Pricing your photography work is a lot like calorie counting. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily imply it will work for you until you take the time to crunch out the numbers for yourself so that you have a deeper understand why everything you take or don’t take into account is vital. I hate it becomes it takes time and it’s not fun but it’s one of those necessary things to remain sustainable.
I want to make it clear that my sole income doesn’t come from photography. I do have a day job but like Bryan says, “most of us get into photography because we love the art and creativity of it, but we quickly realize that unless we can get people to pay us for our work, it'll be nothing more than a hobby.”
So how much do I charge for my work? Back then I use to just blurt out a price but now, I can’t give you an answer on the spot until I step back and consider what exactly the client is envisioning and what it’s going to cost on my end in the even I have to rent anything out. The great thing about the web is that you can find every possible answer. The downside is that the amount of answers you come across could be overwhelming.
I wanted to share with you this article written by wedding photographer and founder of Sprout Studio Bryan Caporicci where he breaks down on how to set your prices as a professional photographer. I had to toss this one into Instapaper to review, keep and refer to.