picturesbyrob

I typically charge by the hour ($90/hr) and even most small shoots take 2-3 hours including editing time. To be really good at photography takes about as much training and arguably more investment in equipment than an electrician or plumber, so fees are similar as we also have similar overhead with liability insurance, business licensing, etc...

I start by finding out what their end goal is. For example on a commercial photography job, I need to know if the end goal is to show a particular feature of a product, then we can brainstorm about how to best do that. I used to be a Catalog Art Director for one of the world's largest mail order companies so that is a skillset I bring to my photography. Once we know the goal and determine what photos it will take to reach that goal, I can estimate how much time it will take to create them and what it will cost. Then we can book a time on the calendar to get the photos made.

I started taking photography seriously in the 1990's when I took 3 years of photo classes in high school, in the process resurrecting the color darkroom at my school that was covered in dust, and won both 1st and 2nd places at the Los Angeles County fair high school photo competition. I've taken many classes and workshops over the years and am currently working towards my Masters of Photography via the PPA (Professional Photographers of America).

In high school my friends and I raced mtn bikes and I took photos of them. That lead to working for bike magazines and eventually a mail order catalog of high-end (up to $10k) bicycles doing all of their photography (and layout and copywriting).

Almost everything. Small business owners, manufactures, retailers, magazines, websites, newspapers, etc... I have also taken photos of weddings, families, kids, senior portraits, etc...

I was discussing senior pictures with a young man who at 17 is already a volunteer firefighter. We ended up setting a controlled blaze for the background of his senior pics and it turned out awesome. Took about 2 hours of setup and shooting time

Not all photographers can do all kinds of photography. Just because someone takes nice wedding pictures does not mean they can take good product shots and vice versa.

What goal are you trying to reach by having professional photos done. Is it capturing memories or creating art at a wedding? Or both? For a business headshot, do you simply want people to recognize your face, or do you want to convey that you are friendly and approachable? Or serious and will get things done? Do you need to show a particular feature of your product or demonstrate how it works? Obviously think about your budget, and realize that to create good pictures can take some serious investment in equipment and a lot of time to learn to use it right so please don't expect to pay $20 for a photo session;)