Charging Friends

i charge for weddings (discounted of course) but not for kids / family shots / pets etc...

use the pics for your portfolio / and or experience !! :)
 
I've never charged close friends or my family. I don't say you shouldn't, it's just that their money is not that important to me. However I also don't let them take the p*** either. Usually my friends have skills which are useful to me at times.
 
If your friend ran a restaurant and you decided to go and eat there would you expect to eat for free? I might hope for a free drink, or a little reduction on the bill, but I wouldn't expect anything except that the person making the food is a skilled chef.

So, if you're not yet skilled, then you're just taking some pictures of your friend and their dog. If you are skilled then treat them as a client, but give them a little something in recognition of them being a friend. Everyone starts somewhere, so if this is your start, do it on a TFCD basis - time for CD, and simply put the images onto a disk for them to be able to sort out their own prints, otherwise, you do at least need to charge them for any product they receive.
Z
 
It kinda depends on what you do for money. I'm a snapper so if someone asked me to take some pics, I'd see it as a business engagement.

If that same person asked me to help with a house move, it's obviously a favour. Whether you want to shoot for free if it's your trade is up to you but it shouldn't be expected.
 
They get charged yes. OK at a discounted "mates rates" but they get charged. It's a business for me, I treat it accordingly.

Pete
 
I shoot friends & family for free - I treat it as 'target practice'.

If they insist on handing over money of any amount & refuse my knock backs,
then I say ''thanks'' & let them know that the kids will be treated :thumbs:
 
i couldn't even imagine charging a friend for taking some candid fun snaps... that's just me i guess!
 
FOC on a disc, with a price list of whichever printer you use?

Bottle of scotch accepted in leau...
 
What really irked me recently was when the hubby offered to buy me a drink "for the best one" of a set I'd priced at "mates' rates" at £130. He didn't know his wee wifey had already asked and offered to pay, but apparently had no concept of fair value and had then gone around telling peeps I wouldn't let her have the photos.

Like most of us I've happily given away stuff. All it appears to have done is devalue my work to the extent that people are quite demanding but rarely even give a thanks and are prepared to nick local interest stuff for web projects for neighbouring villages.
 
ZoZo said:
you do at least need to charge them for any product they receive.
Z
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I don't think there's anything wrong with charging family and friends if that's what you feel is the right thing to do.

Appreciate it's a horses for courses though and your level of professionalism is not determined by whether you take money from your friends and family. That's an individual decision and what 'level' they are has zero to do with it.
 
depends, if I treated it as TFP work where I got some images I wanted then yes

if not it would really depend on the friend and what costs I had to do it ect

the whole student economy runs on beer, grown ups I would consider charging
 
I charge mates rates for studio shoots, a few freebies but not often

I take 50% off for most events (bday parties etc) if I would have been invited anyway (ie not charge for being there just for editing)

If I'm taking the kids with me then I don't charge as I can't be a photographer and a mother (and tell them that)

I'm a part time photographer (full time mum) so time is precious. I don't do a lot of photography, so when I do it I'd rather be paid to fund the next piece of kit :)
 
It's different perspectives based on where you're at, I guess.

LJR, you copied out the bit about charging for product - that's the bit where you are out of pocket because of purchasing the product, so if you give product away as well as your time and skill as a photographer (whatever level you're at) then you are also giving the friend a gift of the prints, frames, canvas, whatever else it is.

So if someone is happy to do that, ok, but I also think we need to be aware of what we could be saying to a friend when we say 'hey, I'd be happy to do this for you for free'. And yes, skill level does come into it (level of professionalism is a different thing altogether - an unskilled photographer could be more professional than a skilled one). An unskilled photographer requires people to practice on, so there is a process of exchange through TFCD. However a skilled photographer is using up time when they could have a paying client in order to photograph a friend for free - for example, this summer I am going to the wedding of friends which means that for that weekend I can't book a wedding, so that costs me £2k in earnings (I don't get paid annual leave working for myself, and nobody else will be able to shoot a wedding for me, so that's a loss of earnings) - I'll never tell the friends that, but I'll find it hard if they then expect me to take some photographs AND give them the product as a gift. But that's how it is for me running a business.

We will inevitably all have different perspectives on this because we are all at different places, with different experiences and we're doing different things - it doesn't make one thing right or wrong, it's simply a perspective on things.
 
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

Just did some quick, really quick grab shots, for one of the guys at motocross. His wife had just had a baby after a few years trying so was more than pleased to let them have them for nothing :)
 
ZoZo said:
It's different perspectives based on where you're at, I guess.

LJR, you copied out the bit about charging for product - that's the bit where you are out of pocket because of purchasing the product, so if you give product away as well as your time and skill as a photographer (whatever level you're at) then you are also giving the friend a gift of the prints, frames, canvas, whatever else it is.

So if someone is happy to do that, ok, but I also think we need to be aware of what we could be saying to a friend when we say 'hey, I'd be happy to do this for you for free'. And yes, skill level does come into it (level of professionalism is a different thing altogether - an unskilled photographer could be more professional than a skilled one). An unskilled photographer requires people to practice on, so there is a process of exchange through TFCD. However a skilled photographer is using up time when they could have a paying client in order to photograph a friend for free - for example, this summer I am going to the wedding of friends which means that for that weekend I can't book a wedding, so that costs me £2k in earnings (I don't get paid annual leave working for myself, and nobody else will be able to shoot a wedding for me, so that's a loss of earnings) - I'll never tell the friends that, but I'll find it hard if they then expect me to take some photographs AND give them the product as a gift. But that's how it is for me running a business.

We will inevitably all have different perspectives on this because we are all at different places, with different experiences and we're doing different things - it doesn't make one thing right or wrong, it's simply a perspective on things.
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I was referring to prints supplied electronically more than printing out to canvas. In the instances where I've framed something on canvas then I would usually get the cost of the materials back. However not even that in all cases. I took a photo in my studio of my grandmother with her two great grandsons. I got it to canvas and mounted and supplied it free of charge. She had only asked if she could get a photo of her with the kids. I can't even imagine thinking of charging her.

With friends it's only the closest friends I do any freebies for but I was thinking earlier that 99% of my friends nearly always insist on paying. It's just not always something I feel I need to take. Each situation is different and I maintain that experience and level have nothing to do with the decision (at least not in my opinion)
 
You have to think, would they charge me? If they would then take there money!
 
I suppose I'm in a different situation to many of you, I'm not well enough to work. Photography is a hobby for me, a focus, a distraction from stuff and a dream (yes, I dream that one day I'll be well enough to manage to work as a photographer). So, no, I don't charge friends and family, but I don't give them the prints (upload them to snapfish or photobox for them) and I've started watermarking any for a disc or on facebook - as most seem to appear on facebook and passed off as their own pics that they took of the kids or whatever...
 
What environment do they want the pictures taken in?
Maybe you could suggest hiring a studio for a couple of hours. They pay for the studio, you give them a CD at the end of the day and you get experience shooting in a studio environment.
If you want/need to do any PP, then maybe factor that in - a small fee for your time. Again, you could look at it as gaining experience with PP.
Plus you hopefully get some decent shots for your portfolio.

I've been contemplating hiring a studio for a day and get friends/family to book slots 60-90 minutes. They pay for the studio time + a small extra for my time. They take away a CD or I offer prints at very reasonable rates. Having never made a penny from photography, nor having a decent portrait portfolio, this could really get me started on the road to becoming semi-pro / pro one day.
 
It really depends on the situation for me, I am very aware of the saying:

"Today's favour becomes tomorrows duty"

Having said that though my wife has a very bad habit of offering my services to her friends for free
 
If I'm asked to take some shots, I'll ask for something in return (or hope it's offered). Not usually cash (although I wouldn't turn it down if that's what was offered) but for one set I did for a friend's hotel website, I get pretty much as many free coffees as we can drink, an Ouzo or 2 every evening and mates' rates when we stay there, so for a couple of hours shooting and another hour of PP, I think I'm doing OK!
I'm far more likely to just shoot candids of people and they get a print, quite often without knowing I had even taken a snap. If someone wants a bigger print, I'll just ask for costs, although since I've never costed A4 or A3 prints, I'm just guessing at them - paper price + a bit for inks. On holiday, I print 6x4 on a Canon Selphy which takes ribbons and special paper that come in a pack together, so it's quite easy to cost them. If they want an e-copy, I'll e-mail it to them at 600px longest side - fine for web use but not ideal for printing.
 
I would maybe either give a mates rate, which always goes down well :)
They will need to realise the effort with the taking and processing.
Problem with doing free stuff for mates is they tell other people it was a favour, and if word gets out your a bit of a pushover price-wise, surely that isnt good? :)

Either that or do it for free and ask them to say when asked that they paid you :)
 
If it's your business and you're at a standard where you're charging other members of the public, then you should really charge for work for friends. That to me doesn't include when I'm with friends taking pics of their kids for myself, only if they've booked me to do so. Imagine if you're a busy, decent wedding photographer, spending 4 days on each wedding, and 4 of your friends get married in a year - are you going to do 16 days hard work for free, and consequently turn down paying clients (because most people get married on a Saturday)?
 
whoa let's not lose the plot here! the OP sounds like he's been asked to do some casual/fun shots of his friend's kid and dog... not a full-blown wedding or barmitzvah

this 'assignment' sounds like something which can be done for fun with the families on a Sunday morning, nothing too taxing. even if it was some studio shots, it's not going to take that long.

unless it's your best best mate, then no-one's going to be doing official wedding shots for free :thinking: you'd give them mate's rates, but they'd expect to pay in that case.

if your mate was a car mechanic and you asked him to have a quick look at something on your car... you're not going to expect him to charge you... are you? well, if the answer's yes... i don't know what this world is coming to :D

there's a world of difference between doing something for a mate, and a mate of a mate.
 
I think it depends on your business - I make & sell jewellery, and maintain a friends & family discount when people I know buy or commission things, but don't give pieces away unless it's a birthday/Christmas present etc, because I can't afford to do that!

But as photography goes, I'm very much an amateur, and so tend to take photos when friends etc are with me, and just email them the results if they'd like them - because it's a hobby, and because my standard isn't especially high yet, I don't feel I can charge them. But then I've not been asked to do a studio shoot or anything for friends, so the situation hasn't arisen in real life...

And lol at the student economy running on beer, we did a lot of swapping shoots for drinks when I was at uni :lol:
 
I've done a few shoots with family and friends and as has been said done "discount" weddings and for shoots only charged them the cost for printing but more often than not they'll offer you some money on top of that as well or at least buy you a few rounds in the pub :)
 
It would depend on the situation really.

I've done some pictures of my friends baby, I didn't charge her but she unexpectedly offered me some money towards my petrol costs which was welcomed. I usually give her a CD with the pictures on but she always credits me when she uses any of them. Plus she is a very close friend and has been very supportive of my photography and pushes me to improve.

A friend of mine has asked me to shoot her wedding next year. I am happy to do it but need to decide what I am going to say to her about pricing before I meet with her and her fiance in May. She is more of an aquaintance than a friend so I don't feel so bad about asking for some kind of payment - especialy as this it will be a much bigger thing than just taking a few shots of a baby at home.
 
Taking pictures of a dog and your friends child aren't the most taxing of assignments, don't require a huge amount of time (you're probably looking at around an hour tops for the entire assignment beginning to end). So I wouldn't charge them, make sure you use them in your portfolio though, definitely worth it.

If it were something more taxing, like a wedding where you are looking around between 25-30 hours of work from start to finish, then charge them. As an example, a friend of mine wanted me to take pictures at their wedding, I told him what this would entail, including post processing, designing an album, pre-wedding shoots and meetings and gave him a heavily discounted rate. For all that work, to expect it for free is just silly.
 
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