Risk

My heart is racing...I just had to make a really difficult decision. I'm trying to get back to eNYC and I don't want to blow my savings by living back there this summer; I need to get work and that hasn't happened yet. Several inquiries but nothing finalized. So in some ways, money is pretty tight. So along comes a phone call and follow-up email yesterday requesting a wedding photographer for Monday night. This is from someone here who's gotten me a couple of jobs in the past. It's for her friend and the budget is tight (of course). Her stated budget is actually a little more than I was charging, but less than I'm starting to charge.

What would you do?

One option is to just say yes to the stated budget. It pretty much guarantees me the job and a decent amount of money. But I've already moved into the new mentality of my new pricing. That old amount of money now feels like way too little for the amount of work involved.

Second option is to ask for a little more money. This is riskier because if she's really hung up on the stated budget, she might just balk and go with the other photographer.

It's like gambling. It is gambling. Now I guess I get the rush of gambling. But it's more than that. I think at some point, or really at various points, you have to draw the line and not necessarily do things just for the money. It's about integrity and self-confidence and self-esteem. About standing up and saying "I'm worth xx". Which is harder when you need money. It's a risk.

The 3rd option would be too ballsy and risky and just say "here's my price, take it or leave it".

I do think the 2nd option is risky enough to be worth taking the risk. So I sent an email and am now waiting for a response.