I feel underpaid But it is the market rate around here. Shoots are generally around 45 minutes and my target is to have 3 shoots per day 3 days per week and 4 shoots per day 2 days a week. Work to live and all.
The most I ever made on staff as a newspaper shooter was about $26k/year back pre-2000. The job came with a generous mileage allowance, basic company photo gear, access to exotic pool gear I could never have afforded, and other opportunities to make money shooting gigs on the side, but the base pay sucked. When I was first starting out the photogs on staff would fight over the assignments that included lunch or dinner because we couldn't pass up a free meal. And we were mostly there because we loved what we did and the excitement of newspaper work with the pro sports, crime and other fun assignments. The most enjoyable assignments for me were the ones where I met interesting folks and got to tell their unusual stories. It was definitely a job that opened up my myopic view on life when I was first starting out.
I only left when my third child was born and just couldn't afford to work the long, odd hours for such low pay. I still kick myself thinking if I'd worked harder I could have got on at one of the larger Los Angeles daily papers where the pay would have supported my family better.
But I had many years of fun getting paid to do what many would do practically for free.