Hourly rates....

[D.P.]

I was chatting to the events organizer of my wife's university and it turns out she is looking for events photogrhers so I told her I would be interested, especially since some of the events would be attending anyway.

I don't have much of an events portfolio but I showed her some of my wedding works which she loved. She just needs to know my hourly rate... Which I have never thought about before.


I have numbers in mind if I was to shoot a whole wedding but basic events are a very different breed.the thing is it is often fine to think of $300 for and event but stating $150 an hour seems a little odd. One thing to bear in mind my hourly rate also has to include processing time, of which I tend to do minimal work but even spending 2 mins per a photo is short but quickly adds up.


Looking around the area is we profesionals charge $100-300 an hour, with or without processing on top. I won't be added to the professional list because I can't do weekday daytime eventsso I will be added to a semi-professional list to which it is hard to gage prices. I'm ow the non-professional students get min wage ($10) so that is also a useless price point to look at.


The thing is unless the money is reasonable then there is little purpose in doing it for the money. I get paid around $55 an hour for my day job but that is full time and I get all the benefits like sick, holiday, vacation.

So I was thinking going with $75 an hour as half way between the students and the pros. That is certainly reasonable money but I can't help but think I would get almost no work because the students would only cost $10 an hour. And then I am also not that fussed about the money, I wanted to help the event manager out a little and I was cringing watching the student with a Canon 500d with 18-55 kit lens and no flash in the dark basketball VIP lounge. On the flip side I don't want to end up doing lots of events because I am cheaper than the pros.


If you were asked for a hourly rate for semi-pro work (due to not being available during the week day times) what would you set given these parameters.

 

[D.P.]

I know the processing time has to be including in the hourly rate and I would prefer to give a quote for the event but that is not how it is done at the university. The events manager has a table of photographers and hourly rates and will hire a photographer based on the event type and budget. Some events might have a $30 budget for photography in which case a student will be hired, other events have a higher budget. She doesn't ask each photographer for a bespoke quote for each event, the price is simply determined by the number of hours of shooting.

I am happy charging comparable rates to other profesionals but this likely means I will get zero work or experience because my prices will be compared to other semi-profesionals. The quality of my work isn't determining my status here, it is the fact I have a Monday-Friday 9-5 job so cannot be included in the list of professionals. The events manager has already warned me that she might not be able to afford me if I charge professional rates. The fact is that many of the events are fairly low key, these aren't weddings, birthdays or special occasions. These are things like hired a new faculty member, faculty social event to welcome people back after summer, faculty student graduation celebration. She has unlimited students at $10 an hour and many professionals $100-300 an hour. She needs more people that fall between the 2.

If I charge $150 an hour then I will have the pro rates but will be in the semi-pro list who's rates I don't really know but I presume are between $10 and $100 an hour.

 

[D.P.]

I don't really need the money but if I am going to have to plan, prepare, act professionally, deal with any stress and nerves (not really an issue for these low key events but I always want to give my best effort), and spend time processing then I want the money to be worth it, not peanuts.

I definitely don't want to do the work on the cheap to secure lots of events, I prefer to earn more and do less events due to pricing myself out of the budget end.


I will probably suggest $75 an hour and see what she says. I can increase my rates later although that isn't ideal. She may have a figure in. Ind which is much lower, in which case I will likely tell her to forget about the money, if she needs someone in an emergency I will help out. She is a friend of my wife's so part of this is more to help a friend than to make money.


Edit: I appreciate the discussion and views!

 

[D.P.]

My wife is faculty and is friends with the event manager. My wife asked around but only managed to find out that the student rate is $10 an hour.

It is a private university with decent money to spend when needed but they won't pay $200 an hour for little social get together between faculty. E.g. Last week the management school bought a load of basketball tickets and we had wine, beer and snacks in the VIP lounge of the court. They had hired a student for photography. At the other extreme they hire professionals or have national film crews in when big events happen (president Obama visit, big sports events that are televised live). Somewhere I between are events that they want someone more than a student but don't want to pay $200 an hour or more for.


So e of these events I might be invited as a guest anyway, so I suggested I dont mind bringing my gear. I had in mind doing it for free as a kind gesture to a friend but realized I might as well charge when offered.

 

[D.P.]

Indeed, if I was already set up and advertising weddings then I would give them my standard rate but this is more helping a friend with events with a more mediocre budget.


Last October I did a lot of research on wedding rates because it was looking like I would be unemployed by now. Things have turned more positive with my employer so I don't need to shoot weddings as a professional job but I would still like to push my Photography more. Some paid formal events would be nice experience without the stress of a wedding.

If they go well and I end up unemployed then I will give weddinghotorahy a more serious attempt but I don't want to use my limited free time to earn more money when I have a baby on the way.