Many photographers charge a minimum fee for their location work. This minimum might range from a couple hundred dollars to much higher, depending on the situation.
Before you scream “Unfair!”, keep in mind that most tradespeople and some other types of businesses also charge minimum fees.
Locksmiths, plumbers, electricians, furnace repair, moving companies, carpet cleaners, etc., all have minimum fees just for showing up at your front door. This minimum often goes up on evenings and weekends. My locksmith charges a minimum $90, my plumber has a $140 minimum. At a newspaper where I once worked, to get a technician to come service the film or print processor cost a minimum $600.
Businesses charge minimum fees to help cover the time and cost of travelling to the customer’s location, setting up equipment (if applicable) and providing at least a minimum amount of service.
But why is a photographer’s minimum fee often higher than some other businesses?
Two reasons:
1) When a tradesperson such as a locksmith, plumber or electrician leaves your home or office, their work is done. What you see is what you pay for.
But when a photographer leaves, the job is only half complete. The photographer has to return to their office and continue working, editing the photos, for a few more hours.
Customers forget that for every hour of photography, there’s at least another hour or two of computer work. Unlike other types of business where customers see what they’re paying for, photographers give customers more than what meets the eye.
2) Photographers carry more equipment. It’s not uncommon for a professional photographer to have $20,000 to $40,000 worth of “tools” in just one of their cases.
Minimum fees don’t often come into play for corporate or commercial photo assignments. But such fees can arise when covering some public relations or news events which might last only a few minutes.
