got offered some photo work

back alley

back alley

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a friend of mine is about to become the executive director of a cultural association in town...they do various things including many events, dinners and celebrations.
he is thinking that they need a photographer to document these happenings...much like keith does at the gallery he shoots for.

he has asked me if i might be interested and also how much i would charge.
i have no idea of the value of this work and not too sure if i'm interested.

a small source of income would be nice to keep my gear budget healthier than it is now....

can anyone suggest how much a current and reasonable fee for this sort of thing would be?
 
thinking about the 2 rd1 bodies...maybe the 25 and 40 lenses...

the rx100 has pretty good low light capability but i might get laughed at...
 
I shoot corporate events, seminars, and such. I usually charge a fee for the day which includes delivery of all imagery on CDs. Sometimes I have to get involved with post processing which can take another day, especially if they require certain file requirements. Finished images are usually delivered as high res web based files which are converted from RAW in Lightroom or Photoshop. My fee varies according to the length of the event. Some can be a whole weekend from Friday evening to late Sunday afternoon. 12 hour days are norm. $250 wouldn't get me out the door for a full day event. But that's NYC. These get photographed on my Canon 5D Markll with available light and flash.
 
back alley said:
thinking about the 2 rd1 bodies...maybe the 25 and 40 lenses...

the rx100 has pretty good low light capability but i might get laughed at...
Click to expand...

Xe-1 w/ 35f1.4 maybe in your future sooner now? Congrats on possible gig. Or with a m-module adapter to use with your existing lenses from the rd1?

What type of lighting situations are u going to need to shoot in? All kidding aside, u can always rent a better low light camera when the gig calls for it. And the m u have with the fast 40 should be fine as well so long as the turn around is acceptable to them..

Good luck with the gig.

Gary
 
i didn't ask many questions yet...but am assuming most of these would be evening events or partial day events on weekends.
i have a small flash for one of the rd1s but it's not very powerful.
 
back alley said:
thinking about the 2 rd1 bodies...maybe the 25 and 40 lenses...

the rx100 has pretty good low light capability but i might get laughed at...
Click to expand...


I'm in a strange position with these gallery openings ... they contact me and say "We have an opening coming up on such and such a date and the budget for documentation is blah blah ... can you do it?"

It's usually around $500.00 which is OK but considering the time spent there (two to three hours) and the post processing it's peanuts and they know it.

I have yet to say "No ... **** off!" of course .... and I do get to eat their nibblies and drink their wine. And I get to look at a lot of this sort of thing ... so it's not all bad!


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Oh yes ... and if you want any credibility as a photographer don't take that RX100 :D ... the RD-1 combo sounds good to me. :)
 
i forgot i have a fast 50 now...that would help.
this would be an ongoing thing with various cultural events over the year.
 
For corporate event work I charge $150 per hour for non-profits, $200 an hour for everyone else, $75 for post production.
 
I forgot to mention Joe that my clients usually expect at least 1,000+ images! I would suggest getting a more powerful flash, where you can adjust the output.

Since it is a cultural institution, try to find some photographers who do similar work in your area so your pricing will be fair to you and your client. Can't hurt to negotiate and work within their budget. Could lead to other work and clients as well.

You'll do great!
 
i doubt that they would pay $500 per...

he has no idea what it might cost and asked me...i said i would investigate and get back to him.
 
i did this sort of thing about a hundred years ago, when i was younger...some out of town conferences where i was put up in a high end resort for the weekend and just wondered the conference and shot...it was fun and the pay was pretty good...but it was a long time ago.
 
And if you do find an opening here and start to get regular work you may want to consider a real camera ... and by that I mean a DSLR. Ultimately the file size of the Epsons will become a hinderance IMO!

I struggled (enjoyably) with my M8 for some time when I started but the move to the D700 took real pressure off me and made the job a lot easier! But then again I've never been permitted to use flash!
 
flash would be a last resort for me.
too bad i just sold off the last of my dslr gear...

i did some theatre work with my cle and 2 lenses a long time and was quite successful...the rd1 looks good to 800 and ok at 1600...it might work.
 
thanks for the info...

i think what pkr says hits home the most...it's really about their budget (which i doubt they have one established) and if i want to do then work with them.

he's a good buddy and if there is enough money involved so that i don't feel like i'm doing it for nothing i might just do it.
i have not had a paid gig in years and thought that i wasn't missing it but i am strangely attracted to the idea. also, being another culture is attractive as well as maybe i might learn something at the same time.
and thanks for the reminder re. 'rights' etc.
i have a very loose association with the local farmer's market where i shoot for them and post to their facebook page and they can also use the pics as they please (mostly facebook/website) but the pics are mine. they buy me lunch occasionally.
 
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