Feature Promo – Julie Grace Immink

Julie Grace Immink

Who printed it?
I just went to the DIY kiosk at my local drug store to print the photographs because I have a low-brow freelance promo budget. WizardPins is the company I used to make the enamel pin. My idea was to design an official membership emblem for my unofficial photography fan club. The inspiration came from other organizations that wear membership pins on their lapels, like the Shriners Masonic Society and the Unarius Academy of Science.

Who designed it?
I designed everything on my laptop. First, I turned my photograph of the woman with her dog into a simple line illustration by tracing her silhouette’s outlines with black. Then I choose appropriate colors to fill in the details of her dress. I sent that final image to be transformed into a grandma-brooch and stuck it through the photograph with my contact information.

Tell me about the images?
Inspired by how community shapes our identity, my documentary work often explores my family and my neighborhood. The woman with the dog lived next door to me for 20 years. My father is the man sitting in the diner, and my son is the boy on the left holding the kitten. The other boys are my nephews. The other images are of people that lived near me in East Los Angeles. I am now based in Milwaukee and deeply inspired by the river that runs through the city. I am currently sourcing new subjects for my next series of portraits.

How many did you make?
I initially made 100 pins for my photography exhibition in LA two years ago. At the reception, guests were given the pins like a door-prize. Everyone wore them in the museum to pretend we were a secret art society that was for members-only. The leftover handful, I was brainstorming on how to use them and decided to turn them into a promotional piece to get my work in front of editors.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
You are the only editor I have sent a promotional piece. I plan to mail more later this year, hoping to catch a few editors’ attention. I admire the aesthetic of the editors of The California Sunday Magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Jody Quon, and Kathy Ryan, among so many others.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Hopefully, creating the members-only pin shows my aesthetic, and editors will find the piece creative and memorable.

Will you make more pins?
I plan on making another series of enamel pins from my photographs and sell them as collectibles with limited edition prints. Creating a wearable/interactive art piece is charming. Martin Parr’s coloring book, I thought, was brilliant.

Featured Promo – John Davis

John Davis

Who printed it?
Smartpress in Minnesota.

Who designed it?
Lindsay Thomson at Wonderful Machine. I worked closely with Lindsay over about two months to design the booklet. After discussing overall look, number of images/spreads and sample treatments, she went to work on three potential directions. Once I decided on the final look we moved forward with the cover-to-cover design.

Tell me about the images?
I worked with photo consultant, Stephanie Menuez, in Spring of 2020 to select the images for the booklet. She had just finished a total re-edit of my website so we already had a pretty good idea what images would be considered. We decided to focus on my education work since it’s the biggest part of my client base. The images are a mix of student lifestyle, campus beauty, classroom and portraits shot for brick and mortar and online education clients across the country. I also wanted the promo to appeal to people outside of the education marketing world so we were careful to use images that spoke to a broader audience.

How many did you make?
We printed 100. The goal was to focus on a small select group of existing and “dream” clients. I only sent about 25 to existing education clients in the Fall of 2020. Since many people are working from home during the pandemic, I made sure to contact them before mailing to make sure they reached the intended recipients. The plan is to send another batch in February/March and keep the remainder for leave behinds.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I usually try to send printed promos around four times per year. I supplement those with email promos that go out every two or three months. Since many people were working from home in 2020, this booklet was the only printed promo that made it out the door.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I continue to have faith in printed promos. Their short term effectiveness is difficult to gauge but hopefully people put them on their wall or file them for future reference increasing the potential for a longterm pay-off. I like to do a combination of single postcards and at least one more engaging multi-image piece throughout the year. The more involved promos provide an opportunity for me to give clients a better idea of who I am as a photographer and creative thinker. Delivering printed promos is a challenge these days but I think people will appreciate the effort and are in need of something more tactile in this age of COVID Zoom meetings.

About a year ago I was contacted by an agency that still had a promo booklet I sent out over 15 years ago! It didn’t result in a job but, who knows, maybe they’ll reach out in another 15 years or tomorrow. Either way, It still opened a door that wasn’t there before.

Featured Promo – Kyle de Vre

Kyle de Vre

Who printed it and how many did you make?
A company in New York printed the run of 100 editions. (I did not have a very great experience with them since they ran the 100 copies without showing me a final proof and sliced the images off near the center of the book, and had to reprint everything) The book is technically not a promo but the original run of the book.

Who designed it?
I designed the book with a friend, since he knew InDesign, more than I did at the time. I wanted it to be simple, and about the images and the characters, which is why I chose to go full bleed with no text. Make people curious about the people that were drinking in Sophies Bar on Tuesdays at 3pm, which is when and where I shoot the entirety of the project.

Tell me about the images?
The images are all people I know fairly well, and would ask to come in for portraits. I have stories about each and every one of them, some I met at the bar and became friends of mine, some are co workers, some local neighborhood legends and regulars. I got the idea after I started bringing my camera to the bar every tuesday and shot a portrait of a friend, which is the first photo in the book. I also had a few regulars who I always said “see you next tuesday” to since the only day shift at sophies I worked was Tuesday.

I still need to shoot a few more portraits, but I am planning to put all the images together into a hardcover book with all the images from the original book i sent you in the near future.  I shoot it all on delta 3200 film with a hasselblad 501cm and I process and print all the images myself in the darkroom and scan the prints.

Feature Promo – Ashley Sullivan

Ashley Sullivan

Who printed it?
Printed by Paper Chase Press

Who designed it?
Designed by Demetra Mazria

Tell me about the images?
I worked alongside Megan Gonzalez (Art Direction and Prop Styling) and Diana Scanlon (Food Styling) to produce this test shoot. Megan and I worked together to put together a vision board with scrap images as well as rough sketches for our shot list. It was important to us to create lighting that was reminiscent of a sunny day in the tropics– I think we succeeded! We created a set of images that had an intentional pacing, diversity in angles, and a continuous color story.

How many did you make?
300 printed.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I send out promos once or twice each calendar year.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I thoroughly enjoy the process and result of concepting and designing a printed piece. I’ve always held in high regard the idea of bringing images beyond the screen. It may stem from my background in architecture — but carving physical space for something is both a beautiful and meaningful undertaking. To that end, I take care to ensure that each element is given the attention it deserves. I chose to have this booklet saddle stitched… a detail that caused my budget to stretch a bit, but it was important to me that the elements that surround the images would be of the same caliber.

With the seemingly infinite channels of digital marketing available, creating a tactile piece feels like purposeful work. Giving the images a place to exist, creating an experience for the viewer. While it’s nearly impossible to account for the effectiveness of one specific marketing piece, I do find that printed promos are ones that clients enjoy receiving, and will often make a point of sending a note to tell me so.

Featured Promo – Mike Borchard

Mike Borchard

Who printed it?
Printed by Ex Why Zed, based in the UK.

Who designed it?
It was designed by me.

Tell me about the images?
The images are from a personal project I shot in Hawaii last spring/summer. The images are made by double exposing 35mm film, shot on older Nikonos cameras. The Nikonos cameras from the 70’s & 80’s are fully self-contained waterproof units and were originally designed for underwater photography. I would shoot an entire roll of film while out in the mountains or jungle, then rewind it, reload it, and re-shoot surfing over it again.

How many did you make?
I printed a numbered run of 150.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
My goal is two promos per year, and I try to make them both more in-depth promos rather than just a postcard or a foldout. Taking a quality over quantity approach.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Yes I do, although it can be really difficult to measure. I’ve found sending out less promos to a more targeted group that I already communicate with or want to be communicating regularly with is more effective than just mailing out a bunch of promos to a large list of people that I have zero relationships with. I also enjoy the process of creating and bringing tangible works to life, so I’m never too stressed if I don’t see a huge direct response to a promo, because I’m usually stoked on the process anyway.

This project came to exist almost purely because of COVID. Last March, my travel and work schedule was completely vaporized, and I found myself with plenty of free time. Free time that I spent experimenting with trial and error burning up countless rolls of film while dialing in the double exposure process. It felt amazing to be out creating and trying new things purely for the stoke of it. No clients, no deadlines; just some old cameras, an idea, and plenty of time.

Pricing & Negotiating: Pharmaceutical Product Shoot

Craig Oppenheimer, Wonderful Machine

Concept: Lifestyle content of a patient using a medical device and interacting with their caregiver

Licensing: Trade Advertising and Collateral use of up to 6 images for 2 years from first use.

Photographer: Lifestyle and portraiture specialist

Agency: Medium in size, based in the Northeast

Client: Pharmaceutical company

Here is the estimate:

Pricing and Negotiating first estimate for a Pharmaceutical company production

Creative/Licensing Fees: The agency was in need of images showing a medical product being used, along with images of a patient interacting with their caregiver and family within multiple scenarios taking place in and around a house, as well as a few outdoor scenarios as well. The exact shots were a bit TBD at the time of estimating, but we did know they wanted to end up with six final images, and they’d be used for trade advertising and collateral purposes for two years. Based on recent similar productions and a knowledge of previously palatable fees/expenses for this client, we landed on a creative/licensing fee of $7,500. It broke down to $1,250/image, which we felt was reasonable for the intended use and the given variables.

Crew: We included adequate prep, scout, shoot and wrap days for a producer to help coordinate the production, and included two assistants, one of which would also attend the scout day. Additionally we included a digital tech on the shoot day and a PA to help with prep/shoot/wrap as well.

Styling: We would only be capturing one main hero talent, and three others, and we were confident that one hair/makeup stylist could handle that without an assistant. In an effort to reduce people on set, we combined the roles of wardrobe stylist and prop stylist, and included adequate shopping time in addition to the shoot and time to return the items procured, while providing them with two assistants to lend a hand. We included $500 per talent for wardrobe, and $2,250 for props, however we marked that as TBD since the shot list was still under development and the final scenarios would dictate the exact prop needs/costs. We also included $500 for stylist kit fees, shipping and misc. expenses.

Health and Safety: I’ve started to break out all things related specifically to COVID protocols and prevention into a new category when estimating projects, and here I added 2 days for our CCO, as she’d join us on the tech/scout and the shoot day, and $300 to cover PPE and supplies. I’ve found that $300-$500 is an appropriate amount for PPE and cleaning supplies for a shoot this size.

Casting and Talent: We had to find one main adult hero talent to portray a patient, a secondary adult talent to portray their caregiver, and two children to portray grandchildren. The casting agent we worked with would hold virtual casting sessions remotely, rather than have talent attend an in-person casting session, and I knew this price would cover their time for at least 2 days work of casting to help find the talent we needed. I included $1,800/day, which was appropriate for this particular market based on the usage.

Locations: Since the shot list was still a work in progress, it was a bit of a challenge to estimate location scouting and location fees, but I felt confident that we had enough time/money built in to handle the anticipated request of finding a residential property and a couple nearby outdoor locations. We also included $1,000 for location cleaning to address the anticipated concerns from the homeowners regarding COVID.

Vehicles: In order to try and keep the bottom line down, I marked a production RV as TBD, as there was a chance we could use the house and the exterior locations as a staging area, rather than an RV. I also added modest funds for van rentals to help with equipment and supplies.

Equipment: I included $1,000 for the photographer’s gear, $750 for the digital tech’s workstation, and $500 for production supplies such as tables, chairs, tents, heaters, etc.

Meals: I included $75 per person for breakfast and lunch

Misc.: To address potential mileage, additional meals and miscellaneous expenses that might arise, I added $500. I also included $300 for insurance.

Post Production: I included $500 for the photographer’s time to go through the images and make initial edits and provide a gallery of content to the client, and then $200/image for 6 images to handle the retouching.

Feedback: The numbers were well received, however we were informed that they wanted to add a video component to the project. They weren’t sure exactly what would need to be captured, but they asked for a quote and told us they had an extra $15k budgeted for it.

Here is the quote we provided:

Pricing and Negotiating first estimate for a Pharmaceutical company production

Crew: We got a quote from a local team and consolidated their numbers into this bid. We anticipated bringing on a DP, along with one or two assistants.

Casting and Talent: We increased the talent fees by an extra $500+20% to account for the video usage.

Vehicles: Now that we had extra crew with the video team and a padded budget, I took the opportunity to add the production RV into the estimate as I felt it would be necessary.

Equipment: This covered the minimal gear rented from the videographer.

Meals: We added a small amount to include extra meals for the additional crew.

Misc.: I added $800 to cover miscellaneous expenses that might arise.

Overtime: Now that we planned to shoot video, I felt that the time necessary to do so would cause us to go past a 10-hour shoot day, so I included an extra hour for everyone involved with the production, billed at time and a half.

Results: The photographer was awarded the job.

 

If you have any questions, or if you need help estimating or producing a project, please give us a call at 610.260.0200 or reach out. We’re available to help with any and all pricing and negotiating needs—from small stock sales to large ad campaigns.

2020-2021 Photography Directories & Sourcebooks Report

© Amy V. Cooper, Photography Consultant https://www.amyvcooper.com

In 2019 I wrote the first ever Photography Directories & Sourcebooks Report, an analysis of all of the major paid directory-style resources for commercial advertising photographers in the United States.

This year I was excited to follow up with my clients and contacts to discover how these companies managed the challenges of 2020, pivoted their businesses and adapted to better support their artists.

While this is not a scientific analysis, I’m grateful for the insight that I received both from a survey of photographers based in the United States as well as input from the directory representatives, including advice for creatives going in to 2021.

With all of the directories, this year and in past years, I’ve received both positive and negative feedback from my clients. Different directories are better for different photographers depending on your experience, genre, location, service needs and preference for hands-on or hands-off maintenance of your listing. If you are not sure which directory is right for you, I invite you to jump on my calendar for a free call to discuss.

One of the positive aspects of the constraints of the 2020 pandemic is the shift toward virtual reviews, which has allowed more photographers and creatives to participate. Interestingly, photographers report that these virtual reviews feel more intimate and that they often get more time with the reviewer than when meeting in person.

In 2020, the directory Wonderful Machine received the highest praise from photographers in regard to pivoting and supporting them, with Found Artists coming in at a close second. Here is a selection of feedback I received about all of the directories, edited for length:

Wonderful Machine
https://wonderfulmachine.com/

Photographer Feedback: (I am respecting the privacy of the photographers who contributed by publishing their input anonymously.)

“Wonderful Machine stepped up, both by lowering the cost of membership and increasing their marketing and exposure for members. They have been doing a weekly photo prompt and then promoting that work in their newsletters. They’ve been really great.”

“I’m happy with the conversion of traffic I’ve been getting from Wonderful Machine. They have also been sending out requests for stock imagery with more frequency. They have great resources and information on their website for photographers and seem to be more connected to their members. I received a few smaller job requests through my listing and they promoted one of my projects on their blog and Instagram.”

Bill Cramer, CEO, Wonderful Machine:

How have things changed at Wonderful Machine in 2020?

“In the past, we’ve arranged in-person meetings with publications, agencies, and brands on a regular basis to learn more about their needs and to share our photographers’ portfolios and to share our shoot production capabilities. Now that most of those clients are working remotely (and reluctant to have visitors), we’ve pivoted to video calls.

“We also added a section of our website called Creative In Place where our photographers can share a mini portfolio of shoots they’ve done during the pandemic.

“In March, when we saw how the pandemic was affecting our photographers, we significantly reduced membership and consulting rates and we guaranteed that through the end of 2020.

“In 2021 we’re launching a completely new website early in the new year. We’ve added some features including bookmarking and sharing features for clients, and a calendar feature that allows our photographers to update their travel plans so clients can find them wherever they are.”

What is your best advice for photographers navigating physical distancing and decline in photography production right now?

“I think there are several things photographers can do to stay competitive. First, they need to educate themselves on appropriate COVID-19 safety protocols so their clients can feel confident hiring them and so their subjects are comfortable. Next, photographers need to consider whether there’s any technology they need to incorporate into their process that will allow them to shoot remotely or that will allow their clients to monitor the progress of a shoot remotely. Finally, they have to continue to push themselves creatively, update their marketing materials and connect with clients that are right for them. Yes, that’s a tall order!”

Found Artists
http://foundartists.com

Photographer feedback:
“Found rolled out #shootsolutions, which highlighted creative solutions photographers were offering during physical distancing.”

“The biggest job I got this year was through Found, and I was able to take advantage of their bidding services.”

Jennifer Perlmutter, Director, Photography & Creative Services, Found Artists:

How have things changed at Found Artists in 2020?

“We launched our Shoot Solutions page to help creatives find artists who had workable solutions to shooting and creating through all phases of quarantine and lockdown. Our Executive Producer, who helps many of our non-exclusively represented artists with estimating and negotiating projects, educated herself in COVID-safe production guidelines to make sure we knew how to safely produce during this time.

“We stopped sending printed materials from March through August and focused our efforts on collecting information. We were thrilled to receive many home addresses and direct quotes from creatives to share with our members that showed a genuine interest in receiving (print materials).

“Volume 12 of our book will drop in late February to an adjusted list of creatives who provided those home addresses and updated office information. This book is also turning into a beautiful collection of personal projects created during this time as well as interesting and thoughtful commissioned work. These addresses are only to be used for our books and promo decks, so we are still being very careful with single mailers.

“We have retired our reviews for now but are hopeful we can resume those in 2021. Time will tell. We are planning virtual showcases to launch in early 2021 that will be pre-recorded and then promoted for the creatives to view at their leisure, which has always been more our speed.”

What is your best advice for photographers navigating physical distancing and decline in photography production right now?

“Keep creating. I have seen so many beautiful personal projects, projects that inspire creatives and clients, come out of this time. Keep reaching out. Email creatives and share your solutions to keep productions rolling. We can all continue to help each other make it through this unprecedented time.”

Workbook
https://www.workbook.com/

Photographer Feedback:
“Workbook did a great job navigating the challenges and their Where Are We Now webinar series helped with much needed and wanted answers to figure out how to move forward.”

Heidi Goverman, Senior VP, Development & Client Relations, Workbook:

How have things changed at Workbook this year?

“Our company is built on the printed book, and the spring 2020 book had already been created when the pandemic hit. Additionally, the fall 2020 book was deep in production. So, we reached out to creative buyers to see if they would like to receive their own book at home. The responses were very positive, and many books were shipped right to their doorstep. For anyone who preferred to get their books at their offices, we continually monitored the situation and shipped when appropriate.

“We have been working on a new enhanced digital edition that will debut around spring 2021. But in 2020 we’ve launched a new website, upped our social presence, and showcased our clients’ work with all-new campaigns. We also took a look at pricing and added a new subscription level with the understanding that tiered pricing is a way to help more artists.

“We have launched a nationwide virtual portfolio event for our Pro level clients and have six events on our calendar for 2021 and are planning even more.

“We’ve also found webinars to be powerful tools for information. We have a series called Where We Are Now. We discuss the current state of the industry with expert panelists. Another of our webinars is First Impressions. We evaluate websites in real time with a panel of art producers and art buyers.”

What is your best advice for photographers navigating physical distancing and decline in photography production right now?

“Consistently marketing your work is key right now. Now is the time to be nimble and bold. The good news is there will always be marketers and they will always need imagery, so stay with it; keep marketing. It’s also really important to keep adding to your skill set and create fresh work. There’s always that chance during a time like this that something interesting gets created out of necessity. Creative buyers are always looking for the person who brings a new take on things. Every brand in the world has been pivoting; think about that when reaching out to them and show them your vision for their brand.”

AtEdge
http://www.at-edge.com

Photographer Feedback:
“I had two high-profile meetings through AtEdge this year and hope to do more. I’ve seen some website traffic conversion from the directory as well as new Instagram followers when they promoted my work.”

Francesca Galesi, Associate Director of Photography, AtEdge:

How have things changed at AtEdge this year?

“This summer AtEdge launched a new website to include a more robust search engine that can further pinpoint photographers, directors, post-production studios and imagery. Our new ability to filter by location is especially relevant in today’s industry given travel restrictions.

“Our revamped Campaign Spotlight and eBlast have resulted in a 25% uptick in overall traffic to our site in 2020.

“Face-to-face events have morphed into virtual one-on-one meetings, which will be a permanent additional perk for AtEdge photographers. Our virtual meetings are scheduled Zoom calls, 20- to 30-minute meetings, though we hear that many are lasting for an hour (or more). Each creative has a profile on our proprietary platform that shows the company they work for, along with the clients and accounts they service and an availability calendar. AtEdge photographers can peruse these profiles and schedule virtual meetings directly via the creative’s availability calendar.

“We are still sending out our printed books. Our team has reached out for home addresses, and we’re also making note of creatives who are still picking up their mail at work.

“We now offer an à la carte approach to pricing, allowing our talent to choose where they would like to spend their marketing dollars. There is a base price of $3,400 for an AtEdge Digital presence (website, Campaign Spotlight and social shout-outs). Add-ons for the printed books and virtual meetings are purchased separately.”

What is your best advice for photographers navigating physical distancing and decline in photography production right now?

“It is important to continue to photograph, to work on those personal stories that so often are what draws attention to you and makes you unique. The ones that maybe you never had time for. Focus on those.

“It is also vitally important to continue to market and continue to share your work. Advertising does not hit pause. Creatives are looking. Those who show strength in slower times are always the first to prosper when economies come roaring back. Now is not the time to fade into the background. Quite the opposite — now is the best time to boost your marketing and poise yourself for the expected surge in opportunities.

“Photographers have risen to the very real challenge to include COVID protocols and have created incredible campaigns since March 2020. The world will continue to open and close, but work continues.

“Your messaging is important. How one works, what are your current capabilities, where are you located…To be in tune with the current market happenings, to be positive and flexible, and above all, to be safe.”

Boulevard Artists
https://www.blvdartists.com/

Joshua Herman, Director of Operations, Boulevard Artists:

How have things changed at BLVD in 2020?

“Instead of being able to host our series of agency visits around the country and our portfolio review events, we’ve instead had to find ways to supplement those opportunities from a distance; from monthly agency-wide conference calls with art producers to online portfolio reviews to increased email marketing.

“There are several pros of this (virtual review) format: a longer amount of time to meet, a more intimate setting since it isn’t taking place at an event where there’s a significant amount of background noise, a seamless showing of video and still work, and it’s highly cost-efficient and convenient since there is no travel expense and meetings are scheduled according to the reviewers’ and photographers’ availability. This provides continuous opportunity for photographers to meet with creatives all over the country instead of just during set event dates.

“As we continue to roll out our online reviews, we are beginning to focus on smaller markets that we aren’t able to host events in, such as places like Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Portland, Atlanta, Houston, etc. Once our in-person events are back in the larger cities, I think this will make a good ongoing opportunity for photographers to personally connect with creatives in the second- tier cities that may not be able to support a larger in-person event.

“Although I sometimes hear photographers say they prefer to show a book, which is understandable, I think there’s much more to be gained by showing their website (in online reviews) as the feedback from the reviewer will be focused both on the work itself as well as how the photographer is presenting themselves ‘publicly’ in terms of branding.”

What is your best advice for photographers navigating physical distancing and decline in photography production right now?

“Giving advice within this ever-evolving industry, especially during this unprecedentedly difficult time, may be a bit audacious, but what I can say with certainty for photographers and directors is that given the new working reality, putting forward your “turn-key” solutions is vital. Agencies aren’t just looking for great content creators now, they need problem-solvers who are able to bring solutions to the table. Therefore, I would suggest that photographers present a summary on their website regarding where their capabilities lie in creating work under these new circumstances and what assets they have at their disposal to address those issues. From having a comprehensive understanding of your state’s guidelines and regulations to having access to talent you may know personally to produce shoots amongst family and friends. The more solutions one can offer to overcoming these challenges, the more attractive one becomes for hiring. When this pandemic first struck, everything came to a standstill. Now agencies are playing rapid catch-up, and they’re continually looking for content producers who can produce quality content under these new working restrictions. So, address that directly on your website.

“Other than that, I would suggest taking advantage of as many opportunities as possible to connect directly with creatives working at agencies. The best way to keep your finger on the pulse is to stay personally in touch with as many art producers and creative directors as possible so as to anticipate what they’re looking for and where things are heading.”

Production Paradise
https://www.productionparadise.com/

Mark Peel Lewis, Head of Creative Relations, Production Paradise:

How have things changed at Production Paradise in 2020?

“During the first main lockdown in March when 90% of our members were unable to produce content, we thought it would be a good idea to start organizing live talks with our community. The first talk we did was with producers and photographers based in China who had just come out of their own lockdown and were therefore able to relate with what everyone else was going through, give tips on how to make the most of their time and share their new reality with the rest of world. We also organized online courses and classes to share our knowledge on how to best promote your work online.

“Apart from this we kept publishing our spotlights and showcases as it was important or our members to keep being visible even if they weren’t working. Finally, we automatically extended all of our members memberships for 4 months so they wouldn’t lose any time on their current yearly membership with us.

“In terms of new services, we are about to launch new marketing consulting services for Instagram, LinkedIn and Portfolio Review/Personal branding with industry experts.

“We care a lot about the branding of our members so with our new services and the support of our experts/coaches for Instagram, LinkedIn and Personal Branding we can now help our members cover their most crucial marketing needs and make the best impact possible when being seen by their potential clients.”

What is your best advice for photographers navigating physical distancing and decline in photography production right now?

“Stay positive, spend time doing more personal projects, keep pushing your work out there and show that you are still here and kicking. I would also make sure that you get into 2021 with a proper marketing strategy, goal and plan so you won’t miss out on any opportunities that will occur during the year.”

—

Although I did not receive feedback from other directory sources, I know that LeBook shifted their Connections event to online and Komyoon has been adding new features to their app as well as their website. PhotoPolitic suspended events but continues to send emails.

I was happy to see an increase in support for photographers as well as shift in attention to diversity at some professional photographer associations such as ASMP and APA. The two offered portfolio review opportunities, grants, help with applying for federal aid, and resources for producing during COVID-19.

Black Women Photographers, Natives Photograph, Women Photograph, Color Positive, DiversifyPhoto and other listings gained much deserved media attention and support this year and provided community to their members.

Interested in investing in a photography directory? Read my extensive directories report and consider these steps:

  • –  Take your time and do a lot of research.
  • –  Define what services and levels of support are most important to you.
  • –  Understand who your competition is within each directory. (Is it over or undersaturated?)
  • –  Reach out to existing members who are similar in location and/or genre and ask abouttheir experience with the directories.
  • –  Speak to directory reps over the phone and ask lots of questions.
  • –  Pay attention to how these businesses are able to pivot and innovate with changes in theindustry, economy, and social influences.
  • –  Be a squeaky wheel. Check in with your directory rep(s) frequently to ask aboutanalytics, changes, initiatives, as well as more opportunities to be featured, promoted or introduced to creative buyers.

How to Survive (and Thrive) During the Pandemic:

  • –  Keep shooting and producing.
  • –  Work on your personal projects.
  • –  Stay consistent with networking and marketing yourself.
  • –  Be a problem solver, equipped with the information and resources to produce safely intoday’s environment.
  • –  Share that information on your website and with your clients.
  • –  Highlight capabilities, including remote shooting options, access to talent or locations.
  • –  Include your location on your website and in your marketing materials.

As with all marketing, you get back what you put into it. Good luck, #ImRootingForYou

David Alan Harvey Credibly Accused of Sexual Misconduct

In late December a bombshell article by Kristen Chick for Columbia Journalism Review detailed 13 years of inappropriate behavior from Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey. Eleven women described a wide range of disturbing behavior that you can read about here:

https://www.cjr.org/special_report/magnum-photos-david-alan-harvey.php

It seems that his behavior is an open secret and many are questioning Magnum and fellow photographers for letting it slide over the years.

Personally I’m sickened by what is described in the article and the thought of young female photojournalists having to endure harassment from Harvey. We need to root this despicable behavior out of our industry and I support anyone who comes forward to help do it.

Additionally, a former assistant is saying he stages his photographs which follows along with his abuse of power as pointed out by Biz Herman in this excellent thread:

https://twitter.com/bizherman/status/1341541896653590529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Finally, there’s this Statement calling for collective accountability against sexual harassment in photography that you should read that was signed by many in the industry:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZD3G2mVplqXn-BBau7q31kogBskbMwBQACVMHahOPUCwnvw/viewform

Featured Promo – Stephen Ambrose

Stephen Ambrose

Who printed it?
It was printed by Push Print London.
The book was printed on the fuji jet press using a process that gives a wider gamut of colours than litho.
Format: 28pp self-cover.
Size: 396 X 297mm portrait.
Printing: 4 colour throughout wide gamut Jet press both sides.
Materials: Fedrigoni Arcoprint Milk 150gsm.
Finishing: Centre singer sew x 4 thread colours

Who designed it?
Paul Belford at Paul Belford Limited

Tell me about the images?
This project is from an historical sports event that’s fought every year in the Piazza Santa Croce, Florence, Italy on the third weekend of June with the final being played on the 24th June which is the Feast of John the Baptist. Four teams play and they represent the four districts of Florence. I first became aware of Calcio Storico after seeing a film that Vice magazine had shot a couple of years previously and having spent the best part of a year shooting footballers for Adidas I was inspired to turn my lens to other less well known sports. Something where no money was involved and it was about camaraderie and passion for the team game. The players live, work in, and represent the four districts of Florence. The objective was to make a project out of two 50 minute games which was going to be difficult as I needed portraits, action, violence, details and landscapes/overviews to make it a coherent body of work.

How did you gain access to the event?
I applied for a press pass from the Florentine government in January 2019 and didn’t hear anything back until 5 days before the first game, I’d been approved, I immediately booked a flight and hotel. Unfortunately, meanwhile I had just ruptured my main bicep tendon in my right arm which meant I couldn’t take any weight with my right arm/hand but I could operate the camera and with a long lens on you take the weight with your left hand. My last minute flight and hotel were non refundable and I didn’t know if I’d get this opportunity again so I had to go.

I got to Florence on the Friday afternoon and had to pick up the press pass from the press office. When I arrived they issued me with a press pass for the stands only. I pleaded for access all areas but to no avail. I knew I could not get the shots I wanted unless I could get right up to the barriers on the pitch. I needed the position to be up close and personal.

On game day I joined the procession through the streets but after a short while I headed off to the pitch. A security guard showed me to the stands and then I asked if I could walk around the pitch. He looked at my pass and said no. I explained my predicament but there was a language barrier. Undeterred I went to the gates. I introduced myself to another security guard and again tried to explain my plight. Again we had a language barrier, but amazingly he got his phone out and called his English speaking wife to translate. I explained about the press pass and my desire to get closer than the stands allowed and after a short conversation back with her husband she told me to ‘go in and stay in, get in against the barriers and it should be ok’. It was such a relief, that moment, that conversation was a real turning point that made the project what it is. So for two days and the two matches I did the same, wandered in and stayed in and nobody bothered me. Everyone else with fully visible ‘access all areas’ badges and me with mine turned over and tucked away. In the chaos that is Calcio Storico I’d got away with it.

How many did you make?
I had 250 printed with Paul Belfords initial idea being to have them stitched with cotton in the four colours of the teams but that turned out to be almost impossible so we opted to split the print run in to blue, green, white and red cotton that represented the four team colours, Azzuri, Verdi, Bianchi, Rossi. Which is also the wording we used for the front cover.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I usually send out postcards only once a year and this is the first book promo I’ve done.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Yes definitely, at the moment more so as I think clients appreciate something tactile. But generally it is a good introduction to getting through the door with your folio.

Featured Promo – James Hartley

James Hartley

Who printed it?
Cryptic Carousel in Brooklyn, NY.
They do cassette duplication and manufacturing, and could make a custom cover that functioned as a photo booklet.

Who designed it?
I did. It’s a mixtape, had to keep it hand-written and personal.

Tell me about the images?
Block Rockers is an ongoing portrait series of New Yorkers i’ve seen out on the street, playing music through their boomboxes and outdoor speakers. When the portraits are made, the song they’re playing is noted, and later mixed with field recordings I’ve made around the city. The images, songs & recordings combine to create a visual mixtape of the city.

Tell me about combining images with sound?
The booklet functioning as a visual tracklist is what brought the project together for me. Seeing who’s playing what song brings personality to the photos and the music, like you’re walking the city and these are the characters you meet. It’s a quintessential New York thing!

How many did you make?
100. I sent about 10 out as press/promo, and the rest sold at the launch or online.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I’ll send stuff out whenever I release or self publish something. I’ll aim for one a year, but it varies.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I don’t think it’s essential, nor should anyone feel pressured to, but it can’t hurt. I think it’s good to see your work on different mediums, and I like having physical copies of personal projects I’ve done. Doesn’t hurt to share that…

Featured Promo – Michael Kleber

Michael Kleber

Who designed it?
Me

Tell me about the images and the promo.
At the beginning of 2020 I received an inquiry from Felix Rähmer an athlete from Berlin to accompany him to the triathlon 70,3 in Graz, Austria. I was intrigued by the idea, and we decided to work together right away.

My original concept was to document not only his participation in the triathlon itself but also to feature his preparation process prior to the event. We wanted to shoot a series of photos showcasing his daily routines, running, cycling and swimming as well as a performance test at the hospital.

Then came February and the Corona pandemic hit the world at full force. As restrictions came crushing down on us all cultural and sports events got cancelled. Graz triathlon was no exception.

At this point we had already started our documentation process and were quite frustrated to see the whole thing falling apart.

But every setback is a chance in disguise. As social contacts were heavily restricted at the time. Felix and I began a one on one sports routine and went biking together on a regular basis.

During a two month period my „urban cycling“ series came to be, was finalized soon after and finished of with wonderful retouches from vividgrey. This project was also the first time that I used “back on track“ as a slogan for the backside of my cards. I like to give my promos a personal touch, something a little more tangible and handcrafted. So I decided to write it by hand instead of just printing it.

How many did you make?
I made 500 sets with 3 cards each.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
At least two times a year. I send out postcards and booklets highlighting certain aspects of my work. Alongside with my digital newsletters you this will give you a good overview to the work I do.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
For sure. Even though printed promos make up for just a small fraction of my marketing, they are a vital asset.

Especially at times were in person meetings with my clients are very limited I still like to have a way to get through to them on a personal level. A postcard is a nice way to achieve that.

In my experience, a print on paper is appreciated so much more than another email getting lost in the infinite flood of messages.

Pricing & Negotiating: Last Minute Automotive/Portraiture Assignment

Craig Oppenheimer, Wonderful Machine

Concept: Portraits of a community leader posing with a vehicle

Licensing: One-time Print Advertising use of one image in a single publication, as well as Web Collateral use for 6 months.

Photographer: Portraiture and lifestyle specialist

Agency: Medium in size, based in the Northeast

Client: Large automotive brand

Here is the estimate:

Redacted estimate for an automotive/portrait shoot

Fees: The agency reached out about a shoot that was to take place within a few days of the initial correspondence and needed the project to be pulled together quickly. The project revolved around a major sporting event taking place elsewhere, and the creative assets to be generated at that event were driving the creative approach and the timeline for this project. The scope was relatively simple, and they needed portraits of a person who was heavily involved in their local community photographed in front of a vehicle. The subjects and vehicle would be provided, no styling was needed, the client/agency did not plan to attend, nor would they need remote approval as the shoot unfolded. Those factors made the project very straightforward. For usage, we were told that they only needed one final image, and the licensing would be very limited and include placement one-time in a single publication, and the image would live online for 6 months. Given the straightforward nature of the project and limited licensing, I decided to include $3,500 as a creative/licensing fee. Additionally, I included $500 as a fee for the photographer to go scout the provided location ahead of time.

Crew: I included two assistants for the shoot day, based on local rates

Equipment: This was to be shot in an editorial style without any major lighting setups, and I included $800 to cover the photographer’s own camera, lenses, lighting, and grip.

Health and Safety: On most shoots these days, I’m typically including fees and expenses for a COVID Compliance Office to be on set to ensure that everyone is complying with COVID prevention protocols. In this case, considering the very limited amount of people on-site, the lack of items/areas that would need continuous cleaning, and the fact that they’d be outside the entire time, we decided to omit a compliance officer.

Misc.: While we anticipated the shoot would only take about a half day to accomplish, I included a few hundred dollars to cover a quick meal, mileage, and a bit of extra money for unforeseen items.

Post Production: I included $500 for the photographer’s time to batch process all of the images and provide a web gallery for the client to review. I added $300 to cover the retouching of one image and noted that this included up to 2 hours of retouching time.

Results: The photographer was awarded the project.

If you have any questions, or if you need help estimating or producing a project, please give us a call at 610.260.0200 or reach out. We’re available to help with any and all pricing and negotiating needs

Featured Promo – Daniel Hearn

Daniel Hearn

Who printed it?
I went with moo.com for this one. In the past, I’ve tried elaborate folding creations which I get custom made by ExWhyZed in the UK, but Moo’s premium postcards are actually pretty good straight off the shelf, as long as you do a couple of test runs to get the colours looking right.

Who designed it?
I designed it myself, which is why the design elements are all pretty minimal. My partner is a designer and always provides some guidance, but this time I just got a straight thumbs up.

Tell me about the images?
Ever since I started studying photography I was drawn to extremely concise images that contain a burst of visual information in as minimal a composition as possible. I remember walking into the photo dept at my college on my first day and seeing a framed print of a red handbag that looked unmistakably like a lobster. I always wanted to make something like that and I think I achieved it with my shaver/owl image.

It’s taken me a while to take my work in that direction and to hone my style, but I’m starting to get there. I actually wish I had the imagination and attention span to make more complex work, but it’s never as effective as I’d like it to be. But simplicity is a real challenge in itself, so I’m going to continue to focus my efforts in that direction.

How many did you make?
I made 200, but I can never distribute as many as that.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I try to do one per year, but there’s no particular schedule. Usually, they come about during a lull between projects. One day I’ll open up Illustrator and get started. Then a few weeks later I’ll work on it a little more. Finally, several months down the line, it’ll be ready to go having undergone many revisions and image swaps.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Occasionally they can be. They always pay for themselves, but it’s unlikely that they justify the time spent on their design and creation, for me at least. I think really what they provide is an opportunity to look back at some recent projects, reflect on the images, consider them together as a body of work, and figure out where exactly you are with your photography. If the images select themselves, then it’s a good sign.

Featured Promo – Stephen Denton

Stephen Denton

Who printed it?
The Promo was printed at Newspaper Club – www.newspaperclub.com. I have used them a couple of times over the years and really like the service they offer.

Who designed it?
I designed the piece myself with image sequencing help from my friend and amazing photographer, Jesse Rieser.

Tell me about the images?
The images are from a personal project of mine called “Handmade by MannMade.” They tell the story of the unique process used by two guys who share a small workshop in Fountain Hills, Arizona where they create completely custom and handmade putters. Each step of their process is done with such care, attention to detail, and deliberate intent from start to finish. Right away I thought their story was special and it was something that I would like to capture. In an industry that is fascinated by giving lengthily scientific explanations for club design, it was incredible to watch them both make putters by hand, without any CNC milling, simply “eyeballing” each part of their creations, and in the end creating top-rated, completely custom putters.

How many did you make?
I had 50 promos made. I created a more targeted list of people for this promo due to the cost of the piece and somewhat niche content of the promo.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I try to send out at least three promos a year showing new personal work.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I do think that printed promos are effective for marketing my work. I don’t always get responses to print promos, but when I do the recipients are often very thankful to have received one. To me, they seem more meaningful and thoughtful than sending out email promos. I have no idea if they’re received that way but a dear friend and longtime mentor of mine, Jeff Williams has always tried to instill in me the importance of print promotions and how effective they can be if done correctly

Featured Promo – Attila Janes

Attila Janes

Who printed it?
It was printed by Cric Print, a small printing company in Switzerland. I stage and photograph their portfolio from time to time and in return they print some editions for me. It’s a win-win situation! This one is offset printed on a special paper called Blocker, a paper with a super-opaque quality. It enables 100% opacity at 100 g/m². So I was able to use a thin paper without having the problem of the images shining through.

Who designed it?
That was me! I am a former graphic designer and art director, but I asked my nerdy design friends for their opinion. They are always up to date! Last year I founded Studio Attila Janes in order to separate my commissioned work from my art projects. Now my male Alter Ego stands for all commissioned work, while the art projects are grouped together under my name tamarajanes.ch. For the photographs on the promo I decided to have a strong layout grid, which starts generously and ends up smaller and smaller. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible and let the pictures talk for themselves. However, I like to add a handwritten note, because it makes it more personal.

Tell me about the images?
The images show what happened over the last couple of years. I set my focus on conceptual work and still life photography. I want to interface photography with visual ideas and stories – inspired by everyday life. Most of the time I start from an idea or a hand drawn sketch. Then I do a material research and try to find the right objects. When I start to photograph I always have two or three set designs to shoot and then I look out for coincidences.

How many did you make?
Something around 200 in total. The half was folded twice into a A4, the other half was folded three times into a A5. Personally I prefer the smaller version. It just works better for me and, not to forget, it’s cheaper send by mail.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
An elaborative promo like this one I would send out every three years. It’s always a big effort, and there a postage cost as well. The first official promo I did when I started as a self-employed photographer seven years ago. Currently I am working on something to add to my invoices, like a bunch of different stickers and cards.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I believe so. I still think people prefer to hold something in their hands instead of just looking at it on a screen. It is a fluid and digital world for pictures, and it seems they disappear so fast if I don’t print them. Besides I really love to edit images, to group and re-group them and to see what happens!

Featured Promo – Erin Borzellino

Erin Borzellino

Who printed and designed it?
Peter Dennen of Pedro & Jackie (@pedroandjackie) did the bulk of the work choosing the photos and designing the layout. He really was a master at finding photos I forgot I created and organizing them to tell a story of childhood. The cover and title page were designed by Cody Cirillo (@codycir) using a couple of my double exposure images.

Having Peter’s eye on my work was invaluable. It naturally progressed to an editing and reorganization of my website, which I feel now better represents my strengths.

The booklet was printed by Smartpress. And I actually ended up having them re-print a small batch after I sent yours to fix a couple of problems and change to a thicker cover before sending to certain clients. Live and learn. I’m happy to send you a new one so you can see the difference.

Tell me about the images?
The bulk of my business and passion is photographing children and families. These images are a mixture of personal work of my own kids and commissioned work for families. I really wanted it to be full of images that were not over-produced and felt like true moments.

How many did you make?
The promo was meant to serve a dual purpose of beginning to market my style of shooting to a more commercial audience but still be appropriate for my existing retail clients. I printed 100 and have so far just mailed to about 70 of my retail and prospective corporate clients. I also made it into a digital flip book using Flip Snack and it resides on my website – which I plan to link to in an e-promo to a larger mailing list.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
This is my first printed promo and the experience was great working with Peter, so I think 2 a year would be realistic for me. I would gear the next one to a slightly different audience and will probably use either images from an upcoming corporate shoot or a personal project.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I believe this has been very effective for getting my name out and making an impression in the NYC/Westchester area. I’ve heard they have been passed around and shared and that clients are hoping that a photo of their kids will make the cut in the next edition. Even in a year with so many challenges, this has been my most successful fall season.

Pricing & Negotiating: Combining Food Still Life Projects

Shoot Concept: Lifestyle images of professional talent and still life shots of plated food.

Licensing: North American Advertising (excluding Out of Home) and Collateral use of 5 images for 1 year.

Location:  A residential property

Shoot Days: 2

Photographer: Portrait and lifestyle specialist

Agency: Mid-sized, based in the Southwest

Client: A well-known food company

Here is the estimate (click to enlarge):

 

 

Concept/Licensing:           

The agency provided a detailed spec sheet featuring two images of adults and children interacting and three images of plated food. Based on the layouts and my discussion with the production manager, it was apparent that the two lifestyle shots would be used in magazine ads and in-store marketing materials, while the three still life images would be used only for the website and in-store marketing materials. I also learned that, while they were requesting a licensing duration of one year, the images would likely be promoting seasonal products, and would therefore have a lifespan of just a few months.

I decided to price both lifestyle images at their full value (rather than discounting the second image) because they would be promoting two different types of products, and after weighing the factors, their full value was $7,500 each. The three supplemental still life images were much different than the lifestyle shots, but were quite similar when compared to each other. For this reason, I decided to price the first still life image at $5,000 (2/3 the price of a lifestyle image) and the other two at $3,750 each (1/2 the price of a lifestyle image).

After coming up with these fees, I checked a few other pricing resources to see what they recommended. Blinkbid priced one image between $7,000-$10,000 for one year use in print publications and collateral. Getty priced one image around $6,000 for North American advertising use in magazines and about $4,000 for point of sale use for one year. Combined, $10,000 would have been an appropriate starting point for the full value of a single image for a prominent client like this, but this didn’t take into account the short lifespan of the images. Corbis suggested $12,500 for one image for one year within their “Print Ad, Web, and Indoor Display” flexible use pack, while FotoQuote priced similar usage at $14,000. However, these fees included a bit more than the intended use I discussed with the agency.

Assistants: The photographer would be traveling for this shoot, and I anticipated that the he would bring his first assistant while hiring a local second assistant for the two shoot days. I included five days for the first assistant to account for two travel days, two shoot days and one prep day on location.

Digital Tech: The digital tech would help to manage the flow of file intake and display for client approval on set. I included $500 for the digital tech, and then added on $750 for their workstation for each shoot day.

Producer: A project like this required a producer to help wrangle and hire the crew, coordinate casting and location scouting, make travel and catering arrangements and work closely with the photographer and agency to compile a detailed schedule and production book. The producer would also travel to the shoot and be on set to manage the crew, schedule, and handle the invoicing process after the shoot.

Photographer Travel/Scout/Fitting Days: This took into account two days for the photographer to travel there and back, and a third day to scout the location and participate in a fitting day where the models would try on the clothing and the agency/client would make wardrobe decisions prior to the shoot.

Hair/Makeup Stylist: We’d be photographing four talent and capturing one lifestyle scenario per day. I anticipated that we’d have plenty of prep time for these shots each day, which would only require one hair/makeup stylist (as opposed to an additional hair/makeup stylist assistant) on each day.

Wardrobe Stylist and Wardrobe: I grouped the stylist and the assistant into a single line, and anticipated paying the stylist $800/day and their assistant $300/day. The four days accounted for the time it would take them to shop, attend the fitting day, be present at the shoot and return the clothing. The wardrobe costs were based on the need to have two final outfit choices for each of the four talent, and I estimated $200 per outfit. The wardrobe stylist would of course purchase many different options, but this budget accounted for the wardrobe that would be non-returnable.

Prop Stylist: During a call with the agency, they made it clear that the mix of still life and lifestyle images would call for a wide range of very specific seasonal props…and we’d need to find these items off-season. At $700/day for the stylist and $300/day for their assistant, I anticipated that they would need two days to shop/prep and a day to return props on top of the shoot days.

Props: In addition to the specific prop list that we were provided, we’d be shooting at a residential property, so I accounted for a few additional home/garden props to spruce up the interior and exterior. Also, the still life images would need a wide range of tabletop props such as plates, bowls and napkins, and $1,500/day would be appropriate after discussing our needs with a few prop stylists.

Food Stylist and Food/Supplies: We’d only be photographing food on one of the shoot days. I included a half-day for the stylist to shop for ingredients and a full day for them to cook and prepare for the shoot day. I typically don’t estimate half-days for crew members, but the ingredients needed were quite simple and I couldn’t justify the need for a stylist to spend an entire day shopping. However, the food that the stylist would need to bring to the shoot would in fact require a full day to prepare. In addition, many of the ingredients would be shipped to the food stylist from the client, and our food/supplies budget would therefore be minimal.

Location Scout and Location Fee: Based on the comps, layouts and discussions with the agency, I knew they would be very picky when choosing a location. Sometimes a location scout will charge a fee to “pull” from their files and deliver a gallery of locations they’ve already photographed. If needed, many scouts charge a fee of about $650 plus expenses to go out and scout new locations. Since I didn’t know which scout I was going to use yet, I included three days for a scout to find us the perfect residential property, and figured that one of those “days” might be dedicated to pay for their “file pull”.  Based on estimates from previous projects, I felt confident that $2,000/day would be appropriate for they kind of property we were looking for.

Casting Day: I planned on hiring a casting agent to help us find talent, and this covered their time, shooting space and booking of the talent.

Adult and Child Talent: We’d need two adults and two children on both shoot days. Typically I’d include backup children if they are young enough to potentially have a meltdown on set, but I didn’t’ feel that we’d have this issue with kids in the 8-10 age range. After speaking with a few casting and talent agencies in the city we’d be shooting in, I determined $2,000 per talent per day plus a 20% agency fee would be appropriate for the adults. For the children, I felt that $1,000 per talent per day plus 20% would attract a decent pool of options. In addition to the shoot days, we’d also need each talent to come to a fitting day before the shoot, and I felt that $1,000 would be an appropriate compensation for this.

Fit Day Location Fee: We would need a location for our fit day, and we could have approached this a few different ways. A photo studio would have worked, but it might have offered more than what we needed. Another idea was to pay for a conference room in a nearby hotel, or even rent a large room in a hotel at a convenient location. After making a few calls, I determined $800 would be more than enough to cover either a high-end spacious suite or a conference room.

Airfare, Lodging, Car Rental: I used Kayak.com to determine that it would be about $400 per person (including baggage fees) for the photographer, first assistant and producer to fly to/from the location, and that $200/night for 4 nights would afford decent hotel rooms for each person. I also used Kayak.com to find pricing for a minivan rental for the duration of the trip.

Production RV:  With a crew this large on location, an RV would allow the producer to keep as many “cooks out of the kitchen” as possible, while also providing a staging area, bathrooms, WIFI and an area for catering outside of the residential property. I confirmed with a local RV company that $1,500/day would afford us a nice vehicle including a driver, fuel, cleaning/dumping fees and mileage.

Catering: I anticipated $40 per person per day for light breakfast and lunch.

Equipment: After speaking with the photographer about his equipment needs, we determined that $900/day would be appropriate for the gear he was bringing and renting. This included a camera body and a few lenses (~$400), power packs and heads (~$300) plus miscellaneous modifiers, reflectors and grip equipment (~$200).

Image Processing for Editing: This covered the time, equipment and costs to handle the basic color correction, edit and upload of all of the images to an FTP for client review.

Retouching: The photographer and I determined that each of the 5 images could take up to 4 hours to retouch, and $150/hr would allow us to farm out the work to a retoucher if the photographer became unavailable.

Miles, Parking, FTP, Misc: This was to cover any additional minor miscellaneous expenses during the shoot days and while traveling.

Feedback: The agency told us that our numbers were in line, but that they’d be unable to issue the photographer an advance prior to the shoot, and they also wanted the talent to bill the photographer (rather than billing the agency directly). In addition, after reviewing our terms/conditions, they asked us to remove the clause detailing that if they don’t pay the photographer within 30 days of the final invoice, that they will be billed a $20.00/month handling fee and 1.5%/month interest.

This feedback raised some pretty serious red flags. This basically meant that the photographer would have to front approximately $38,000 out of pocket to cover the production expenses without a contractual guarantee for reimbursement or payment of the final balance.

Results: The photographer was awarded the project (and he accepted it despite the financial risk), and I produced the shoot.  The client did pay within 30 days.

In addition, the client decided to add on two product still life shots and one additional food shot to the project. While we were able to accommodate their requests within the estimated shooting time, we charged them an additional $5,000 for the first unique still life image, $2,500 for the second similar still life image, and $2,000 for the additional food image plus expenses for the stylists and retouching time. We originally quoted $2,500 for the fourth food image, but they asked if we could work with them and come down to $2,000, which we did. A few months after the shoot, we were already in discussions about extending the licensing duration.

Hindsight:

Our terms and conditions document states that “the expenses are estimated in good faith” and “actual expenses, which may be greater or less, will be invoiced”. We didn’t have any issues with overages (in fact, I was able to produce the shoot and come in about $11,000 under budget), but I did find out that our proposal was treated as a bid, rather than an estimate.

In a bid scenario, a photographer provides an invoice for the bottom line of their estimate, rather than providing receipts and billing for fees and actual expenses. If they come in under budget, the balance goes into their pocket. However, in many cases, if the expenses go over the estimated costs, the photographer is not granted an overage and they have to absorb the additional costs. This brings up the issue of including markups in estimates. We feel that billing for actual time and expenses is the most honest way of doing business (and most of the purchase orders we receive require that copies of receipts be provided with an invoice), but there are times when a client specifically asks for a bid, and in those cases we may estimate on the higher end just to cover potential overages.

You can find all of our Pricing & Negotiating articles here. If you’d like to hear more about our Pricing and Negotiating or other consulting services, please send us an email or give us a call at 1 610 260 0200!

Featured Promo – Kara Brodgesell

Kara Brodgesell

Who printed it?
Newspaper Club https://www.newspaperclub.com/. I decided on them after diving into the archive of newspaper promo information on your website and was very happy with the results. I especially appreciated the informative samples they sent over before I submitted my order.

Who designed it?
My husband Noah, who works as a public programming director, but his InDesign skills are far superior to mine. We had a number of discussions about what I was hoping to achieve and which businesses should be featured, and then he helped me select the final images and he crafted the layout. I’d wanted to do a promo of this project for a few years and always stalled once it came to deciding how to format it, so his participation was invaluable.

Tell me about the images?
This was the classic personal project in that I pursued it all in my free time because I wanted to be hired to create photographs like this. I also loved having the chance to shoot such a wide variety of types of images. I lived in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco when I shot it, which has a unique patchwork of small businesses and manufacturing. It felt like I was surrounded by people making things and spaces and I wanted to celebrate that. It now also feels like a memorial for businesses that once were, as many have closed or moved out of the area.

How many did you make?
100

How many times a year do you send out promos?
This was my first one. I’ve been fortunate to be freelancing in the Bay Area for 9 years and I set a bunch of goals in early 2020 about how I wanted to grow my businesses and find new clients – all of my work thus far has been through references. A significant printed promo was a big part of that plan. The shipment arrived in early March and I was going to send them out by the end of the month, and continue with two more over the year. Instead, we went into lockdown days later, everyone is working from home indefinitely, and the box of promos is sitting in the corner of my office. It’s a bit heartbreaking.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I’ll let you know! I’ve listened to so many panels, read interviews, and talked to other photographers about how to promote your work and I feel like, in the end, it comes down to: do it all, as much as you can. Social media, emails, printed promos… whatever may keep you in people’s minds. I certainly value printed pieces. I save promos and magazine/newspaper features that I respond to. And I thought that this body of work lent itself better to a newspaper-like format with many spreads, rather than an email or post with just a few small images.

Why did you choose a personal project for a promo?
My favorite way to photograph is to take a documentary approach with minimal equipment, in a place I may never get access to otherwise. This project afforded me that so many times, and it was a great exercise in finding shots quickly in new environments – there were no scout days or pre-production meetings. I’m also deeply grateful to the number of artists and business owners who let me wander around their spaces and ask a lot of questions. It’s one of the many things I’ve missed during this pandemic, not being able to explore and be inspired in this way.