And here's another one: learn the principles of pricing theory. And don't believe anyone who will tell you anything about cost+markup. That's about the dumbest thing in general and makes things even worse for 90% of "artist types" out there. Always think of the customers' value and make them pay dearly for it.
"How much should I charge?" becomes a much easier question to answer when you rephrase to "How much does it take for me to actually agree to do this?"
At first, the answer will be "I'll do it for free as long as I get some cool shots for my portfolio", but that answer will change very quickly. As your skill goes up, you will value your time more.
And that's exactly what I meant. Sure, when you're starting out and you need to make connections and a name for yourself YOU have something to gain and consider that the value in the mix that counts. Heck, I'm actually shooting a high dollar benefits dinner for free tonight because I believe in the cause. I've been doing the same for political campaigns and made it my maximum allowed in-kind donation. So that's one aspect.
But once you're in it for making a living and you produce reliable work that your clients are specifically hiring you for you have to first and foremost consider THEIR value gain. And they need to pay for it. "How much does it take me to ..." is the easier question to answer but is at the core why a lot of folks are getting paid too little. I'm not saying you shouldn't know your cost in relation to your profit. But that's for a different calculation.
