Most photographers charge a session fee for taking the photos, a retouching fee for each photo they retouch and then they charge for each print ordered at 10-20 times the actual cost of the prints.  They retain the copyright to all the photos and you only get to keep the photos you order.

My business model is different.  I believe I should be paid a set amount for my time and you should own the copyright to the photos I take.  You then are free to have them printed with a local photo lab, or I can have them printed for you by a professional color lab at my cost.  Within 2 days of your photo session, I provide an online link for you to view your photos and I provide you a disc with the full resolution photos that you can then have printed.  I can have an 8x10 professionally printed for you for $2.50.  Other photographers will charge you $25-$50 for that same print.  Imagine that.  For the cost of one print with another photographer, you can get 10-20 prints through me.  I enjoy the fact that my customers can order a lot more prints and still pay a lot less.  For the cost of what many other photographers charge for just a session fee, I provide all the photos.

I charge $75 an hour with a 2-hour minimum.  This amount ($150) is due at the time of the photo session.  For most of my clients this covers the cost of the photo session itself and the time for basic editing.  Included in that fee is a web-gallery that remains live for 6 months and a DVD with the full-resolution photo files.  I include a letter that grants you the copyright to the photos so that you can take the files to any lab to have them printed.  I also have the ability to take orders for prints (again at my cost) through the web-gallery.  That way your friends and family can order prints regardless of where they live.  Please note that there is a $25 fee to cover shipping & handling for each print order regardless of size.

If the photo session and editing time runs over 2 hours, the additional hourly cost (billed in whole-hour increments) is due at the time the photo disc is delivered and before any prints can be ordered through the web-gallery.  Addditional services including major retouching and layout services are charged at $75 an hour as well.