I admire the Rate Guide initiative taken by our moderator Louie Aguinaldo. I'm all for it but I personally believe it may pan out to be nothing more, quite frankly, than a rate guide. Hopefully it doesn't. So I'll play the devil's advocate.

Lets relate this to the fashion photography industry. I have heard that fashion magazines pay as low as P2,500 for a full day shoot.

I would like to ask: What do you think is a fair rate guide for a full day shoot? I am not a fashion photographer so I cannot answer this precisely. However, if I were to photograph fashion for a whole day (12 hours lets say), I wouldn't do it for less than P10,000. Is this a fair rate to charge? Now I bet, that the majority of fashion photographers, and even those with popular names, get paid less than half of this for a fashion shoot. So what rate would you peg this at? I'm curious.

Maybe at the end of the day, its the magazines who decide what to pay. After all, there are probably thousands of fashion photographers who would jump at the opportunity to photograph for a magazine. Some would even do it just for a free lunch. So what good would a rate card to at this point?

Hi Nick,

I work as a creative director, I have done quite a number of fashion shoots with a number of our pro photographers and most of them high rated, a local high rated would cost our client 100k to 180k a day of shoot depending on how many layouts and complexity of the approved compre, plus if it is studio or location.

per layout lets say 1 or two layouts would cost 7k to 12k.

a foreign photographer i worked with billed me 120 to 150k a day for various shoots per day. half a day would cost 40 to 70k with him. depending on the usage if it is going to be for billboard or print ad or both plus other below the line requirements.

for contrast, another local photographer charges my client for less than 3k sometimes lower per printad.

I admire the Rate Guide initiative taken by our moderator Louie Aguinaldo. I'm all for it but I personally believe it may pan out to be nothing more, quite frankly, than a rate guide. Hopefully it doesn't. So I'll play the devil's advocate.

Lets relate this to the fashion photography industry. I have heard that fashion magazines pay as low as P2,500 for a full day shoot.

I would like to ask: What do you think is a fair rate guide for a full day shoot? I am not a fashion photographer so I cannot answer this precisely. However, if I were to photograph fashion for a whole day (12 hours lets say), I wouldn't do it for less than P10,000. Is this a fair rate to charge? Now I bet, that the majority of fashion photographers, and even those with popular names, get paid less than half of this for a fashion shoot. So what rate would you peg this at? I'm curious.

Maybe at the end of the day, its the magazines who decide what to pay. After all, there are probably thousands of fashion photographers who would jump at the opportunity to photograph for a magazine. Some would even do it just for a free lunch. So what good would a rate card to at this point?

First, it goes higher than P2,500 for a whole day shoot. Though still very low.
The rates also vary per publisher. One publisher pays by the day / hour. Another one has different rates it pays the photographer depending on the level of the photographer, which they decide. Still it is very low.

The rate guide we are trying to put up is for photographic jobs that are still not standardized. In a sense, editorial rates are more or less standardized. It is low and determined by the publishers, but at least we know the going rates in that regard.

Advertising photography is one of the areas that really really need a rate guide. This is a vast realm as it not only deals with advertising agencies and large advertisers but even to small companies that need photography. You have restaurants that need photos for their menus, companies that need photos for their websites, retailers that need images for their displays, etc. From press release photos, to POPs, banners, print ads, and billboards... the need is plentiful but the rates are in disarray. There are some who charge P50k for a single layout for a billboard, and yet there are photographers who get paid P4k for the same work. As I previously mentioned, I believe that the main reason is because there is no resource to turn to wherein a photographer can be enlightened how much he should or could get paid for a particular photographic service.

Thus, a rate guide, as a guide is what we are after. We realize we would not be able to enforce such a rate. It can only serve as a guide. But as a guide it begins to form some standard. A new photographer who has turned pro can find out from the guide that he can charge at least P15k for a layout for a billboard. Knowing that, he would at least avoid charging a measly P4k.
The guide would also be aspirational, if he sees that the upper level photographers charge P50k up for that single billboard layout, I am sure he will hope to one day reach that level. He also sees that the lowest tier charges P15k, so most likely he will try to stick at least to the minimum rate.

Another reason why some photographers charge really low is because they are afraid that they might not get hired if they charged higher. With a rate guide, they would at least have the confidence to charge higher because they are informed of what the going rate is. If they see the lowest tier charges P15k, they wouldn't be afraid of trying for that amount. And that's a far cry from the P4k that they would charge.

Wow Arnel that is enlightening. Shows you how much I know about fashion photography. If people are getting paid this much then how come I only hear nightmare wage stories? I guess the guys who are getting the bucks are silent about it.

Hi Nick,

I work as a creative director, I have done quite a number of fashion shoots with a number of our pro photographers and most of them high rated, a local high rated would cost our client 100k to 180k a day of shoot depending on how many layouts and complexity of the approved compre, plus if it is studio or location.

per layout lets say 1 or two layouts would cost 7k to 12k.

a foreign photographer i worked with billed me 120 to 150k a day for various shoots per day. half a day would cost 40 to 70k with him. depending on the usage if it is going to be for billboard or print ad or both plus other below the line requirements.

for contrast, another local photographer charges my client for less than 3k sometimes lower per printad.

@Louie

I agree with you, advertising can be a mess. That's why I am hoping that you can push through with this because we would gladly constantly publish this rate guide in DPP mag. Maybe we can dedicate like a permanent three or four pages near the back of the magazine for this. I also wouldn't mind posting it in this forum as a reference page.

Hi Nick,

I work as a creative director, I have done quite a number of fashion shoots with a number of our pro photographers and most of them high rated, a local high rated would cost our client 100k to 180k a day of shoot depending on how many layouts and complexity of the approved compre, plus if it is studio or location.

per layout lets say 1 or two layouts would cost 7k to 12k.

a foreign photographer i worked with billed me 120 to 150k a day for various shoots per day. half a day would cost 40 to 70k with him. depending on the usage if it is going to be for billboard or print ad or both plus other below the line requirements.

for contrast, another local photographer charges my client for less than 3k sometimes lower per printad.

Wow... and this doesn't even state the equipment used... In other countries, the type of equipment used also has a bearing to the pricepoint; plus the photographer's current reputation...

I'm anxiously following the messages of this thread. A friend has asked me to shoot setcards for her and I have stalled the shoot until I know how much I would charge her for it.

BTW, what are the usual lay-outs for a setcard?

Thanks in advance! :)

Wow Arnel that is enlightening. Shows you how much I know about fashion photography. If people are getting paid this much then how come I only hear nightmare wage stories? I guess the guys who are getting the bucks are silent about it.

Correct! Because this area of photography can become very competitive in a matter of time once the awareness has been triggered, it's going to be a revolution!

Hi. Maybe we can start by inviting photographers to submit copies of approved cost estimates, quotations, invoices of past, but recent, projects. We can then collate, sort and summarize the information (job/project/set up descriptions and corresponding prices) from these submissions. We can promise confidentiality and anonymity. Anyone who participates in this project will be given a copy of the survey. The finished survey will not include names of photographers or studios. It's not a perfect procedure, but it would be a good start.

Wow... and this doesn't even state the equipment used... In other countries, the type of equipment used also has a bearing to the pricepoint; plus the photographer's current reputation...

So if I had a hassy I could charge higher? Ganun ba yun? Sabagay the quality is really different. :Grin:

I hope that someone can come up with an official rate guide in photography so that amatuer photographers planning to make a living out of it can make us of it. Pangit nman kasi if one photographer would charge lower than the going rate, thus, the plunging down of this industry.Sana one should think that charging lower than the going rate is like accepting a salary pay lower than the minimum wage :D hehe

I am willing to collate cost estimates, rate sheets, proposals, contracts -whatever- can be the source of information that could get us started on coming up with a rate guide. If you wish for these materials not to identify you, just delete or erase any identifying marks. Remove logos, contact info etc.

Please send them to this forum or send them to me at harvey@adphoto.com.ph or harveychua0208@gmail.com

wow, finally eh? an official group rate guide for starters in the biz. im really looking forward for this thing :D

Here's an example of a rate guide thats available for the US market.

http://photographersindex.com/stockprice.htm

Mike

Here's an example of a rate guide thats available for the US market.

http://photographersindex.com/stockprice.htm

Mike

There's also Fotoquote. Yes, it would be great if we could have a Philippine version of an interactive, internet-based photo pricing calculator like what they have in the U.S. and the U.K.

They have guidelines not only for pricing, but also for submission procedures. Those interested may check out the Association of Photographers, a U.K.-based trade org of photogaphers.