What to charge friends and family for your photography

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If it hasn’t happened to you yet – it will! A friend or family member approaches you to take some photographs for them and so begins the traumatic dilemma of what to charge them or whether to charge them at all!

This video will help you deal with charging friends and family for your photography so that it’s win-win for everyone involved…

16 Comments
  1. The Hammerdown says

    How much do you charge your friends and family?

  2. Frédérick Brault says

    Another way to do this is to charge full price (and do full service), but add a "family/friend discount" (around 15-20%).

  3. Cher Jay Lee says

    As a makeup artist, photographer and videographer, this is awesome advice! Thank you!!

  4. Patrick McMullen says

    Yes, i did a birthday party a few months back for friends. 70 dollars. I used softboxes everything off camera flash, very professional. Editted like 14 hours on them. Saw them yesterday and they didn't say one word about my work.

  5. Diana Cotovan says

    I think it's morally wrong to charge your 1st degree relatives for photos – when did your mom charge you for the soup? Or should mom be registered as a private restaurant owner so she could tell you: since you're my son, and I've known you for quite a while now, here's 20% off on the soup!

  6. Sharde Abre says

    I wish I would have watched this before I lost a good friend who was abusing my talents without appreciating all of the hard work education and investment that went into me being the photographer I am today… I had the photos of her babyshower edited and to her by the next day and she had the audacity to complain! I even did her makeup and everything. I will never work with family or friends again because my quality of work is unwavering and a real client would have been pleased and paid me in the hundreds for the service I provided

  7. Jamil Gotcher says

    We are going to charge my cousin's daughter 300.00 for her wedding coming up in a few months. I would have charged her full price BUT I'm much closer with her Grandmother so, we gave a generous discount instead of free. Plus, we're going to give them the images for them to go get printed.

  8. Tony Clarke says

    I usually give them half off my regular rates, and also charge cost for deliverables, such as prints etc,. Either way though, I still have a written agreement in place with all the details specific to this shoot.

  9. Sophia Travis says

    I've just discovered your channel and think your videos are brilliant! Thank you for sharing these excellent tips

  10. Monique Espinet says

    I'm a student photographer and I have friends and family that ask me to take photo shoots of them but want it free and give me no credit on social media for my work. What should I charge as a student photographer and what do I do about not getting credited for my work when they post the images on their social media? I'm new at this so any advice will be helpful.

  11. pineapple_coconut3768 says

    glad you dropped knowledge. there are certain family members i refuse to work with just bc i wasn't paid for the sessions and treated poorly bc it's family but never again

  12. Wayne Stacey says

    Some Great advice here 🙂

  13. Htoo says

    I subscribe after watching a few videos of yours. Love the accent.

  14. Markus Klemons says

    I LOVE your videos!! Simply because……. You have the MOST WONDERFUL accent I have EVER heard! OMG!!! Where are you from Ma'am!? I have never been so infatuated with a woman based on her voice, but my God…. 🙂 And your look matches…

  15. Tarryn Hayley says

    I usually just give friends and family a 20% off discount but I don't give them any special perks that I wouldn't offer anyone else. I actually did a trade with one of my mom's friend's who needed headshots. I told him I would do his headshots for free but he needed to buy me the backdrop he wanted me to use (because at the time I didn't have ANY backdrops, just the stand.) But I do LOVE working with friends and family. I haven't had any issues yet 🙂

  16. Renee Chapman says

    Great suggestions! Thanks.

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