What is an average starting rate for portrait photography?

I looked at Sears Portrait studio. They have a fall special. 1 8X10, 2 5X7, 4 3 &1/2 X5, and 16 wallets for $7.99 with no session fee. You are going to have a hard time getting business as a private photographer, when the chains can work on volume and charge such a small price.

Thanks for looking into that. My community is smaller and no one offers those kinds of "portraits," well besides Walmart and the value is pretty terrible. I am not that kind of photographer anyways, as I am a creative photographer and have a photojournalist style of capturing images, I don't like super posed work. I sell my images all off my website and they have their own prices, I am curious about a rate as in time for working, not prices for prints, but thank you for looking in that part of it! I really appreciate your input.

Find out what everyone else charge and undercut them.

If you check out the websites of your local photo studios, you can get an idea of what they charge. One of my local ones charges a session fee of $95 for indoor and outdoor Senior photos, and $75 for just indoor. Family portraits are $55 in studio, and $75 on location. Prints are based on packages wanted, size, etc., of course. This is for a small town photographer with several competing studios. In larger towns I'm sure it's even more. You can start out at one price, and gradually raise it as you get better and more in demand. Don't worry what Sears pays anyone--that has no bearing on you!