Help! Event Photography Questions

bokehdot

I'm new to professional event photography and need help structuring my arrangements with customers. I'm not a full-time photographer, more a hobbyist, but would like to setup reasonable expectations with the customer.

Event Scenario

Customer: Dance studio (student dancers, under age 19)
Location: 500 seat theater
Photo work: Day 1, Dress Rehearsal: Artsy shots from any location in the theater; Day 2, Performance: Shots from a single location in the theater with at least one full group shot per dance

My questions:

1. Should I maintain copyright of the images?
2. If I maintain copyright, should I agree NOT to publicly display any of the images?
3. Should I hand over every image taken or a subset?
4. Should the images I hand over be post-processed?
5. What limitations of use should the customer have?
6. Should I manage print sales or the customer?
7. Which party (or both) should have model releases?
8. What is a reasonable hourly rate for the services?

Sam

bokehdot wrote: »

I'm new to professional event photography and need help structuring my arrangements with customers. I'm not a full-time photographer, more a hobbyist, but would like to setup reasonable expectations with the customer.

Event Scenario

Customer: Dance studio (student dancers, under age 19)
Location: 500 seat theater
Photo work: Day 1, Dress Rehearsal: Artsy shots from any location in the theater; Day 2, Performance: Shots from a single location in the theater with at least one full group shot per dance

My questions:

1. Should I maintain copyright of the images?
2. If I maintain copyright, should I agree NOT to publicly display any of the images?
3. Should I hand over every image taken or a subset?
4. Should the images I hand over be post-processed?
5. What limitations of use should the customer have?
6. Should I manage print sales or the customer?
7. Which party (or both) should have model releases?
8. What is a reasonable hourly rate for the services?

I am on a road trip and can't answer in full, but based on the questions your asking I
don't think your ready to be charging anyone.

1. Yes
2. What does the client want?
3. No
4. Yes
5. Depends on you and your client.
6. See #5.
7. Depends.
8. Can vary based on market area, photographer, experience, etc. My gut says between $50.00 and $125.00 per hour.

Sam

Ferguson

bokehdot wrote: »

Customer: Dance studio (student dancers, under age 19)

...
Which party (or both) should have model releases?
[/LIST]

If they are under legal age where you are, be sure you understand any requirements you have for permission and record keeping. Personally I would want a conversation with a lawyer before doing a commercial shoot (see next sentence) with minors. Model releases are for commercial use, in the US that does not mean selling the photo, but rather using the likeness in advertising and similar. Editorial and artistic use (even if you make money for it) may not require such releases (in the US), but photos of minors can be a different matter based on local and state laws.

I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice.

OffTopic

Now is the time for you to start deciding who YOU want to be as a for-hire photographer. Do you want to be a photographer who shoots jpegs and hands everything over to the client at the end of a shoot, or do you want to be one who carefully selects only the best shots and post-processes them to reflect your individual style? There's a world of difference between the two, and your choices affect your pricing, your marketing, your contracts, and what clients you target. If you let the client sell prints of your images, that is a potential loss of income for you and needs to be factored into your pricing. Only you can make those decisions. As Sam rightly pointed out, much of the questions you ask are decisions to be made between you and your client. What does the client want, what are you willing to do, and at what price? And get your paperwork in line, in addition to a contract before the shoot you should have a licensing agreement that spells out exactly how the client is allowed to use the images.

mercphoto

With respect to questions 3 and 4, do you really want the world to see your bad shots? Do you really want the world to see uncorrected or untouched shots? If you answer either as "yes" step back and ask yourself that question again. Repeat until the answer becomes "no".

bokehdot

Your replies are much appreciated. Thanks.

Sam

bokehdot wrote: »

Your replies are much appreciated. Thanks.

I am glad you came back. The replys you receive may not always be what you want to hear, but will represent a variety of honest opinions and experiences.

There is a lot of very good info to be had here. A place to learn, grow and contribute.

Sam

pemmett

Sam wrote: »

I am glad you came back. The replys you receive may not always be what you want to hear, but will represent a variety of honest opinions and experiences.

There is a lot of very good info to be had here. A place to learn, grow and contribute.

Sam

Sam, I couldn't agree more. This is a great community with an amazing array of skills, talent and knowledge and amazingly nearly everyone enjoys helping other people out. Cheers.Peter