Hourly or by the job - photography

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Forum -> Relationships -> Simcha Section

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justforfun87

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 11:33 am

There is a whole calculation of doing business for most photographers but I am just curious from a parent's perspective. If you are making a bar/bat mitzvah and you VALUED photography so not hiring the cheapest girl with a camera would you prefer paying hourly or one set price?

amother

Aconite

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 11:35 am

Set price

Iymnok

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 11:57 am

Set price. Usually stipulated a certain amount of hours and amount of final picture, as well as portraits beforehand.

justforfun87

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 12:30 pm

Iymnok wrote:

Set price. Usually stipulated a certain amount of hours and amount of final picture, as well as portraits beforehand.

Even if you may be paying a bit more than the hourly rate? I have been charging hourly but I find both myself and family always looking at their watch. I want to completely remove that stress but I have to make it worth it. Simchas are usually 3 hours and with portraits even more but I get the occasional ones who want me to cover just 2 hours and then the price would be a lot more if a set price. I wouldn't want to lose those bookings.

mushkamothers

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 12:39 pm

justforfun87 wrote:

So can you turn it into an hourly rate for them and also say, the set rate includes xyz so if we charge per hour here, that means xyz won't be included.

Example: prints, meeting the family beforehand, whatever high touch service you offer that makes the set package price more expensive than hourly

Iymnok

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 12:39 pm

Set for your average customer. Use that as the base and have addons.
You could also have a budget package.

watergirl

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 12:48 pm

I booked a guy by the hour instead of by the event. We worked with him and calculated two hours for our needs and for how much of his time we could afford. He booked another event after my two-hours were up and he ran right there. We did not know that was his plan (why would we?) and when we asked him if we could add another 30-60 mins, he said no, he had another job. It was really stressful for us, not at all for him. His whole attitude was that he was going to take his time and do whatever he could get done in the time we hired him for and he missed what he missed.

The saddest thing is that he was packing up as my husband's uncle arrived - a very sick man at the time who was totally yellow from liver failure. Everyone could tell. We asked him if he could do ONE photo with the uncle and the family, the photographer had to leave so he did not. The uncle passed away shortly after and ours was the last simcha he was at. The photo snapped on someone's iPhone was the last picture anyone took of him dressed up in a suit. Bad lighting, shadowy, etc. It was really sad.

I wish we had booked someone by the event so the cost was just a thing and not something we had to look at the clock for.

amother

Cerise

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 12:58 pm

watergirl wrote:

To clarify, you’re saying “the bolded” after the fact, right? Because it sounds like you were budget conscious to begin with since you calculated how many hours you were going to need the photographer and then booked him based on that. Only during the event you were willing to hire him for a little longer. And sadly lost out on a previous moment (which if it was only one photo the photographer should have just taken - I’m speaking as a professional photographer).

In any event, generally by event eases stress on the Baal simcha and the photographer and it can be based on up to xxx hours.

OP, you’re going to have to use great communication in explaining your package. (Ie, after xxx amount of years in the field, I find that most of my clients utilize 3 hours event coverage and an hour of portraits…)

Hatzlacha

watergirl

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 1:01 pm

amother Cerise wrote:

Yup. I was budget conscious. We went with the time he suggested because he said it would be enough; we didn't want candid, just formals, etc. It was bad communication. But I think if he was smart, he would have left a bit of time for us - he would have made more money!

justforfun87

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 1:40 pm

watergirl wrote:

Right, so the other day I literally left in the middle of first dance because they said they only wanted an hour of the party covered. I confirmed as I was leaving but I didn't feel good about it. I did go 20 minutes over with no charge but I don't like bothering them in middle of simcha and I will never book two events in one day again. My event price will be an average price of how many hours I am usually there but it will sound like a sticker shock to some.

amother

Razzmatazz

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 1:44 pm

It's really to your benefit to set by the job and do it based on the average. If average is 3 hours then those who are 2 or 4 hours, some get more some get less, but it's the only way that works for both you and the client. No one wants to be stressed about running to the next job or the simcha going over time.

justforfun87

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 1:56 pm

amother Razzmatazz wrote:

Yes, even worse is when makeup is running late and I am literally waiting at a location... with no one to photograph.

amother

Lily

Thu, Sep 07 2023, 2:09 pm

At all the simchas I've made (bar mitzvahs, wedding) I was told it's X per job with X for each additional hour. That was great. I agreed upon a price and still had the peace of mind of knowing he'd stay if needed.

I guess that means that they can't book 2 jobs in one night though.

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