I'm typically a portrait photographer (new) and a 2nd shooter for weddings. Someone wants to hire me for a coming out party like a quinciniera (?) and I figured I'd charge $100 an hour (2 hour min.), approx (30) 4x6 prints per hour (edited), and a keepsake box. Would like feedback on the price, does it seem fair or is it too much? I figure I'd use this pricing structure also for birthdays, reunions, etc.

Thanks for any and all input!

Sounds reasonable, but you really should figure out how much you're really making per hour at that rate, just so you know...

Hours setting up the deal
Hours prepping/driving/loading/unloading
Hours shooting
Hours downloading/sorting/editing/burning/ordering/packaging/delivering

You may have to do a couple of these types of events to see what the real time involved is, so keep track of time.

Also there are lots of other factors to consider that I'm not really thinking of right now, insurance, taxes, wear on equipment... Maybe Robin will chime in

ETA: I'm not trying to discourage you from doing it for that price, especially since it's something new, just want you to be able to see the actual profit/effort and plan for future pricing.

You can also offer just your services for just that price with no prints. Use a hosting company like Collages.net, pictage etc And let them buy a la carte. You might get into alot of candids during that two hours.

I say charge for your time, and let them buy indivdual prints. If they want a pakage of prints, charge them an extra $250 for 4x6 and the box.

If I do it that way should prints be less than my normal portrait prices... I'm asking because candids are waaay easier than an actual photoshoot ya know?

I would say that depends on if you are letting the company print and mail for you or if you are having to drive to your lab, package it, and go to the post office. They will take a bigger cut if they are doing it all.
We use collages.net for all our weddings and events. Last year we had a total of 18K in extra reprint sales from them. Even though people had their point and shoots, there are still things that you photograph that people just can't get with their slow little point and shoots. We actaully charge a little more online than if they ordered directly from us, because, Collages.net takes a cut of the order, for charging the credit card. We also found that we make more money if we do it at our lab, package it and mail it. With the sales we did last year, that adds up.

I agree with charging hourly for the service, and then charging a la carte for the prints. If you want to offer a deal on prints, give a quantity discount or something and encourage them to get their family to put all their orders together to qualify. You have to think, it isn't just the 2 hours you'll be there, it is also the time you'll spend editing, etc, just like any other job.

hey rowena, how long is the event? usually these parties can be up to 8 hours like a wedding.

Event is about 5 hours.

+1

You can always just charge about $800 with a Personal Print Release form "now that I know about that ". High Res. cd of the images and let them print away. That's pretty much what gonna start doing for events like that. I think the salling tool here would be the form and giving them the freedom to print on their own. I don't think they're going to sale any of the prints, do you?

just a thought.

i'd charge my hourly rate for 5 hours and then put their images on line. i don't shoot and burn anymore. i recently did a party charged them my hourly rate and put the images on line i made a crud load on orders.