When I completed my internship with Monte Isom, the most amazing businessman I know and fantastic celebrity athlete photographer, we went to Crif Dogs to celebrate and have a nice communal dinner of hot dogs (a staple when working with that crew and when visiting New York). First of all, it may sound silly to celebrate with hot dogs but Crif Dogs serve their dogs wrapped in bacon with all kinds of crazy toppings. Delicious toppings. Avocado, fried egg with melted cheese, teriyaki, pineapple and green onions (don’t knock it til you try it), they even serve one with kim chee, but you can only order that if you’re on the other side of the wall in their speak easy (through a phone booth). Anyway. While we were there, Monte and KB, a very experienced digital tech in the industry, made me make a promise and repeat it out loud: I will never work for free again. At first I kind of laughed to myself and didn’t take it seriously because I didn’t believe in myself enough to be paid for my work, but then it really sank in as we sat there and discussed why.
I came across an article that put it into better perspective and these lines really stood out to me: “A photo credit doesn’t pay the rent,” and “Remember: If your photos are good enough to be published, they are good enough for you to be paid for them.” It’s important for photographers who are just starting out to understand this because photographers, if you’re willing to do something for free, or cheaper than what it’s worth, etc, you’re actually screwing other photographers out of making a fair living and being able to stay in the competitive market. I’ve heard one too many stories about photographers losing a bid on a job just because someone else said they could do that job for much cheaper or the same price but were willing to hand over all rights to the publication at no cost. That only lowers the bar for us and for you. The article mentions that people tend to glance at a photo then jump to the story skipping over the photo credit, and even if this isn’t the case, as much as the pub will tell you it’ll be great exposure and free advertising for you, it really isn’t…unless it’s going to be printed in a well-respected publication, and if that’s the case, they would be paying you.
It’s not to say that you shouldn’t ever work for free—if it’s for a good cause that you believe in, or something that will make a great addition to your portfolio, etc, then by all means. Just make sure that you get something out of it. These were just a few tidbits that I picked up and thought I should pass along as things to keep in mind.
Along the same lines, here is a posting of email correspondance between a designer and a “technology entrepreneur and potential yacht owner.” Warning: the f-bomb is dropped a time or two. It’s pretty freaking hilarious but also puts the situation into perspective when this entrepreneur tries to get a logo made for free and tries to justify it by saying that he knows it would only take the designer a few hours to make, yada yada yada, and the designer responds with a correction that the entrepreneur isn’t just asking for a logo that would only take a few hours, but that he’s asking for a logo that would take a few hours and fifteen years experience. Boo-yah! This one is via joshualongbrake.
great post. i’ve definitely heard something along these lines from other photographers. charging is where we struggle, my partner and I do charge but it’s a matter of how much. we try to gauge it to our area but even then we don’t know what is appropriate half the time. may i ask how much you charge for a session? i know this is more about commercial photography but if you have any insight i’d love to hear your thoughts.
Yeah, pricing is still a tricky subject for me and of course it’s always different per every situation…generally I’d start at $200 for a portrait session that has different looks and locations but nothing too long, far, or complicated. For a really nice session, like bridal, engagement, $300-$500 isn’t unreasonable and I’ve worked with a photographer who would charge $800 if you wanted a disc with all the images (but that would be for a wedding, not a portrait session). It’s always difficult for me to come up with pricing because you don’t want to seem like you’re trying to rip anyone off but you also have to consider the cost of your equipment, travel, how much time it would take you to process those images, any prints you want to offer as part of a package, shipping, and most of all your creativity and experience. I know there are lots of other things to consider but I guess that’s a starting point. I’m pretty sure there are books out there on pricing and maybe just spending some time in a bookstore looking through those would help. I’ve been meaning to do that but like you said, you also have to gauge for what’s reasonable for your area. I actually have a checklist somewhere and if I find it, I’ll email a copy to you!