I take after my Mother in one very distinctive way, I care too much sometimes. I give my all to people I allow into my life. In fact, the people that I bend over for are rare and sometimes it comes as a surprise to myself and the person that I'm helping out as to how far I will actually go. There are times, many times up to this point in my life when I've been walked on and looked over after I've gone the extra mile for an individual.
Recently I didn't sign a contract when signing on to work with a photo company and I got screwed over the rights to my photos and maybe even some publication of the work as well. Not only am I too old to know better, but I'm too talented to be taken advantage of. I'm nice, too nice, and only a special few have seen the result of my anger, the purest form of emotion that can come out of a person when it's held in reserve for an extremely long period of time.
So here's the update, my photo rates for jobs or gigs start at $150.00 an hour and extend to $250.00 an hour. That's still extremely cheap in most cases. Everyone needs to take into consideration that photographers, good ones, have to charge for the hours they will be editing your photos. Just because it's digital doesn't mean it's automatic. Just to point out, yes there are pre-designed shitty programs that beginners can use to edit there photos and attempt to make the look "special", however someone that has skills in the extended outlet of editing can do more to a photograph than your average "joe" and then some.
I will not be doing anything without contract. I will no longer take mercy on my friends. This will be the last year for free weddings or "favors". My camera costs more than my first car so I don't need to deal with the dirt from your shoe in my face.
I am for hire. No favors. Thanks for all the work, I'll make sure to get right on it.
Sincerely, Pissed off and Fed up photographer.
Also, if you owe me TAX papers, I COULD REALLY USE THAT INFO RIGHT ABOUT NOW.
I don't know you, and I don't mean any disrespect, but that seems a bit much for someone who doesn't even have an assistant or studio or even the years of experience under their belt. I am a professional photographer (editorial mostly, but sometimes weddings too), have been going at it full-time for ten years now and that is all I do, and charge about that much (a little more even). I have an assistant and a ton of equipment. Having said all this though, how you charge is completely up to you. good luck!
ReplyDeleteInstant Karma's gonna get you,
ReplyDeleteGonna look you right in the face,
Better get yourself together darlin',
Join the human race,
How in the world you gonna see,
Laughin' at fools like me,
Who on earth d'you think you are,
A super star,
Well, right you are.
- John Lennon
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteUnfortunatly I think you miss understood me. Although I don't doubt that you may very well have more experiance than me due to time alone I think you've missed my point.
First, I AM a professional photographer. I think that if you look at my website, my Artist Statement, and my resume you would find that other than an assistant and a wet lab (at the moment) we have similar if not the same training in the photography field.
I started in the darkroom, a wet lab, not photoshop, and I have been photographing since 1999. As it says in my Artist statement I graduated in 2006 from The School of the Art Insitute of Chicago along some of the most qualified and well known photographers in the conceptual world. (not trying to sound elitist, but just stating the facts)
As for me and my cost and the entire point of this blog was simply stating that for the last 5 to 7 years of my photography career I've been under charging and photographing at a cost that beyond affordable for everyone. My justification to myself through the year was that I didn't want to charge for a service that I felt everyone should have the privlage or ability of access to.
As of now, and only now, I've decided to charge similar to your price range. I'm happy for you and your success, but I took a different aproach to life and buisness up to this point. I served under the poverty line for a year while serving with the Americorps/VISTA program and tried to help children who could afford a "school portrait" and such.
I am not offended, but know that you and I are not that different. I don't think you need an assistant to show your success either. I've played the assistant to six different photographers through the years and it is what it is to each artist. Funny thing too, I'm a personal assistant now, but not for artists, and my success in all aspects of life are at their best.
Oh, AND I do have a studio.
Please excuse my writing above. I didn't do a read through and it looks as though I mistyped a couple of things.
ReplyDeleteIt is not the arrow, it's the archer.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter what you charge. It doesn't matter how much or what equipment use. It doesn't matter if you have studio. Doesn't matter how many employees you have.
Meeting or exceeding a client's expectations. From an artistic standpoint, creating a piece that envokes a reaction to the viewing audience. Continual learning of an ever evolving technology. Understanding that you can never know everything to your craft and the art of creation. Learning from others, no matter what their skill or experience level may be. -- these are the things that make a true professional.
BTW.
ReplyDeleteWhen working for another photographer or photography company, it is standard for the rights to remain with the employer.
At best you might be able to negotiate the use of images shot for an employer as samples of your abilities only. But even that may be difficult.
Understand that a booked job will have certain usage rights between client and booking agent. Further sales from a photo shoot is a possibility only if one entity controls the rights to the images. If the sale includes full usage release to the client. The only rights remaining with booking agent are those stipulated by the contract. All of which excludes any rights to any of the employees used to complete a job.
If I hire you as a freelance photographer to shoot a job I booked, the only way it can work is if all the rights remain with me. I can't have you selling images to or from my clients and contacts. All client trust would be out the window and I would quickly be out of business.
"Paying your dues" can be an important part of any career. Although all work may not be the ideal situation or what you desire, every job will give you something important in this lesson of life. Learn what you can from each experience you encounter.
~zuhl
Thank You Zuhl!
ReplyDeleteall this fuss over some mediocre work? bah!
ReplyDelete