As a 16 y.o. high schooler I charge $50/hr for "events" (parties, auctions, whatever) and a $200 sitting fee for portraiture (up to 2hr, multiple location, session w/ consultation). All plus reasonable print prices, never a single digital negative for less than $150 (it's a price intended to essentially be a "no, I won't give you the right to run down to Walgreens and steal my profits").
I'll boast that I'm a pretty decent photographer, and I've got (good) enough gear to allow me to get most of the shots. That said, I'm definitely not a pro, and I never take a job in the place of one--I'm only there to take photo responsibilities off a parent (w/ portraits it's senior portraits for people on a budget--the real pros in town charge upwards of $500 sitting plus 10x more for prints).
Just be cautious... one bad shoot will ruin 10 good ones. Word of mouth is the name of the game (in my case).
I'll boast that I'm a pretty decent photographer, and I've got (good) enough gear to allow me to get most of the shots. That said, I'm definitely not a pro, and I never take a job in the place of one--I'm only there to take photo responsibilities off a parent (w/ portraits it's senior portraits for people on a budget--the real pros in town charge upwards of $500 sitting plus 10x more for prints).
Just be cautious... one bad shoot will ruin 10 good ones. Word of mouth is the name of the game (in my case).