What Should I Tip the Photographer For Free Portraits?

[tinat51796]

This isn't PC related at all but I'm hoping you ladies (and guys) would give me your opinion. Last weekend I found on craigslist an ad for a guy who's trying to get his photography business going so he offered free portraits (on cd) for the first three people to respond to his ad and in turn he would hve permission to use the photos on his website. I emailed him because my son turns 1 next week and we wanted to get pictures taken so I thought it would be a good way to save a little money...as long as they turn out good. He came today and took 278 photos of my son, who's a total ham. He loves having his picture taken. It took about 1 hour to take all of those pictures.

My question is....the photos and cd are free....were we supposed to tip him and if so, how much? My DH and I decided that if we decide to tip him we can always do it when he drops off the cd. What do you think? thanks in advance for your opinions! Tina

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Tip?Hardly. He owes you more than you owe him.In fact, I hope there's an agreement somewhere that says he can use the photos himself but he cannot sell or otherwise transfer use of those photos to anyone else.

 

[tinat51796]

Thanks Kitchen Guy,

My husband signed the model waiver form. It does say that he can only use the photos on his website or to promote his business.

Tina

 

[crystalscookingnow]

I think if he was looking to earn any $$ from the photos, he would have said, first 3 to respond get photo session & photos for $10 or whatever. I wouldn't feel obligated to tip. Would you tip him if you were paying?

 

[tinat51796]

I guess that's justit...I don't even know if you're supposed to tip when you're paying. You tip your hairdresser even though you pay them....know what I mean?? Tina

 

[nikkijo]

Are you getting all of the negatives for free? If so I would tip. The reason I wouldn't normally tip a photographer is because they make enough on prints. Well we did tip our photographer for the wedding but that was different an all day event. But it sounds like you can take the cd to wal-mart and get your own prints made for cheap.

Heck I tipped the schwans gal because I called and asked if they could make a stop the same day. I think the rule of thumb is, if they are in service they get tipped.

Do what you and your DH feel comfortable doing.

 

[tinat51796]

The photographer just emailed me a couple of the shots from this morning. I think he did a good job but then I also think he had an excellent subject! I just have to share. I'm a proud mama

Ok, for some reason i can't upload them here but I did post them in the photos file if anyone wants to see my little boy. Tina

 

[PCwithStay-C]

We did this just recently with a local photographer. We didnt tip her either, actually I didnt even think to!! I dont tip at JC Penneys, so I didnt even think to tip her.

 

[tinat51796]

Thanks Stacey! Thanks for the nice comment on my little guy's pic too!

 

[sfdavis918]

You tip your hairdresser even though you pay them....know what I mean?? Tina

Actually, you are only supposed to tip if they are renting their station. If they are the owner of the salon then you don't tip them.

 

[tinat51796]

I know, I hate that rule! My hairdresser used to rent her station, then she bought the salon....now she's trying to sell the salon and go back to renting. It seemed awkward to stop tipping after I'd been tipping so I've been tipping her all along.

 

[Chef Kearns]

I know, I hate that rule! My hairdresser used to rent her station, then she bought the salon....now she's trying to sell the salon and go back to renting. It seemed awkward to stop tipping after I'd been tipping so I've been tipping her all along.

I don't get the tipping the hairdresser thing. I guess I'm not a big tipper. Why do you have to tip a taxi driver? Or the pizza guy? I delivered pizzas for awhile in college. Pizza delivery people make a BUNCH of money. You get regular or more hourly wage then a stipend from the pizza shop then any tips. Don't feel sorry for the pizza guy! I guess I just don't get it. My sister has been my hairdresser for the longest time. She doesn't charge me and I don't tip. Never thought of it, but if I were going to tip I would tip her because she's using all of the products and her time. However a regular hairdresser doesn't keep a bottle of shampoo just for you. What you pay in one sitting pays for the products 3x over. So why would you tip? If they've done a good job they would know because you would come back, right?

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Here's an etiquette question for yaYou know how sometimes you open a newspaper and something just jumps off the page at you, without you even consciously looking at/for it?

I was at the coffee shop the other day, waiting for a friend, when I absent-mindedly opened the paper. I turned to the obituaries, and my first wife's name jumped out at me.

It wasn't her - I knew right away when I read the obit because this was a nice lady who just happened to have the same name.

Would it be in poor taste to send my ex's parents a sympathy card with a copy of the obit?

 

[sfdavis918]

You know how sometimes you open a newspaper and something just jumps off the page at you, without you even consciously looking at/for it?

I was at the coffee shop the other day, waiting for a friend, when I absent-mindedly opened the paper. I turned to the obituaries, and my first wife's name jumped out at me.

It wasn't her - I knew right away when I read the obit because this was a nice lady who just happened to have the same name.

Would it be in poor taste to send my ex's parents a sympathy card with a copy of the obit?

UUMMMM.....Yeah, poor taste. But you get credit for thinking of sending a card in the first place.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I was thinking a card of congratulations might be more appropriate.

 

[chefann]

Why do you have to tip a taxi driver?

This one I know, because some of the blogs I read regularly are written by cab drivers. Cabbies do NOT get paid a wage. All they earn is tips and possibly a small portion of the meter, depending on where they're working. They also have to pay for gas out of their share of the take.

 

[sfdavis918]

A card's a card!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

This one I know, because some of the blogs I read regularly are written by cab drivers. Cabbies do NOT get paid a wage. All they earn is tips and possibly a small portion of the meter, depending on where they're working. They also have to pay for gas out of their share of the take.

This is a system that really sucks. Unfortunately, if hacks, bellmen and wait staffs were paid correctly, the prices of these services would drive people away. Imagine how your $3.99 breakfast would become the $7.99 Grand Scram because no one would ever go there anymore. The idea of a tip is to reward extra service.I tip hacks extra if they handle my luggage. One goof in Chicago at NC never got his butt out of the drivers seat to help me with my luggage - so the doorman at the Sheraton got the hack's tip. At least the goof pushed the trunk release button. I also tip extra if the hack speaks a language I can understand. If he drives while yakking on a cell phone, his tip goes down per mile. If he drives while yakking on a cell phone in a language other than English, he gets no tip at all.

 

[ljeffries]

This is a system that really sucks. Unfortunately, if hacks, bellmen and wait staffs were paid correctly, the prices of these services would drive people away. Imagine how your $3.99 breakfast would become the $7.99 Grand Scram because no one would ever go there anymore.

The idea of a tip is to reward extra service.

I tip hacks extra if they handle my luggage. One goof in Chicago at NC never got his butt out of the drivers seat to help me with my luggage - so the doorman at the Sheraton got the hack's tip. At least the goof pushed the trunk release button. I also tip extra if the hack speaks a language I can understand. If he drives while yakking on a cell phone, his tip goes down per mile. If he drives while yakking on a cell phone in a language other than English, he gets no tip at all.

Being fat and from the South, I also tip the driver a little more if the A/C is on rather than having the windows down - especially in the summertime!

 

[chefann]

If he drives while yakking on a cell phone, his tip goes down per mile. If he drives while yakking on a cell phone in a language other than English, he gets no tip at all.

Unfortunately, at small cab companies, sometimes the drivers must also act as dispatchers, which means handling the phone while they're driving. (paradisedriver.blogspot.com)

New York Hacks (and newyorkhack is the big kahuna of hack blogs) must lease their cabs from the owner. They keep 100% of the meter and tips. However, the meter rates are set by the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission, and have not kept up with gas prices, and if they have a slow night (or week), they'll end up in the red on their lease charges.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Well, that last guy wasn't dispatching unless he has a fleet of cabs in Baghdad.