I was wondering if anyone has a firearm that they like to shoot - preferrably a rifle or shotgun that puts out a lot of smoke. I'm doing a trash-the-dress session this summer and need to practice my timing with the explosion.

What I'd like to do is just photograph someone shooting their weapon over and over until I figure out the best way to do it.

This is a trade-for-CD session, IE: You pay for your own ammo, I pay for my travel compensation, and for your time you get the photos in hi-res on a CD in the mail or handed over in person. There's no guarantee the shots will look professional because I'm practicing, but that's kinda why there's no money involved. It would be wonderful if you could provide an extra set of protective gear for my eyes and ears, but it's not necessary.

Good experience for me, you get free pics of you doing target practice, we both win!

For more info or to make arrangements, PM me or contact me via my contact page at http://sbottitta.foliosnap.com . Much appreciated.

If I detect you're drinking or high when we meet, the deal's off.

3/1/2008 10:35:26 AM

you're gonna have to offer something more as compensation, b/c honestly someone has to be extremely bored and have money to waste to consider this.

3/1/2008 3:47:11 PM

offer to pay for their ammo and you should have a lot more luck.

3/1/2008 3:48:17 PM

yo I was looking at your website and business model. Your pictures are too good to be charging what you do, seriously. You need to straight up 4x them, and then you'd STILL be cheap for what you're offering. When you put prices that low, you actually deter SOME clients because they think you're small time--- which you may BE, but your work speaks for itself.

3/1/2008 3:50:24 PM

^ditto

It's better to have a higher price and run specials if you need business.

3/1/2008 4:24:51 PM

Yeah I just looked at your website and the photos are beautiful. You could definitely charge more, and still offer a hefty discount to TWW'rs

NCSULilWolf and I have been going to the small business seminars that Wake Tech offers for the last few months. I remember one of the speakers talking about how he built his business being the best of the best for what he did, and had no problem charging more than everyone else. He integrated that in to his sales strategy before the issue of his fees even came up, he also had the promotional materials to back it up. He was in the service sector and his work required a lot of client centered attention.

You seem to be very focused on client attention as well so it might be time to step it up and sell yourself a little harder. You can always give someone a break on prices if you know they will be a good client, but you have a hard time raising them just because their a pain in the ass.

Oh yeah and buy a domain name! They are only $8.00 and if you get one from http://www.godaddy.com you get a free e-mail account (stephanie@littlebootphotography.com maybe). Then you own a domain name and e-mail account that will never change and you can have that printed on all your collateral without worrying about it becoming outdated.

3/1/2008 4:43:56 PM

your pricing is too low

3/1/2008 5:23:13 PM

It seems that everyone I know has said the same thing, and I agree, the prices are too low. However, with my current level of expertise and confidence, I do not feel it is the right time to double my pricing (although I plan to do so this upcoming January, if not in June).

Whatever the flaws in my business plan, the offer is still open to those who would like photos of themselves and their weapons.

I forgot to mention, although travel comp would be free within Wake County, outside of the county I will have to charge a minimal fee (and we all agree it's not as high as it should be): $1/mi. round trip. If the location is under one mile outside the border I'll consider it within Wake County. This rate does not apply to the regular services listed on my website - this is a one-time offer until I find a client.

[Edited on March 1, 2008 at 7:45 PM. Reason : .]

3/1/2008 7:44:17 PM

Are you looking for a place to shoot outdoors? The only places around here are indoor shooting ranges. Unless of course you have property outside city limits where it's legal or if you know where an outdoor range is.

3/1/2008 7:47:24 PM

Oh damn, it'll have to be outside city limits of course. The shoot I'm studying for will also be outside city limits.

3/1/2008 7:49:39 PM

Range one (outdoor range) is in lillington, and while outside of wake co...it's a better drive than diriving to the northern end of wake county. So you might want to rethink your means of assessing distance.

Quote :

"offer to pay for their ammo and you should have a lot more luck."

Perhaps JCASHFAN will post in here, and give me an excuse to go shooting soon

3/1/2008 9:07:24 PM

I've already stated my terms so it's too late to go back now, I suppose. I wasn't talking of going to Range One, but any location out of city limits, perhaps somewhere out in the country. We used to fire weapons a lot outside Zebulon city limits, so I figured other TWWers are out there as well.

But I can't afford to pay for ammo at the moment, so I have no choice but to hope someone just has ammo of their own and wants photos. I should be able to pull the professional job off nicely without much practice but I'd like to arrive over-prepared than under.

3/1/2008 9:11:02 PM

Quote :

"I've already stated my terms so it's too late to go back now, I suppose. "

I don't think anyone reasonable will have a problem potentially being charged less, especially if they read the thread

This might also be something for you to post on CL.

3/1/2008 9:14:12 PM

Yeah, I might. Lemme see if I can't find someone here first.

And I do need to charge gas compensation outside of Wake County, it's how I roll. No offense.

3/1/2008 9:17:07 PM

^Time out

You want us to buy all of the ammo, bring our guns, provide a place to shoot and then pay YOU for the mileage just so you can practice your photography?

Not gonna happen

3/1/2008 9:30:56 PM

Not with you, maybe.

Oh wait.

Shouldn't I be crying: "I charge too little! I need to raise my prices! Aaaaaa!@!!"

3/1/2008 9:35:01 PM

^ Im just saying... There are a lot of people on here who would gladly go shoot for you if you paid for ammo and didnt charge them gas money for your expenses. You get practice, they get ammo. Compensating them with some photos isnt very enticing.

Just trying to help

3/1/2008 9:57:19 PM

I agree, you're asking someone to have a photographer tag along when they go shooting their gun, but if you want gas money so you can tag along that's a bit pushy for doing you a favor.

They're going to shoot the bullets anyway (ideally), but no way in hell do I see myself paying someone's gas money to drive out to practice their photography skills and direct me in my shooting time.

This person could probably care less about the photograph. What is it going to be, their new facebook picture?

3/2/2008 12:22:46 AM

Actually, I've had plenty of folks inquire on my pricing for a two-hour shoot (which at the moment is $60).

I did not start this thread to have my services challenged and discredited. It was an offer to those who would like to have a photo shoot done for as little compensation as I can ask. Most won't even leave the house for under $200!

3/2/2008 7:33:37 AM

yeah, sorry to derail the topic, but I can completely understand and relate to where you're coming from. My perspective however, comes from doing the EXACT same thing you did, only with video, and offering it too cheap because "I felt I didnt currently have the experience"

One more thing, and I'll shut up-- I implore you to up your prices/packages asap-- because I began to feel very burned out/shafted on shooting weddings because of the massive amount of work I was putting into it, and the relatively low prices I was charging. Don't give yourself so little credit-- your photography as shown on that website is among the standard of professional photographers and you should be earning much closer to what they make. Again, though, I know exactly how you feel about it because I've been there.

OKAY BACK TO TOPIC SERIOUSLY SORRY. haha

3/2/2008 8:57:11 AM

Well, you've answered a few questions I had in the back of my mind, so I'll do it this summer rather than this winter. I do look forward to my clients taking me more seriously, as well as earning enough to reinvest in better equipment, and even with the stakes set a little higher, I'm already taking the job seriously enough to qualify for the higher level of responsibility (IE: I treat a $200 job with as much devotion and professionalism as I would a $2000 job). I have about a dozen clients between now and July, so I'll wait and see how this season goes as far as feedback and networking, and double the fees after those weddings have run their courses in July.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention to those who have contacted me about the wedding shoot, I figured I'd just put it in here for all to see instead of responding to the PMs: You'll be getting a photo release along with your CD so you can take the photos to a location of your choice for printing. Should you wish to purchase the images from me via my printers, I'll have all shoots uploaded on my website in password-protected galleries for online purchasing. My storefront offers an interactive setup which includes bordering, cropping, black/white, and sepia settings. Sizes range from 4"x6" up to 16"x24".

That should tie up some loose ends.

[Edited on March 2, 2008 at 9:20 AM. Reason : .]

3/2/2008 9:18:50 AM

Quote :

"You'll be getting a photo release along with your CD so you can take the photos to a location of your choice for printing."

This is good. I won't do business with any photographers who won't sign a release.

3/2/2008 1:24:22 PM

I hate the thought of holding photos hostage, it's so... anti-photography, lol. Then again a lot of TWWers on here argue for it, so I dunno. I get attacked no matter what I do but for now I'd rather underpromise and overdeliver and hopefully my clients will spread the word that I mean business.

3/2/2008 1:51:30 PM

I must be missing something here. Let me get this straight . . . you want someone to pay for you to drive out somewhere so that you can practice your photography while they shoot their gun. And all they get is pictures of them shooting their gun? Why would someone want professional pictures of them shooting their gun? If you want them to pay for everything, it would make more sense to atleast offer their payment as X # of pictures of their choice (again paying for the gas to that destination).

3/2/2008 2:21:29 PM

If you want payment for this "session" you're better off going to craigslist.

If you will pay for ammo/etc then as stated.. Plenty of gun owners would go for it. You're the one that needs the experience... Not the gun owner.

If you're truly needing the experience then sometimes you have to eat the cost and chalk it up to "paying for experience".


Remember.. sometimes you gots to spend money to make money!

3/2/2008 3:48:29 PM

Exactly. There is probably someone out there who is looking just for this opportunity, but here is your request:

Hi. I need to practice taking pictures of someone shooting a gun. Please pay for me to come out and take pictures of you shooting your bullets. You can keep my practice pictures.

Other than the 'please pay me to come practice' part, nothing is wrong with the request

I could care less about people requesting pricing information, or apparently having your services challenged and discredited, etc. This isn't a thread for your professional services, this is a thread for you getting some practice in at the total expense of the person gracious enough to have you tag along.

Anyway, carry on.

3/2/2008 3:53:07 PM

and honestly how many shooters go out and hire a professional photographer to take pictures of them shooting in the first place, that seems like a really niche group

I mean I might hand a buddy my digital camera sometimes for a few pics or a video but nothing I'd be paying for personally ( I know that's just me but is there really a demand for this kind of thing at all? )

3/2/2008 4:19:59 PM

I will help you out. I have a new AR15 and I will be looking to shoot a few rounds in the near future. PM me and we can work it out. I also have a place to shoot 15 min outside Raleigh.

3/2/2008 6:03:44 PM