amateur pricing

graysquirrel

Can anyone who has used an amateur photographer put up what they paid and what they got for it? I am trying to figure out if my quote of $500 w/ pics on cd is a good deal or not. (And yes, I realize what I am risking using an amateur yadda yadda)

graysquirrel

Can anyone who has used an amateur photographer put up what they paid and what they got for it? I am trying to figure out if my quote of $500 w/ pics on cd is a good deal or not. (And yes, I realize what I am risking using an amateur yadda yadda)

CrystalLeePhotography

When I first started I charged $900 for coverage and a disk. Are you presenting your quote to the photographers? Because any professional (even an amateur) should already have a basic pricing structure that they can quote to you for their services.

yuengling58

Our friend offered to do them for us for free, but we're going to give her either a nice gift card or something. Her husband is also our officiant. I wouldn't pay $500 - that seems pricey for someone who is not yet a professional.

60bphotography

As a professional photographer in the beginnings of her career I would say it depends on how much experience they have and the equipment they are using. If they have one or two weddings in their portfolio and you really like the photographs than $500 is very inexpensive. If they don't have any wedding photography in their portfolio I would start around $200. You should also ask what equipment they are using and then research it. A lot of photographers starting out don't have the best equipment yet and something can definitely be said about how much that affects your final product. 

hblazerchic

That's exactly what i'm paying our photographer who is a student at VCU. But we are tipping her an extra $100. The way i see it, her current work is beautiful and since we can't afford a really expensive professional, we should get a few really nice shots with a fresh perspective. Also, i have an agreement with my photographer that she can use them for publishing but i can make as many copies as i want without messing with copyrights. That's worth it!

lyncca

I think $500 is reasonable for a person that is amateur. They are still investing all day with you and will hopefully work really hard for you to build up their portfolio.  Depending on the person, they may also do many hours of post work. 

My advice would be to see what photographs they do have and ask them if they will be doing post processing or simply shooting and burning.

As pointed out, equipment, insurance and many other things go into pricing, but if you know the risks involved, you will more than likely get better pictures from an amateur with photography knowledge than the rest of your guests with a P&S.