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Hi All , You might recall the other week when i was at the airport and took so pics and was aproached by a pilot who landed while i was there and asked to do pics for him, finding out he is a managing director of An insurance company and well he loved his pics i sent to him.

Well he rang today and asked if i would come to the opening of there new office where they will have one of the Local Governemet fella's to to do pictures of the opening and for there website. Also he wants to do some more pics of his plane as he said he will do some low passes with landing gear down simular to touch and go and get more pics of the new plane.
WOW this all sounds exciting, tells me i am either doing something right or my prices are too cheap.

Ok now i know there people in this forum who have more experience in something like this, and well i take pics of motobikes and sell to the riders is different from doing stuff for a company.
What should i be looking at to charge roughly, as i have just been charging for the size of pics, but this is a different ball game.

Anyhelp on some sort of guidelines i should look at like do i sell the photos as i have been doing or do i charge like hourly rate plus photo's and well i am open to susgestions.
Thanks in Advance.
John
BBJ

BBJ,
Can I come and work for you? you run the show and I'll be your assistance.
Good to hear, you have had move to the upper area in hobby and biz, good opportunity for you and soon will lusting of a 200-400VR. eh!
What you should do, be gentle with your charges at the start, try to impress him with your skills and talent, so he can open the door for you to get into his biz same as other fruitful ventures and with especially with photography same as the introduction of yourself to him, if you push it too hard then it may break.

I wish you all luck in the year of Rooster! KUNG HEY PHAT CHOY1

Thanks Birdy, hehe yeh well dont know about the 200-400 yet sort out what i got first, but i can see myself having to get a flash soon maybe and well yes i will stick to the prices i charge for the photo's and well hey who knows he might leave it upto him if i get anything for my time. Who knows maybe work doing pics of insurance claims i guess so far i am lucky to get more work from this so will take it as it goes.
Thanks
Oh yeh KUNG HEY PHAT CHOY1, LOl now i did read what these all meant and well one can only hope.

Congrats BBJ, great news. I am with Birddog on this don't overcharge at the start, get yourself known then readjust pricing. But don't give it away. Mt Gambier is a small place and you don't want to shut doors before they open

BBJ wrote:Thanks Birdy, hehe yeh well dont know about the 200-400 yet sort out what i got first, but i can see myself having to get a flash soon maybe and well yes i will stick to the prices i charge for the photo's and well hey who knows he might leave it upto him if i get anything for my time. Who knows maybe work doing pics of insurance claims i guess so far i am lucky to get more work from this so will take it as it goes.
Thanks
Oh yeh KUNG HEY PHAT CHOY1, LOl now i did read what these all meant and well one can only hope.

BBJ,
Look, if he owns a plane and be a pilot himself, he might be a member of one of the Aircraft Owner or Pilot Association club that may bring you to the difference venue to shoot their planes and their activities, some of their planes may put on a paper for sale or hire or charter, so there're a light in the tunnel for you to get more involvement in aviation, you may sell those photos to few aviation magazines here or overseas with some "hot pics". Remember: always retain your copyrights!

Congrats BBJ - I would discuss with the person concerned an hourly rate as well - simply because it is your time and that does have a value even if you only charge $50 an hour

Ok Thanks Chris and Glenn and Birdy your right, the fact that he has rang me and asked if i would do the photos for the opening of there new office here is in fact a good thing, means that he is happy with i have done so far, so i have 2 days booked with him 1 for more plane pics at the airport and the other opening on there new offices. Will wait til time comes to sort out more details i guess.

sounds great John,
reminds me of my first break in motorsport photography.
remember not to sell yourself short, once the ball start rolling it won't stop!

Thanks redline, i wont but yeh was good to get the call. Makes it all worthwhile.

That's great John, congrats!
Perhaps for shots that were made because you happended to be there at the right time you might charge per image, but for commissioned work where you are asked to go to a location and shoot, maybe charge per hour/time based?

Just a thought...

Great news though mate, good an ya...

Cheers,
Mudder

What a break.
Pilots and their airplanes are like parents with their children. They will pay for this sort of stuff. This could become a good little passtime and money earner hanging down at the airport when there is no motorcycle racing.
There are a lot of vintage and homebuilt aircraft that operate up and down the coast. In '99, I lived in Noarlunga on the top of a hill on the banks of the Pat'. I used to get treated to aerobatic displays a couple of times a week by vintage aircraft operating out of the field directly opposite. Nothing like the sound of a radial engine in an old Wirraway?/T-2? (made by North American in the 1940's as a trainer) Those pilots spent so much time fussing over their babies.

Cheers

Matt

Hi Matt, and thanks mudder will keep it all in mind. Matt i too love the sound of those radial engines, nothing beats them i think. Loved when i went to Avalon Airshow some years back, was great and nice planes i guess the one i loved was the lockheeds Super Constelation and the sound it made was fantastic.

If it was me I would probably look at charging him a flat rate for the two days you're taking shots for him, then offer him prints at cost price. I don't know how much work is planned for the two days, but if you're there taking photos for most of each day I certainly wouldn't hesitate in asking for $500 to cover the 2days and then charging him just the cost of getting the photos printed.

Of course, as the others said, this might be a great opportunity for you to get your foot in the door at a larger club/group.. I know when I did some sales work a few years ago ( *shudder* ) one of the people I was working with devoted an entire week to the RSLs after cold-selling to just one club..

"We've organised a special price for X and because of your affilition with them we'd like to offer you the same price..." etc...

Congratulations anyway!
If you feel like expanding into Melbourne, Give me a call!

John,
For someone who spent his younger days around aircraft, I find it quite amazing that I have never been to an airshow. The closest is that tiny strip on the banks of the Pat". I can only imagine aircraft like the Super Conny.
I got to see the Roulettes over TC a few months back, which was a bit of a suprise. I was working away on the boundary of the airport, when I started hearing all of these turbine driven aircraft. Stuck my head up to see them forming up for a display. I did not have my camera with me. At one stage I could have photographed the pilots in the cockpit - 60 degree bank at about 200 ft looking straight down the wing at me. That happened several times. Boy was I pissed at not having my camera with me.

Cheers

Matt

It's a worry at times Matt, but i know what it's like as when i went to the airshow i borrowed a friends slr and well he had problems with and i took a few rolls of film and well only a few of the pics turned out, i was not happy but well nothing you can do about it.
Oh well i will get to another one day.
Cheers
John

Congratulations BBJ,
sounds to me like you have it under control. As far as charging / pricing goes, I would keep it as simple as possible and avoid hourly charging so that you can take your required exposures and be at liberty to cut and run or stay. I occasionally attract some photographic assignments from locals and if you know (as well as you can) that you are going to sell "X" number of prints then I just cost the print, double that and charge accordingly. I guess the key is to keep on enjoying it - don't let it become a hassle because of money issues. Good for you!! Pleased you share your experiences.

Thanks Matty, I have a couple of weeks till this all happens so i will keep everyone informed on how it went and what goes on.

Maybe ill just takes lots of picsand let him decide on what he wants and go from there as i have done with the other pics i did for him, so simple it will be, just have to see how the flash goes inside as i dont have an off camera flash for now but it's on the list so it should be ok.
Thanks
John

BBJ,

Ain't this mod. tech. take images and view on computer screen to order thing just grand? We are indeed privileged. I would have given up by now with a film back SLR Camera.

Cheers.

BBJ wrote:Thanks Matty, I have a couple of weeks till this all happens so i will keep everyone informed on how it went and what goes on.

Maybe ill just takes lots of picsand let him decide on what he wants and go from there as i have done with the other pics i did for him, so simple it will be, just have to see how the flash goes inside as i dont have an off camera flash for now but it's on the list so it should be ok.
Thanks
John

John,
Make sure you have a SB-800 for fill flash or indoor use, I know you don't have fast lens(es) and there's maybe a problems if you're shooting indoor with the onboard flash, outdoor with the good weather is nota problem, but sometime you do need it, it will pay off by itself quickly if you know all the tricks, or a 50/1.4 or 1.8. Gotta have right tools for right job.

Hi Birdy, yes i know mate i do need a sb800, but cant have it all at once it is on my list of things to get next, but first things first and well with 2 weeks to go i will make do with what i have. I know the right tools make it easier but beggers cant be choosers. A flash i do have an Achiever flash here off my Yashica outfit but not sure if that will work ok with D70..

Have been doing a lot of reading and well i know the 70-200VR is great have also read lots on the 70-200 Sigma and well for the price that is also on the list as VR is not needed for what i will use it for for the bikes.

The SB800 is a main next item for sure and well if i get enough from the work it maybe can go towards the next lust session after i sort other things out first.

BBJ wrote:Hi Birdy, yes i know mate i do need a sb800, but cant have it all at once it is on my list of things to get next, but first things first and well with 2 weeks to go i will make do with what i have. I know the right tools make it easier but beggers cant be choosers. A flash i do have an Achiever flash here off my Yashica outfit but not sure if that will work ok with D70..

Have been doing a lot of reading and well i know the 70-200VR is great have also read lots on the 70-200 Sigma and well for the price that is also on the list as VR is not needed for what i will use it for for the bikes.

The SB800 is a main next item for sure and well if i get enough from the work it maybe can go towards the next lust session after i sort other things out first.

BBJ,
Make sure do more research of your existing flash prior to put it on your D70, otherwise you'll have a free BBQ

Yes Birdy i prolly wont use it or try it but i know it did check out when i used it on the fuji.
I have the Achiever DZ260 shown on this page not that it tells you a hell of a lot. http://www.achiever.com.hk/flash/dedicate.html

But well i will make do as i shoot in Raw i can play with them a bit anyhow and i will explain to him that i dont have a better flash so its make do with what i got and he knows i do this for a hobby and so on, told him before i took his last lot of pictures.
Cheers
John