Tag Archive for: Photography

Virtual vs. Digital

For a while now there has been the discussion that digital photography is cheaper than film and therefore prices that photographers charge should be decreasing and not increasing. In fact the truth of the matter is that the cost for photography has declined dramatically but that has nothing to do with digital vs. film. The major cause of that is that many unknowledgeable people entering the market and not charging properly for their services. These new photographers will learn in time that they are in fact cutting themselves short and they are driving the market down to their own demise. I won’t get into a discussion of what to charge in this article. I will however go into a bit of the cost of digital photography.

 

In the film days there was the visible cost of film, developing, processing, chemicals, paper/media, enlargers, and various other equipment. Today much of that has been replaced by computers, software, multiple hard drives, internet connections, and we still have the cost of media and printers. Cameras have increased in price dramatically for professional level equipment. In fact if you actually do the math it is more expensive today than it was 15 years ago and that is taking inflation into consideration. Again the cost is not a topic for this article. If you want to compare the costs of digital to the cost of film Google it; there are thousands of articles out there.

 

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Consumer Value or Valued Customer

Which is more important: consumer value or being a valued customer? It’s true that every person wants to get a great deal.  After all, who doesn’t like saving money? One has to ask though, is that more important than being valued as a customer?

 

As our world gets smaller the distance between individuals seems to be becoming greater. Personalized services are becoming more valued due to the fact that they are indeed getting rare. In an age of mass marketing, cookie cutter solutions, assembly line products and one size fits all where has personal service gone? It seems that very little is made or done for individuals any more. More often than not things are marketed in a way that is supposed to be personal when in fact the product or service is not personalized at all.

 

So how do I try to provide a personalized experience for you, my client? Easy, I work with you.

 

I think I have said it before on this blog, my first job in life was working for a family business gutting fish all day – week old fish at that. That job taught me a lot of lessons when it comes to my business and a lot about life in general. When you work for family you are not just another employee. You are expected to do twice as much for less than half the paycheck and no recognition.

 

Today I run my own business and I want my clients to think of me as that family employee. I am going to do as much as I can, as often as I can, for as long as I can and I want you to get the credit. My goal is to make you look as good as possible and the only way I can do that is to understand your wants and needs. That means I have to work with you, understand the problems you have and help you find solutions that solve those problems.

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Hiring An Event Photographer

Recently on one of the lists I belong to there were some questions on hiring an Event Photographer. I offered some suggestions that I thought would be appropriate for a more permanent home here on my blog.  Take a moment to read my response and let me know your thoughts or questions.

 

Dear S,

 

I am a professional photographer and have been shooting events professionally for over 8 years. I wanted to take a moment to address your questions about finding an event photographer.

 

I read one reply that someone said they paid $1500 for a 3 day event. I can tell you right away that although she got a heck of a deal, she was not dealing with an experienced professional. At that price the photographer in question is going to have problems replacing their equipment when the time comes and that doesn’t take into consideration their operating expenses.
Event photography is very similar to wedding photography with a little less pressure on the photographer. The reduction of pressure comes from not having to capture shots of Aunt Sally and Uncle Bill, who haven’t spoken for 30 years, actually dancing together. At the same time there is a pressure to get all the shots that will represent the event correctly and positively. The day to day shooting though is similar in the number of shots taken and processed each day. This can total literally thousands of shots over a 2.5 day event. Each shot has to be color corrected and then determined if it is worth final editing and presentation to you, the client. This can take longer than the actual event – sometimes as much as 3 times longer. So for your 2.5 day event, a good professional photographer can spend over a week prepping the images for delivery.

 

It is true that you can hire a photographer who is not a full time shooter or one who is new to the business that will cost you less, however at the same time that person may cost you more money in the long run if they don’t have the experience to capture the event correctly. If they are of the artistic mindset it is not unusual for them to capture the event in such a way that none of the images are useful to you at all. So if this person only charges you $1500 but few if any of the images are useful what is the true cost? If you are planning to use the images for marketing the cost can be astronomical.

 

My suggestion is to look at the responses from your RFP and look into the portfolio of each photographer. This can be done very quickly and it will save you huge headaches in the long run. Things you should look for are varied but below is a short list that applies across the board.

 

•             Make sure that any online presence is hosted by the photographer. Sites host by Flickr, SmugMug, Zenfolio, or any other third party will show either a lack of commitment and/or experience. Eliminate these bidders first.

•             Look at the style of work and that you like that style!

•             Make sure that they have events on their website. If they don’t but they have an overall style you like ask for a sample of event work. Some photogs shoot events but don’t specialize in events. My site for example shows the work I specialize in, architectural and portrait. I do shoot events and I have thousands of images to show my abilities but I don’t advertise them on my site because that is not the main focus of my business.

•             Ask for references. Testimonials will be a good quick view but remember: if there is a testimonial on a photogs site they are showing the best of the best. References will be more honest when you contact them directly.

•             Ask for an insurance rider. Professionals will already have liability for at least $1million and getting a rider in your name should be an easy task for them. If they don’t have insurance don’t walk, but run away.

•             Spend 5-10 minutes on the phone with them (more if you have time) and make sure that they ask the right questions and more importantly that you like them! My father said when I was young that “you don’t go fishing with a captain that you don’t like because you won’t catch any fish.” The same is true for your service providers.  If you don’t get along the chances are reduced that they will work with and for you to get you the results you need.

 

Now you may be asking: why is this guy from Philadelphia writing and telling me all of this? There is no way you are going to hire him. He is just too far away if nothing else. There are many reasons but the main reason is that clients like you are being taken advantage of by inexperienced ‘wannabees’. These inexperienced shooters are trashing the reputation of my industry and I feel it is my job to assist anyone who has questions about hiring a professional photographer.

Always feel free to call me with any questions you may have.

To My Client: No Surprises

I recently received an RFP (Request for Proposal) from a potential client and the client included a criteria of “Complete listing of expenses (no surprise costs)!” I fully understand their need to include this statement. Some of the surprises aren’t completely the fault of the vendor.

 

First let me look at the client’s view. Very often, too often, when they send out an RFP to any vendor they get an estimate back that A) doesn’t include all of the information that is needed for them to make an informed decision. What they receive is a quote for the cost of the entire estimated job but no details on the breakdown of costs. For most large clients these details are needed for reporting as well as their ability to budget correctly. B) doesn’t include a capability statement that explains why a particular vendor is able to even complete the work.  How would the client know that Company X has knowledge of the job being bid? How do they know that the vendor has the resources to even deal with the scope of work? These details are crucial to their ability to do business and as a possible vendor it is my responsibility to provide them with as many details as possible so that if I do win the bid, that there is little or no stress about my ability to complete the requested work.

I don’t hold all the responsibility though. Many RFPs are vague and incomplete. Often the reason for that is the fact that the client wants to see my knowledge of the work proposed. That is understandable and acceptable. At the same time certain details are needed for me to understand the work required. A full scope of work as the client understands it, and/or a detailed explanation of the use of the product or services at the end of the project is huge help. With that detail I can chart the path from beginning to end and that should show the details the client needs to decide on a vendor.

 

Knowing where you want to be at the end of a project is crucial for both client and vendor. Knowing the need, use and benefit of any product or service helps the client get all that they need out of any vendor they choose to work with. Without it, it is like packing a bag and getting in your car knowing you want to go on vacation but not knowing where you are going.

 

Using a similar metaphor, if the client knows they want to go to Vermont to go skiing for vacation, as a vendor it is my responsibility to pack their skis. At the same time my client will get nowhere if I don’t put gas in the car too. It is my responsibility to know, plan for, and handle the details. By relating those details my client is able to see on paper that their vacation is exactly what they want planned, and they know that by including the details I am going to ensure they get to where they want to be.

 

So what if the client doesn’t include the needed information so that I can provide a complete and details response? Again that is where the responsibility is mine. It is my job as a professional to ask the right questions, to ask detailed questions and get the information I need to answer their questions. When I do that, my clients get the results they want and there are no surprises.

 

Send me an RFP for photography services and let me show you what I mean.

Responsibility

 

For god’s sake buck up!  Take responsibility for all that you do. Everything!  You may think that this is going to be a rant post; maybe a little, but not too much. Read on good reader.

 

In my rather vast experience in business, I have seen many times individuals who do not take responsibility for what they do. Sometimes this is because they are afraid that they will get in trouble, maybe even lose their job. In most cases no one is in jeopardy of losing anything except some humility perhaps.

 

 

Successful people take responsibility for all that they do, good and bad. Entrepreneurs not only take responsibility, they take credit. Yes, taking credit is a part of responsibility. I admit that all the images I capture are mine. I don’t steal them from anywhere, I don’t copy other photographers, I may however be influenced by some. I also take credit for my faults and mistakes.

 

One of the reasons I left the corporate world to take up photography full time was a matter of taking responsibility. It is a long (and very boring) story but suffice it to say I took responsibility for interpreted actions and by doing the right thing I was able to walk away from the corporate world.

 

I am not saying that I did the right thing every time. I have made my fair share of mistakes in my career. I have made mistakes that have cost me money and I have made decisions that have made the company and me a lot of money too.  The fact is, though, that I take responsibility for all the decisions I make good or bad. I also make sure that I do everything I say I will do and I work the way I agree to work.

 

My clients quite often say that they need X amount of images. If that’s 15 images I always deliver at least 20, sometimes twice that. I try to over-deliver whenever possible. My goal is to give my clients more; more of what they want. I am not perfect.  Sometimes I miss the target and I admit my failure. In photography that means I have to reshoot and at no cost to my client. I can honestly say though that whenever I have taken on a project I have always succeeded in delivering in the long run.

 

My overall point is that no matter what goals you set for yourself:  own them.  Drive yourself toward them and make sure you do your best to reach the goal. When you do something with all you are, when you give everything you have, at the end you are guaranteed a reward. That reward is pride.

 

Taking responsibility for all that you do is where to start and where to finish. After that success or failure are the same. We learn from either, and from both, but if we don’t take responsibility we fail to learn.

The Photography Business, It’s Not about Photography

Why do I have to keep telling people that the photography business is not about photography, it is about business. Photography is just the product that the business is built around.

 

I am tired, very tired, of new “professional” photographers that can’t understand the idea that photography is a business. At least, it is as soon as you say you are a professional. I constantly hear from these people: “I can’t charge the same rates as my competition. I’m new and I just don’t feel right doing that.” or “I’m not good enough to charge the full rate for this job. I don’t have the experience.” The hell you aren’t!

 

If a new McDonald’s opens across town do they charge any less than the first McDonald’s in town? It’s a new franchise owner and they have never owned a restaurant before so I guess we should go to the new one because they will be cheaper. No they won’t!  They charge the same price as the other one for the same service and the same food. So if you are the new photographer in town and you have the skills and the talent to do the job, why are you afraid to charge for the same service?!

 

I understand that new photographers may not have the experience that some clients want, and that is fine. However if they have the talent to get the shot, they have the ability to do it in a professional manner and they deliver the results the client wants why are they charging less than they are worth?

Sure there is a variable in rates from the inexperienced to the seasoned pro to a reasonable extent. The new photog in town is not going to command the rate that a Joe McNally, a David Hobby or a Helmut Newton (if he were still alive)would but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth the same amount that the other photogs in town are worth. If the end result is the same and the service provided is the same (excluding individual artistic style), why not get the same fee?

 

Then there is the client that loves to exploit that. That client is always going to go for the cheapest rate he can find because his images only have to be good enough to get by. Guess what? There are always going to be the bottom dwellers that can feed here, but when I see a talented photographer damn near giving their services away it gets me angry.

 

I have been shooting professionally for years and I have raised my rates over time but they have always been near what my competition is charging too. This does a number of things for me and for the business itself. For one it keeps all of the pro shooters in check. Our clients know that when they come to us they are going to get XYZ service for ABC cost. They also know that the quality is going to be of a certain professional level. This means that if Joe Blow over on the other side of town is charging twice what I charge, he better have an added value of some kind that I can’t provide. If he doesn’t then the client will go to someone else in town.

 

Another thing consistent rates do is show a commitment to servicing our clients. We can’t survive in the business world without being our clients’ advocate, at least to some extent. To do that is to provide that added value.

 

When these new photographers come along they often haven’t been taught much about business. This means they may not be aware of the cost of doing business. Do they understand that there is a cost every time you press the shutter?  “But it’s digital so it’s free!” No it isn’t!  There are only so many times that shutter can be pressed before that camera has to be replaced or repaired. Then there is the cost of the computer they will upload the images to, the time processing them in the expensive software they purchased and the desk all that stuff sits on. Plus there is the cost of insurances that protects us and our clients.

 

I can go on and on and on but I think you get my point. If you are a pro, act like one. If you need to hire a pro, hire one, and pay them a fair rate. After all the old saying is true; if it seems too good to be true…

Opposites

The old adage that opposites attract remains true in all aspects and especially in photography. Powerful images from the likes of Helmut Newton and his industrial women series, Robert Mapplethorpe from his powerful nudes to his delicate orchids in B&W and many others show how something soft and beautiful when placed up against a contrasting opposite not only stand out but scream to the viewer about how a harsh background makes a soft subject jump out at you.

 

I recently had an experience with a couple of my models that happen to be roommates. The two young women are also my neighbors and I asked both to model for me. These two women are both full of energy and life; they both are very attractive in different ways. I had a certain expectation of how each shoot would go but as this was a “fun shoot,” meaning it was more just for each of us and no specific results were needed, I decided to start each out in a certain direction and then just let it go and see what we got for the final shots.

 

I was not surprised by the energy and life they both put into each separate session. These women are fun loving and full of positive energy. I did have a certain expectation in my mind though of where the shoot would go and boy was I wrong! The one that I thought would be all beauty and glamour turned out to be the intense dramatic images and the one I thought would be the lighthearted jump around and get goofy showed the beauty side. Not to say we didn’t get goofy, she made some faces in the beginning to get relaxed and those shots were fun and turned out well. However the images that stood out after the shoot were of a more sedate side of the model. Her intensity and strong features just screamed glamour.

 

I think the highlight though was the fact that each of them can do both just shows how even individuals can be almost polar opposites in life. The images of the women turned out better than I had anticipated and we were all very pleased with the final results. In fact both of their images are being included on some of my new marketing materials. Even my success coach (Beate Chelette) says that my new promo cards are some of the best I have done to date.

 

In case you like the images and the models, well, they will model for others but I have told them that I have to be their manager. ;-)  A huge thank you to my models, Brooke and Sydni!

Gratitude

 

It’s not always easy writing a blog. In fact this week was one of those weeks that I was desperately trying to think of a topic that is consistent with the messages I try to convey on these pages.  Out of frustration I decided to just get out of the office and away from the computer. I emailed my wife and told her to meet me at pub across the street from her office.

 

After a wonderful lunch I was still short a topic. As I was driving back to my office I drove past Eastern State Penitentiary and right in front there was a parking space. I thought why not, I have my camera with me (no surprise there) and I have always wanted to tour the place during the day (previously I had only been there for Terror Behind The Walls, near Halloween). For $12 I could go in and forget my deadline and ignore that “whoosh” noise it makes as it goes by.

 

This place is a one of the cheapest tourist traps in all of Philadelphia and probably one of the best too. No one tries to sell you anything and all the guides are friendly and helpful (they must be from out of town). On top of that it’s really cool!  Of course Al Capone’s cell is the most restored, but most of the place is falling down around you: debris, broken windows and concrete are everywhere.

It happened to be my lucky day too!  Not only did I get a great parking spot, they were giving tours of some of the places not usually open to the public. I was able to see the chaplain’s office and the special murals on the walls, and also “The Hole” where prisoners were put for solitary confinement.  I stand a hair under 6 feet tall (probably because I have no hair) and when I was standing in the ‘hallway’ in front of the solitary cells my head just touched the ceiling. Not a place I want to spend any time.

 

As I toured the rest of the prison I noticed all the cells, the conditions and how horrible it must have been in those days to have been stuck there for years. The idea that the only natural light many of the prisoners ever felt came from a tiny slit in the ceiling. The only other light came through the skylights but they were over the hallways and you would not feel the sun on your skin but you could see it just a few feet away outside your cell.

 

As I started to leave I began to feel a sense of gratitude wash over me; I was able to walk out when I wanted to. This got me to thinking (dangerous, I know) about how lucky I am.

 

When I was younger I was a borderline kid. I didn’t believe in school, authority, or anything most ‘good kids’ believe in. I had the choice to go down the wrong path and it would have been very easy for me to do. However for some reason I did the next right thing over and over until I got to where I am today, a man who owns his own business and has the chance to take a random Wednesday afternoon off to tour a decrepit old prison.

 

I am a lucky guy, I have freedom today and that is something that I often forget about. I think about bills, mortgages, payments and where the next job is coming from. Today I was able to take a few moments and understand what gratitude really is; I have to say that it is one of the best things I have in my life. Today I am free to worry about bills, mortgages, payments and where my next job is coming from.

 

All this gave me something to write about too. It gave me an Attitude of Gratitude.

My Client’s Advocate

 

Every once in a while things don’t go as planned. I was recently contracted for a shoot for an advertisement in a rather high end magazine. My client is the advertiser and not the magazine but the magazine is who connected me with the client. My client wasn’t sure he needed a professional photographer; he was one that thought he had a camera, and he could take the images himself and they would be ‘good enough’ for the ad. After a long consultation and some negotiation, he was willing to “give me a try.”

 

The shoot went well and the images were more than the client had anticipated. He was very happy with the results, in fact I would have to say that he was actually impressed with the differences between what a professional photographer could do compared to what he himself could produce. That was when he realized that ‘good enough’ probably wasn’t.

 

All is going well, I was paid, the images were delivered to the client and the magazine. My part was basically done; so I thought.
Now let me take a moment here to clarify; although the magazine had referred me to the client I had never done any work for the magazine before; in fact they had found me via my website and some referrals. I did not have a relationship with them prior to this project.

 

This past Friday evening I get a call from the client and he is furious!  He is almost screaming on the phone telling me that he had received a box of copies of the magazine and his ad looked horrible!  The images were all dark, lacking detail and did not represent him as he intended. He was ready to call his lawyer and have the contract voided and start a legal battle to get his money back, which I might add wasn’t a small amount.

 

The client went into detail about how the images were not representing him well and in fact he felt I should be angry too as they didn’t show my talent to capture the feelings he felt the original images did. He knew that I did not have a relationship with this publication prior to this project and felt that I should be as angry as he was because how was I going to get more work from this magazine if my images “looked like crap.” He was right too; if my work is the ugliest in the magazine it is highly unlikely that I would get any further referrals from the magazine.

 

The fact that my client was not happy is more of an issue for me than anything else. A positive review from him is likely to do more for me than how the magazine feels. More importantly, my client is pissed and that is just not acceptable to me, period.

 

But I am just the photographer, what can I do? This is an issue between the client and the magazine. In fact I could do something.

 

I had the client overnight a copy of the publication and I took a critical look at the ad and yes, the representation sucked. The images were dark, fuzzy at times and just generally looked horrible. So I did what I thought would be the next right thing, I called my contact at the magazine and I asked them what happened.

 

My contact had not yet seen the printed version and referred to the soft proof that she could see on her computer. She forwarded me a copy of the proof while we were on the phone and I let her know that the files she sent me in fact did not in any way represent what I was seeing in print. She then in turn referred me to the manager of their production department and my questioning began all over again.

 

To make a long story short, or at least not so long, After comparing files, computer profiles, processes and anything else we could think of it was finally agreed that the print version didn’t match the electronic version and that something needed to be done to make it right.

 

I offered the magazine an additional 30 images to choose from and my time and knowledge to work with them to create a new advertisement for my client. I would be the advocate for my client and I would use my print experience to help create a new ad. They in turn offered to run an editorial about my client’s product next to a full page ad that we would compose together. This would give my client greater exposure than originally planned, gave him a discount of more than 60% on his previous contract, and should override any negative exposure that may occur from the copies that were already on the street.

 

My client wasn’t sure how to negotiate with the publication when the project was less than expected and was put in a place where he was not sure how to proceed. He was about to do what he thought was right and bring in legal counsel. Instead he reached out to the person he thought might have an idea on how to handle the situation, even if it was more to assure him that the ad looked bad. In doing so, he brought in an advocate for himself and his business.

 

I didn’t charge the magazine or my client for any of this. I wanted to do what was right for my client and for everyone involved. In doing so I was able to help my client; I took a bad situation and made it a Win/Win/Win. The client gets a second ad with a two page spread for the cost of a half page ad, the publication gets a happy client and a minimal financial compromise, and I have two happy clients.

 

Being my client’s advocate is for me, just smart business.

Next Right Thing

I write about integrity, honor, and ethics all relating to business – specifically the photography business and how photography helps my clients. But what about me, Michael the man and Michael the Photographer: do I live these principles in my life?

 

I like to think that I do and that these characteristics in business come from the personal side of me. I want to always do the right thing; to stick to my principles. I have a way of trying to do that every day and that is by doing the next right thing. Doing the next right thing is not an easy task sometimes. In fact doing the next right thing means that I have to be paying attention, for starters. How else am I going to even recognize it?

 

Not all that long ago I worked in the corporate world at a Fortune 500 company and I made a rather good salary. Life was financially comfortable and all the bills were paid. I maintained a basement studio in my home and I did my photography as a part time business. My goal was to learn and grow as a photographer so that someday the photography would overcome the corporate income and I could branch out on my own and leave that rat race.
Life has a tendency to force your hand at times and that is what happened to me. Due to corporate politics I was forced out before “I was ready.” To make a very long story short, I had the opportunity to let a situation pass and go seemingly unnoticed or I could report it to the chain of command. Reporting it to my higher-ups meant that there was a good chance someone was going to lose their job. That someone turned out to be me. But it was the right thing to do and it is was in line with the ethics the company felt was one of their core values.

 

I could have fairly easily gotten another position in the corporate world and it very likely would have paid a similarly salary and my photography business was nowhere near fully supporting me and my (now) wife. Yet deep inside myself I knew that if any situation that came up like the last one it would cost me my job again. Even though I was doing the next right thing I was the one paying the price and the corporations were sacrificing something for profits. That ‘something’ was not something I was willing to sacrifice, at least not sacrifice and have an easy time sleeping at night.

So what to do: go back into another position that will cost me my honor, which I place higher than anything else, or take the difficult route of building my own business doing what I love anyway? As you can see by reading this I chose the latter. I preserved my principles and my ethics but I lost my house and studio. I lost many of my material possessions, my 401k and most of my savings too. Now every day I work to better myself, my skills and my business; I compromise nothing and I stand tall knowing that though it is a difficult path full of uncertainty and financial doubt, I am doing the next right thing.

 

Making this choice was both the hardest thing and the easiest thing I have ever done. On the one hand I am my own boss; I get to work with wonderful people like the woman in the images above. On the other I never know where the next job is coming from or the next month’s rent, I went from 8 hours a day, 40 hours per week to an average day of 15 hours and a 100 hour work week. But I know that what I do for my clients is the right thing to do. They get the work they need, they get the value I promise and they will rarely have someone work as hard for them as I will. And when I lay down at night next to that wonderful woman who supports me in all that I do, I know that I will rest well because I will continue tomorrow doing the same thing I did today. I will do the next right thing.