer who's going to shoot for them later!

I don't usually shoot for friends. I meant friends usually may take advantage by asking me to do it for free, or demand more, eg photos ehancement etc. And the worst is, I can't enjoy the dinner food, and still need to give the couple an angbao! Take for clients, everything is written down in black/white and everything is done professionally.
 

Originally posted by Pegasus
And the worst is, I can't enjoy the dinner food, and still need to give the couple an angbao! [/B]

One friend of mine "paid" me by treating me to the dinner, i.e. she waived the dinner angbao for me :bsmilie:
 

Originally posted by Zookeeper
One friend of mine "paid" me by treating me to the dinner, i.e. she waived the dinner angbao for me :bsmilie:
You have a friend who is understanding. Happy for you. :)
 

Hai... good 4 u...

Few weeks back, my colleague asked me to shoot for her wedding, and I told her, this is business so I'll have to charge her... can see she was expecting free service from me... I told her I'll give her 30% off the market rate... she end up hiring some expensive photographer... WTF... :(

i mean, i'm not that bad a photographer myself... some of my photos have even been on magazines, but this really sux... left a big dent on my ego... :p
 

Originally posted by chongkm
Few weeks back, my colleague asked me to shoot for her wedding, and I told her, this is business so I'll have to charge her... can see she was expecting free service from me... I told her I'll give her 30% off the market rate... she end up hiring some expensive photographer... WTF... :(

She probably has no idea how tough it is to cover a wedding session. From experience, I used to offer my services to my firneds for free. Then they thought that I'm only using them at their expenses to practice my photography! Seem like some people always relate low fee to low quality! So the rule is, charge high.
i mean, i'm not that bad a photographer myself... some of my photos have even been on magazines, but this really sux... left a big dent on my ego... :p
I bet you are a great photographer. Just that she don't know how to appreciate that. Don't let her put you down. Do a wedding photo shoot for any of her friends and let's her know what a waste she did for not engaging you! :devil:

Cheers.
 

I did a wedding dinner photoshoot for one of my friend (for free... friend mah, of course his dad / mom give me angbao, know me one :) ). Now my the other friend want me to help..... think I am still not going to charge them ;)
 

When you guys say that you are not charging, does it mean you pay for the film and prints?

Or are all the posters here digital?
 

Originally posted by djchris
When you guys say that you are not charging, does it mean you pay for the film and prints?

Or are all the posters here digital?

For me, the film and prints I treat it as Wedding gifts to them :). Anyway, I don't pay them Ang Bao :)
 

dear.. e sookee guy ah? :D

Originally posted by blurblock
I did a wedding dinner photoshoot for one of my friend (for free... friend mah, of course his dad / mom give me angbao, know me one :) ). Now my the other friend want me to help..... think I am still not going to charge them ;)
 

Once shot for a best friend offer free service, at the end of the day she took
the films and do her own D/P.When clearing my camera and lens from my bag found an ang po with S$500.00.She put it into my bag without leting me know.
 

merlion, u have a cool friend. wished my friend would do that for me too... she only gave me a photoframe :dunno:

And since i was going to give angbao for dinner, i told her i'm not taking photos for boring dinner.

I charge her for film and developing cuz it does cost a bomb but subsequent enlargement and arrangement of photos into album, i do it for 'free' as wedding gift, the 'creative aspect' and hidden cost like enlargement and album and what-nots. :D

blurblock's friend parents understanding.
My cousin gave me $70 angbao for taking his wedding which was whole day. So tiring...
 

Hi neuro,not all my friends that :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: some ready
bad,they will get from their friends album and show it to me and tell you that they like is and that,so you have to follow, in the end I rejected them and tell them that I'm not a 'photocopy photographer' .Then no friend liao.
 

One of my friends did it for the love of photography.. She is quite good.. But she is so kind to offer to help, so they gave her an $80 ang bao and treated her to a lobster and shark fins seafood meal a few days after the wedding. And they paid for all the developing and films. Of course she doesnt have to pay for that dinner.

Anyway, i also helped as a sec. photographer and got a very very very very very small token in an ang bao... haiz.. But i no need to pay for that dinner.


By the way, anyone interested in getting my fren, can pm me, I'm helping her to promote... $250 for 6 rolls of film, 4R photos, inclusive of developing charges. Can consider.. I wonder if she is paid for the photo shoots, does she still get an ang bao???
 

Glad that most of you had a good experience. I had a bad experience. Did a ROM shoot for a friend, 2 weeks before I leave for overseas studies. Develope the negatives for her as well. When she collected it, she said she would mail the cheque for the developing cost. Sadly, I never got a chance to see, even after a couple of reminders. Sad....
 

I find it hard to charge leh, for one thing is if the couple forgot to pay I feel very pai seh to go after them for payment.

The last ROM I shot my friend gave me an ang bao, no developing costs since I'm digital, I just cut into 2 seperate CDs and pass it to her.

I guess for digital there's no developing fees, maybe charge a bit for slight after processing, but if you're a cool shooter, you won't need to post-process :cool: .

Got a few more shoots coming up, one wedding dinner shoot. For me I still will pack a ang bao for the couple, I think it's just courtesy, whether they return the favour with an ang bao or not I think it's up to them, I didn't give a quote just helping out. Thumbs up for the those who still pack a small ang bao for people like us who do it cheap and good for them.

$500 is a lot. My biggest ang bao so far is $88. :bsmilie:

Now smarter a bit liao for the next 2 shoots I qoing to quote.
 

its ok la. how's yr skills?

My china fren asked me to intro her a good photographer and I did. I was also a sec photographer. We took photos on ROM day but she didnt have dinner banquet. She only treated me a $10+ buffet lunch. Haiz...

Depend on how rich yr fren is.. I didnt even get an ang bao that time.. Free labour I think..
 

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