Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Junior schoolboy rugby. Picture: Bazil Raubach

Kelly Khumalo is a Zulu South African singer and actress. The South African songstress burst into the limelight during the Cruz gospel concert in 2003, where she wowed the crowd with the gospel song, U Jesu’ phakeme (Jesus is Almighty). From there, everyone knew that Kelly Khumalo was here to stay. Kelly’s song from her first cd, Qinisela, is still having heavy play on many African radio stations.In her music she easily mixes afro pop with house and a little bit of gospel.She has so far released Three (3) albums TKO, Itshitshi and Siyajabula.Kelly Khumalo is from Spruitview in the East Rand and has been singing in church all her life until realising that there is a whole bigger world out there…. Now the Number One rising star and Best Newcomer of 2005 in the Afro Pop music circuit, Kelly Khumalo, has just released a masterpiece, titled “Siyajabula” in June 2007. Kelly Khumalo has taken Umzansi by storm,

She is due to marry her lesbian partner Helen Van Rensburg in November 2009.They have been engaged for 6 to 8 months now.

Freshly Ground Pics by: Bazil Raubach

African dawn. Pic by Bazil Raubach

Wedding images. Pic by Bazil Raubach

Masters swimming, East London, South Africa 2009

Master Swimming in East London 2009. Pics: Bazil Raubach ©/2009

1. Commercial photography

1. Commercial photography
Commercial photography means any photographic
activity, including nature, wildlife, wedding,
portraiture, advertising and editorial photography,
which is undertaken with the principal intention
of creating images for commercial application.
Photography which is undertaken principally as a
hobby or as a personal interest in not considered
commercial photography and is not subject to fees
and charges (other than normal fees, such as park
entry fees, which generally apply to public use of the
park or site). The occasional sale of an image by a
photographer does not make the activity ‘commercial
photography’ provided that the image was derived
from an activity which was undertaken as a hobby or
personal interest.
2. Small scale
Small scale means any photographic activity which
involves a maximum of one photographer plus one
assistant; requires only low level equipment use (ie
backpackable equipment; single tripod); and uses
no props or talent. This category includes most
speculative and editorial work, and also includes most
wedding photographers.
3. Large scale
Large scale means any photographic activity other
than Small Scale, regardless of whether non profi t,
Government agency, editorial, nature based or
corporate advertising

Legal Documents that a Photographer Needs

Article by Mayflor Markusic

Photography is a fun hobby and a delightful job. But it would be wrong to assume that there are no legal matters to take care of. Here we will examine the most common photography agreements and contracts used by photographers.

Photography is serious business

Whoever thought that photography is all fun and adventure probably has never seen the business side of it. This business side, of course, is optional. That is, if a person wants to keep his photography a hobby and simply wants to take thousands of pictures of his family and his dog, then all he needs to worry about is the capacity of his memory cards and the cooperation of his pet. Beyond the hobby, if photos are to be used for commercial purposes and to earn money, then a photographer must realize that he will need an array of legal documents at his disposal. As an example, let’s say a photographer is asked by a middle school soccer league to cover the finals. He would be expecting to have the sole rights to take pictures of the soccer game, as well as the option to sell them.

What if there are other photographers that were invited too? What if an eccentric parent demands that the photographer must pay for taking pictures of her child? Issues such as these could be easily addressed if the photographer has legal documents to present or has formed a legally binding contract with the client, in this case, the soccer league. So what documents do photographers need?

Photography is a fun hobby and a delightful job. But it would be wrong to assume that there are no legal matters to take care of.

Is Your Photography a Hobby or a Business?

Whether your photography is deemed a hobby or a business by the IRS could save you money. If you are running a photography business, you can offset your income – not just the income from your photography business but from your day job, as well - by the costs of your photography business. To be declared a business, your goal must be to make a profit. But since photography is expensive, it can take a long time to show a profit. So are you out of luck? Maybe not!

Here are 10 ways that will help to show the IRS that you are running a photography business:

• Make a profit in three out of five consecutive years, and you need to show nothing else.
• Keep accurate and updated business books and records on your activities.
• Leave your time-consuming day job or reduce your time there to devote to your business.
• Market and promote your business.
• Follow standard or develop revolutionary practices for your business.
• Make attempts to reduce the disparity of your losses compared to your income from the business.
• Hire experts such as accountants, marketing firms and lawyers, or study ways to help your business make a profit.
• Experience losses similar to others in the same business.
• Operate your business like those who do make a profit with their photography business.
• Be able to show that your business will eventually make a profit.

Other than the first item, none of these will definitively prove that your photography activities are a business. Further, the IRS may look at many other factors to determine the purpose of your photography. But following the above practices will not only help to show that your photography is a business, it will actually help your business.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Commercial rates

Hiring a cheap photographer

A friend lets call him 'A', contacted another collegue lets call him 'B', and asked if he were free Thursday last week to do a simple 'hand-over' job at in East London. The photography job was a day after the 2009 South African general elections.
'B' phoned me and asked if I could do the job because, well he had his hands full with something else.

But I was cautioned... the PRO house think you are very expensive! Hmmmm, I pondered for a while, and then went back at looked at the quotes that I did for PRO house before.

To say I peeved would be an understatement.

Last time I was there I gave them a limited art print worth R5 000 (OK, so it wasn't framed). So to hear a back hand complaint, smacks of unprofessionalism in the extreme. But I guess some people just aren't honest or upfront with you.

I have done a couple of jobs for them and was fairly confused because I had dropped my price on two occasions to meet their budget.

So, here is the question - do I cost my work as dirt cheap to get the job, and then allow the Pro people to whack on a HUGE mark-up on my work? Or do I do the math, calculate petrol, time, depreciation on my equipement, etc ... and give a market related price?

I notice my car is 7 years old and theirs is less than two years old. I cut my overheads to death. I use pro glass, which does not come cheap. My insurance is killing me but I have to have it, if I want to work in this area. I have never held them ransom and charge single picture usage, as some local togs do. Sure, I kept my copyright but mostly for portfolio use only.

I came to the conclusion, they are welcome to think like used car salesmen. But the next job I am asked to quote on, I will quote a full commercial rate, if they don't except...

Thanks for the heads up.

Hiring a Photographer

These days, with the advent of digital cameras, it seems that everyone claims to be a photographer. However, if you are in need of photography to help sell your product or service, it's best to seek out a pro. With the help of a professional, you can elevate your product and really make it stand out in an often-overcrowded marketplace.

How it Works

Before hiring a professional photographer, it's important to understand the difference between consumer photography and commercial photography for publication. Consumer photography such as wedding and portraiture provide a final product to the retail customer in the form of a wedding album or framed portrait. However, photography for publication provides a service as opposed to a product. This means that the final user, the client, who uses the image(s) in his or her brochure, advertisement or catalog, etc, are paying for permission the reproduce the image(s) in their publication. The photographer retains the copyright of the image and is, essentially, licensing the image for a particular use and period of time.

There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, such as a Work-for-hire contract. Most photographers will avoid Work-for-hire contracts as it means giving up all rights to the images they create. As a client, if you feel it's important to own the copyright to the images the photographer creates for you, then another option is the "buyout." This will normally cost upwards of double the photographers normal creative fee.

What do you really want?

So, how do you find the photographer who's right for you? Well, the most important thing is to know what you want. That may sound like an odd thing to say but often people hire photographers without fully understanding what style and image they wish to convey. For instance, imagine your company provides customer service and tech support to users of your product, and you want to show portraits of these representatives in your brochure and on your website. A bright, light environmental portrait, which portrays them as friendly and approachable, will be far more effective than a formal portrait against a gray backdrop. Do your research before calling in portfolios and nail down the style you want by seeing what's out there in magazines, annual reports', on the web, and so on.

"When deciding on a style and direction for a particular project, I think about my target audience. My approach will be different for teenagers than their parents!"

- NANCY P.
Graphic artist

Finding the right person for the job

A lot of photographers specialize in a particular area of photography so don't try to save money by asking your local wedding photographer to shoot high-end food photography! Also there are many different styles even in one particular specialisation. For example, food photography for advertising can be slick, with everything in sharp detail, showing the product in fine detail or with selective, or short, focus that portrays more of a mood and feeling.

"The photographers I shoot with must be able to work with direction well, however, I also want someone whose creativity will enhance the project. A collaborative effort makes all of the work experience and end product that much better."

- MARLENE M.
Art director.

"When I hire a photographer for a job I look for more than just talent. I need to know they are reliable. I don't want to be standing with the client on shoot day, wondering where the photographer is!"