Bidding Process

Protect yourself on bids by preparing for the client to respond by handling some of the line items themselves. 

For example, if they had contemplated supplying the props, expect your prop cost to eventually be removed from your total. If you know their budget or have one in mind, place those prop costs over the final amount you want to come in at. You cannot add to your bid once you submit it, so strategically place your numbers with this in mind.

There’s a way to protect yourself on bids that I keep learning about—I just experienced it yesterday. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I want to emphasize it again.

There are line items on your bid, such as overtime, retouching, consulting on post-work, or food, that the client might later say they will cover. Be cautious with these items because once they are removed from your budget, you’re stuck with the remaining amount. Even if the client initially said they have a budget of $20,000, if your bid now comes in at $15,000 after these items are removed, they’ve already seen the original bid. You can’t change it at that point.

So, be careful with these items. It’s better to come in over budget and discuss potential removals with the client rather than adjusting your bid after submission.

Q:

Where do creative directors, art buyers etc. look for new talent? I would appreciate any advice I can get.

A:

The business of photography depends on who sees our images; we have to find every potential method to put ourselves out there. Depending on the type of photographer you are, we have some really good options these days like Komyoon, Workbook, At-Edge, Blvd, Behance, PhotoPolitic, LeBook, Production Paradise, Found and Wonderful Machine. They all have a different vibe, go through them and see where you fit best. I suggest asking clients you want to work with where they look for new talent. After you give one of these a try, you can SEO your website and use Google Analytics to see where the traffic is coming in. It’s a timely process with no easy answer, but if you pay attention to your analytics, you can see what works for you.

Q:

How do I get over bidding anxiety? I’ve passed up asks for bids because of fear.

A:

Bidding is an unknown fluctuating entity without an industry standard of set rates. Bidding a job is baffling; everyone will have their process. I use my direct human connecting skills backed by my knowledge of day rates, creative fees, usage rates, etc. You have a community of producers, consultants, reps who could be helpful resources for you. Learn to trust someone to help you bid. It’s worth the cost as it usually pays for itself just by getting the job with higher fees than you probably would have put in for yourself. Use a pro, allowing you to be the creative artist flourishing with the tasks that don’t give you anxiety.

Bidding on a project without a shot list means you cannot know the exact costs for expenses, and you will be concepting the creative shot list. When you are wearing more hats, you need to charge for your time and call it a CREATIVE CONCEPTING FEE.

When bidding on a job,  you are in the position to make an educated decision to be the “bank” running all the costs through your own company vs having it go through the producer.  Any markup or differences in actual prices will be a profit to whoever gets paid for the job. This can be you if you want to handle your billing. The decision is yours.

When you’re asked to bid on a job and choose a producer to work with, it’s important to make an educated decision about billing. Many producers handle all the costs and serve as the financial intermediary, and this is also common among reps. However, this isn’t how I operate, so I can’t speak from that perspective.

You need to decide whether you want the money to go through your name, directly through the producer, or through the rep. This decision should be made and clarified beforehand. If you choose to handle billing yourself, keep in mind that there could be a markup and leftover money from production expenses that could potentially benefit the producer.

Some photographers prefer to manage their own billing to avoid the markup and keep more of the budget, but this might limit your opportunities to work with certain producers. It’s worth considering how many producers would be willing to work under these terms. Ultimately, it’s your decision and you should carefully weigh your options.

Make sure to use your words wisely and get into good routines to share your ideas on client calls. If you find yourself needing a traditional phrase to finish your zoned-in thoughts, get them ready and mix them up. Saying a phrase more than once will weaken your “director” presentation, and remember, this is a presentation.

Q:

How much influence do art directors have in the decision making process of selecting a photographer for a project?

A:

The decision-making process of selecting the photographer goes through many twists and turns, mostly involving the producer, creatives (art director/creative directors or designers), and the clients. The producers usually bring in the selection of photographers for the creatives to choose their top 3. The creatives will then inform the producer who is their top choice. Our goal is always to be the ‘recommend’ to the client, but ultimately, the client decides.

Throughout the bidding process consistently put your ideas on the table and take the lead. Be the director the whole way through!

When you’re bidding on a job, it’s not just about figuring out what the client wants; it’s also about stepping up as the director and leading the project. You need to explain your solutions and ideas. Even after you’ve submitted your bid, continue to reinforce your value by coming back with more ideas. Show them that you’re the professional who can provide creative solutions and help them make informed decisions.

It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where he’s getting his kitchen built, and the builder offers no opinions of his own. It’s frustrating because clients need to know that having more opinions and ideas demonstrates your capability as a director. That’s what they’re hiring you for.

Q:

Hi Andrea! I have a question regarding one-sheets that maybe might be helpful for the community. Would you suggest including a project minimum? I’ve been getting a lot of requests for “rate cards” and I usually say it’s project dependent.

A:

Photographer’s rates depend on the type of work you do. If you can simplify this request with a rate card, it would save you time. My goal as the agent is to save time by quickly finding out if we should continue this conversation by quoting a price range. I’ll say, “Our day rate fee for this would usually be somewhere between 4,000 – 10,000, depending on many factors like shot count, shot list, day count, the creative component of the images, and what the licensed usage rights are. What is your budget?” I find a price range to be the fastest way to get to the next step.

Q:

Hello! I have a question. My producer and I did a major bid for the product launch using many models, it involved a huge production of set building, and various teams for what they asked for. We ended up not getting the project, it was nothing that was asked of us as far as production, sets and look. Is there a way to approach the agency when bidding that allows us to be bidding the same job – apples for apples?

A:

While we can’t predict or control the bidding process, we can ask every question to help us understand the production details. The key is to have an A+ producer and make sure you get on a creative call, as that is where we get our answers. The purpose of three-way bidding is to protect clients in a fair apple to apple comparison, so they are not overpaying. Our goal is to protect ourselves by understanding all the information, even when we may have to dig around to get that info.