BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Answers

Pricing for Head Shots

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October 14, 2003

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March 18, 2004

I recently brought in some 35mm negatives stored in plastic sleeves for 4x6 reprints. When I returned to pick up the prints, I was told that some of the negatives had been stuck in the sleeves and had to be forcefully pulled out; I subsequently called and said I was unhappy that they had risked damaging the negatives by pulling them out and canceled the order.

When I returned for the negatives I offered to explain my telephone call and I was told they didn’t care; I said I would have preferred that they stopped and called to tell me they couldn’t make the reprints because the negatives were stuck rather than risk damaging them. The response was ‘do you know how many people I would have to call for lousy 4x6 prints? It’s not worth it.’

I said it would have been better to tear the .75 sleeve than risk damaging the negative, and was told ‘they would have been damaged anyway’. In fact, I checked other negatives at home that appeared stuck, and simply by tearing the sleeve the were released undamaged.

Granted this was only a 4x6 reprint job, but the attitude I got indicated that they didn’t really care about my negatives or business. Such a cavalier attitude was surprising from a ‘professional lab’ and I would advise people to be weary of them.

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March 30, 2005

To answer your question Brooke, while I don't do many headshots since I moved to an area that doesn't grow a lot of aspiring actors or models, I still do them on occasion and charge what I did when I was in L.A. several years ago. These days, it's probably not enough, although I tend to do it for the diversity when I have time rather than purely income.

So, the way I handled it in the studio was $150.00 per hour, a two hour minimum plus film and processing. The subject kept the negs as I had absolutely no use for them. If I shot on location, I added $25.00 per hour, and if I needed an assistant on location, the fee went to $225 an hour, 2 hr. minimum.

Generally, you'll find headshot charges range from film and processing only, (for those who don't support themselves with their photographic work or who are just getting started) to what portrait photographers charge for sitting fees plus expenses.

When you're running a biz, those expenses have to include things beyond those directly billable to the client. They include the indirect costs of equipment based on the format and depreciation, studio space and the cost of having it, ancillary costs like film and processing, location permit fees if any, travel and travel time, taxes (Yikes !!), my talent, the degree of difficulty, the value of the work to the client, any additional talent I need to do the work like an assistant, make-up artists and stylists and most important, my time before and after the shoot.

Your neighborhood might not support those kinds of fees, but then your cost of living may be less than Northern California. Still, you shouldn't charge less than true fair market value for your costs AND your current abilities.

If you're just starting out at this and have a top notch portfolio and a good reputation to attract potential clients, I don't think $60 an hour is adequate profit for your efforts. If you don't have those things just yet, whatever you do, don't start too low because as word gets around and you start getting more biz, you'll find it much tougher to raise your fees in the face of "But you did so and so's pictures for half of that!).

Meanwhile, I suggest you join one or two local chapters of professional associations, like ASMP or PPofA, participate in meetings and talk with other members about what they're charging. That's one good way to see what the traffic will bear for this or any other kind of photographic work in your community. Get the picture? ;>))
TTFN. Mark

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March 30, 2005