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!"