What should you charge?

A reader sent me an email the other day:

I’m a newbie at my photography business, and a friend asked me to photograph her wedding. I really didn't know what to charge (and thinking of just doing it for free). I decided to go by what other photographers are charging in my area. I lowered my price from theirs, but I'm not sure if that's what I should do. What else should I do to come up with my pricing?

I cringe when I hear photographers guessing at what to charge for their services. There are a lot of things to consider when deciding what to charge.

You must look at the following:

expenses

editing time

marketing

business expenses

The bottom line to a business is profit.

Just "guessing" will lead to failure. You have to take into account where you are located, what the competition is doing, what you can give your clients and what your clients expect.

Another important factor is making a goal. This will help determine how your business will run. Some people want to replace the income from their present job. Others may just want some extra spending money. Still others may want to become a well known photographer.

Each goal is different for each person starting a photography business. Where you want to be in 5 years will help you to have a successful business.

So, where do you want to be in 5 years?
How to easily start up and market your own profitable photography business

i Heart Faces: Water

I had to do the i Heart Challenge this week! I love this photo I did last month:

Don't be afraid of your clients

When I shoot a wedding or portrait session, I get so excited to have a SD card filled with my work. I practically run home to load the photos onto my computer to edit. I love that part of my business.

The part that I used to hate was dealing with clients to get those goodies. When I first started, I was simply terrified to go on a shoot. What if I couldn't get a single good shot? What if they didn't like me? What if they totally hate my "vision" of the shoot?

I went through this for almost two years. I would get a stomachache the night before every single shoot I did. It (my anxiety) was affecting my home life because I would be grumpy all the time dreading a shoot or wedding. My husband would get so upset with me. He would ask if I ever had a complaint. "No," I would reply. "Do people love your work?" he asked. "Yes," I answered and hang my head down. "Then, stop it!" he would say very loudly. He just didn't understand how delicate we artist's egos are. But, I knew where he was coming from. I realized that I couldn't love to do something and hate it at the same time.

So, I had to sit down and decide if I was still going to have to hang up the camera and quit my business. I reflected back on each session and ask myself if anyone ever was mean to me at a shoot, or have I ever had a customer complain? No- AND if I ever did, would it be the end of the world? NO!!

I told myself that I wasn't going to be able to please everyone, and some day I might come across a client that won't like my work. If so, that's fine. I may also come across "not so nice" people-this was their problem, not a reflection on me. I also told myself that it's ok if a session goes wrong. I could always re shoot. When you shoot enough sessions, odds are, you could have an off day. It took alot, but I convinced myself that IT'S NO BIG DEAL.

So, I just let it all go and just had fun at the next shoot. I really did have a blast-and I was looking forward to my next shoot-I NEVER felt that way before! It was like a two ton weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I wasn't snapping at anyone anymore. I finally could honestly say I loved what I did.

If you are still nervous before a shoot, that's normal, but don't let it control you. Relax and just have fun. Your positive vibe will rub off on your clients and they'll love your work not only because your talented, but because they like you!