Every city is different, every photographer's clientele is different, and every photographer has his own spot in the pecking order in his market.
Also, it depends on whether you want to go full-time pro or just do an occasional paid shoot. But don't expect to make a living anywhere just shooting model portfolios these days.
I'd build the strongest portfolio I could, then talk to a few local professionals, buy them coffee and get their opinions. Setting rates will probably come down to trial and error to some extent anyway.
LA StarShooter
Posts: 1,035
Beverly Hills, California, US
Cole Morrison wrote: I personally think you should spend some more time shooting TF.
Based on what is in your MM portfolio, presuming your thinking of charging models, the best question to ask is: what will they gain in the marketplace. Will a travelling professional model gain more attention from paying photographers if she shoots with you. If she posts two images from you, will it bring in $2000 for her? That is at least 6 gigs.
Have you done a shoot that resulted in a professional model using the image to generate income for herself, from her website? Has she put the image on a comp card. Is your work in her book that she shows to commercial prospects, etc?
I like what Cole wrote and, in addition would urge you to think about what value you can really add.
I have a few more high-concept TF shoots that I need to do and then TF will be on the back burner. Direction along with drive is so important. What part of the market do you want to try and make it in?
"How much should I charge?"... well, the question really is, "Do you have the skills to deliver what a client wants, in the manner that they want?". Because ultimately, being able to deliver a custom product is what will get you paid.
I see so many photogs with a shooting style, and their port reflects that style, repeatedly, over and over again. Same photo, just different models. It would work out well for you, if the client wants the same kind of photos you've been shooting.
But what if the client asks you for something else? Do you have the necessary knowledge to pull it off?
Your port is chock full of those dreamy outdoor shots, warm colors, soft focus, some lens flares and bokeh. What else can you do? What else do you have in your arsenal; in your repertoire'?
What have people offered to pay you so far? If people offer to pay you thousands, then you should be charging thousands. If no one offers to pay you, then you should not be charging anything.
I would not pay you. I like the "story telling" feel of your work, but hate the murky colors. You need to work with better models. Trade up and I think you might one day be asked for your rates.
You are not "Very Experienced".
Your profile reads:
I'm only here to have fun and take some cool photographs. I'm not in this to become rich and famous.
There are some things you want to ask yourself when you start to consider charging people.
• Am I capable of delivering to the client what they want?
• Can I consistently recreate a photo over and over if I have to change something about it, or am I going to spend a lot of time fumbling around trying to figure out what it was I had going for me in the first place?
• Will this client be likely to recommend your services—at the cost I charge them—to another person?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, then you should probably give yourself some more time and experience before you charge somebody for your work. I find that the second question is particularly important, though it's one of the questions that a lot of photographers will overlook. Being consistent is far more important than being good. And if you know what you're doing, enough that you can quickly and efficiently make a change to a photo without altering everything else in it (let's say that the sun needs to go behind a model's shoulder instead of over it—how quickly can you adjust your lighting equipment and reflectors to adjust for the loss in background light from the sun?), that will mean faster, more pleasant shoots and happier clients. And that, coupled with consistent solid shots, can easily mean more to a client than a miserable shoot coupled with only the occasional amazing shot.
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