Do you have a standard pricing system for your service? If so, please share the details here.
Because copyright issues are complicated, pricing can be complicated as well. When I photograph individuals for personal use I always provide full resolution copies and the rights to reproduce and use them for any non-commercial purpose. My rates are hourly for non-commercial sessions, though I often arrange a flat fee. That way I can work until the images really shine, and there's no extra charge involved.
With images for commercial use, we arrange a flat fee and all of the usage rights for the products on an individual basis.
How did you get started doing this type of work?
Seven years ago a musician asked me to take his picture for an upcoming article in International Musician and Engineering Magazine. It landed on the magazine cover, but at the time I didn't consider myself a professional photographer. For several years after that, I took promotional and press images for theater companies that appeared in newspapers and magazines, but I still didn't consider myself a professional. Finally, while going through a box of my dad's old photos I discovered a picture of me, age 11, with a camera in my hand. That's when I understood I was a photographer.
What types of customers have you worked with?
If there are people in the picture, I do it. That can include family portraits, weddings, fashion shoots,weddings, actor head shots, corporate events, and marketing materials for companies that manufacture sandals, software, or sell real estate. I do product photography as well, but not as often.
What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?
Your photographer should make your life easier. Much of our job is to facilitate things and find solutions. This means being responsive, prompt, flexible, and thoughtful.
