What do you charge?
 

I really hope this doesn't turn into fighting. I am at the point where I am ready to have a steady rate for automotive photography. I have no clue what the average is or anything. I know it all comes down to preference and quality. I would like to see what others charge though to get some sort of base.

It all depends on your overhead, take overhead and multiply by 3.

No one pays for automotive... and even when they do (magazines) it's not very lucrative. You're looking at about an 800.00 average for covers, and less for general articles.

There is some money to be made at automotive events, but it's still not very substantial.

product photography is where it's at.

Well there is a local car forum that I am getting my own sub-section on. I know I am not going to make a ton doing it, but since I am being given my own section, I don't see why not make some money doing it. So far a lot of my shoots have been friends so I basically went off of what they wanted to pay me. This isn't how I plan to make all my money, but doing some here and there for some extra cash is all I really want.

do you have cheap friends? will your friends all want "the homie hook up"?

The local forum is made up of people I don't know so there won't be any homie hook ups.

I made most of my photo money from shooting shows for a friend who runs a promotions company. Unfortunately he no longer does that, so there went my photography fund haha. While it lasted though it financed some pretty nice gear.

Weddings as well

true that.

me personally, I won't touch a wedding.

and senior picts people will pay out the butt for that also

Haha, I am not asking what pays the best. I am asking what some of you charge for automotive shoots.

Quinceaneras are where it's at as well. Them Messicans will fork out money for their daughters birthday.

11 dollars

trust me, that's all anyone thinks automotive shots are worth.

I think i might be the only one that can honestly answer this.

Hourly: $70/hr 2hr minimal.
Daily base rate: $400.00
Rig shot addition: $50.00
Portrait addition: $50.00

Usually i end up knocking the price down for publications, i end up averaging $350-400 per shoot for a full feature after we finish negotiation. Usually they don't want to pay extra for a cover, they use it if they want to regardless of your choice these days, and if they want a custom cover they will shoot it them self via a staff photographer. If its a quick "shoot" (which usually ends up taking 1-3 hours + editing time anyway) I will charge $150-$200, but most people flake out to be honest s I don't push for auto shoots that much. I usually book considering 4 hours shoot, 4 hours editing. And if i get near that 8 hour mark for a publication i start to cut corners here and there and mostly just work in light room to speed it up.

Eh i usually get "offered" $50-70 to shoot peoples cars but its not worth it for me to work 3-4 hours for it considering location, time spent charging equipment, loading the car, driving etc. If someone wanted a quick 2-5 shots my choice, i could swing $100 if it was within 5 miles of where i was just because I'm broke these days lol.

FYI other photographers consider my $70/hr for auto work "cheap". But its hard to get much more for it. I would love nothing more but to shoot auto's all day every day, if there was a surplus of work i would easily quit my day job for it.

i won't even turn my camera on for someone else unless there's a base amount of $50 already negotiated. my thousands of dollars invested into my gear isn't there for someone else to abuse.

Like I said, take your overhead costs and multiply by 3.

And LOL at digital photographers complaining about costs and time processing photos.. I'd love to see your posts if you were working with medium format film or range finders...

It doesn't matter whether it's film or digital. Our time costs money.

Honestly I'm getting tired of people saying digital photography is easy. Guess what? All it's done is make more things possible. Yes, it's easier now to do minor color corrections to a photo than it was in a dark room but when you're talking to someone who regularly does composites or high levels of retouching, we invest just as much time as Ansel Adams did in his dark room. Besides, people like me and the others that frequent this section spend time getting the photo right in the camera before ever going to the computer, so when we do... It tends to be major shit. Like removing a giant pole and a ton of reflections for a shot like this:


by , on Flickr


by , on Flickr


If this shit was easy, everyone would be able to produce images like that.


To answer your question Kevin, I base my rates on how the photos will be used. A high traffic website or magazine is going to earn money from my photos, so I charge them more. If I was shooting someones car for them to have nice photos of for themselves, I'd look at around $150 for a short/simple shoot. If you want me to drag my rig out, take the time to set it up, and dangle $2500+ of gear from it... Well my rates just sky-rocketed. Anything less I'd feel like I'm doing them a favor or hooking them up.

I will still shoot for free, but the occasions are few and far between.

I think you're at about that point where you can start dictating terms brah. Have editors sign agreements. Every thing that's ever been published by me had a written contract in place.

Man I got Nelsmar and Pendulum along with Tauntdevil to shoot my car for the price of Sandwiches :D

I had a coupon lol...

That was forever ago. And tbh, I only went because Marin asked me to go. Otherwise I would've stayed in bed, gotten some morning sex and done nothing all day.

well I am glad you came. otherwise I wouldn't have that beautiful building shot..

which BTW it went missing on my picture thread....do you have it on flickr still?

It really comes down to who you know and how good you are. If you don't know anyone and aren't very good, you aren't likely to make much money doing photography of any type. There are LOTS of "professional photographers" (people that went to best buy and bought a camera over $1000) out there that fall into the latter category and the market is over saturated with them. If you've never shot for a publication before, you're usually assed out. Getting a foot in the door is difficult, taking over their current crop of cover-shooters is borderline impossible, unless you're really good. Commercial work (real commercial work, with ad agencies, not a portrait for your local business owner) is borderline impossible to enter and even starting a thread like this identifies that you have no chance in hell at that, at least not for the next decade (don't mean to be harsh). But if you stick with it, get your shit together and do it because you want to, you can go far... trust me ;) If you just want a job that makes money, I'd recommend applying at McDonalds, if you want to be rich become a Lawyer or a Doctor.

I'm a Photographer too. Sean did I ever let you know. Your about to be ass out over there at Super Street son. :) I'm up and coming and I'm coming for those tight jeans of yours!

I take pictures for free..... I suck :)

lol @ sean and his jeans.

Nikon sucks, bro