How do you know if you need a producer or not on your job?
If you foresee the job needing a producer you can always ask the client if they think there is room in the budget for a producer. It’s actually a nice way to try to get more budget info. If the answer is “no” then I would suggest not having a producer do the estimate for you because they usually have higher production costs.
What do you do if you don’t know how to ask for what you’re worth?
This is common and most freelancers don’t know how to rate themselves fairly while balancing out competition, usage or market prices. My approach is to connect with the client on the phone and listen to what they often want to tell me. My favorite sales approach is honesty. It works wonders.
What is your favorite sales approach?
Clients can’t usually give you numbers, you have to throw numbers out there for them to bring you up or down.
How do you work with a client with little to no budget? Do you work with them at all?
Budget is always the issue. Every level of photographer deals with this and it always comes back to the overall marketing plan. Where are you in your career? Will this image be helpful to you? Will it solidify a future relationship or be a good image for your portfolio? The bottom line question is: will this “lack of budget” still allow for a quality image? If the answer to that question is no, I’d suggest turning down the job.
My client list isn’t huge and consists of mostly small startup companies. I’ve been on the shortlist for bigger jobs lately, but haven’t been getting awarded. The response I’ve been getting a lot is, “you have great work and we would love to work with you, but we’re going with someone who has more experience.” How do I get more experience and reputable clients under my belt when no one will give me a chance?
This type of response is most often what every bidder gets that isn’t getting the job. It could mean they liked someone else’s work more, or the other photographer had the specific look they were going for. It could be that the other photographer had the specific look they were going for, was better on the creative call, or had a better treatment. It could also be their past experience with the winner, or that the winner has a rep. Mostly, I’d recommend working harder and get your book even better with more stylists involved.
Do people still send postcards out? Are they a good way of marketing?
Yes, we still send out promo mailers, as it’s important to use every possible opportunity you can think of to stay in front of clients. Not every type of marketing will work for everyone, so I like to try every method that is within our budget.
With the current shifts and changes in the photography industry, are you also seeing a change in the budgets? Are they staying the same, increasing, or decreasing?
People want more for their money these days. They expect more content for the same price. So, when it comes down to it, the budgets are smaller.
Do you feel like commercial advertising budgets are getting smaller and smaller?
Yes, budgets are getting smaller because everyone has so many more social platforms to fill with content. It’s now about more, more, more – for less.
What is the standard day rate for a photographer?
The standard day rate, creative fee, or per shot assignment fee for a photographer depends on the industry they are in. I hear editorial is $500 per day unless it’s a magazine cover. Commercial advertising can run the gamut usually starting at $3,500, up to $6,500 or even around $15k for big jobs.
Also, factor location scouting, prep days, travel days and overseeing post production rates into that rate. And then remember to factor in all the costs of each industry.
Unfortunately there is no clear answer here but there are some great resources to reference. Those are noted below.
Resources available for pricing help: visit @aphotoeditor online for pricing and bidding help, they feature sample estimates
@wonderfulmachine is also great and can step in and help with estimates.
You can also always reach out to a photo agent with questions and we are often happy to hop on a job with you and negotiate your rates. Send industry related questions to ask@Sternrep.com.
Are there any specific stories around why you didn’t put a specific photographer up for a job?
Guest Post, Mara Serdans: More often than not, I won’t put a specific photographer up for a job because he/she is not an appropriate fit for the project. It may also come down to budget – if I know a photographer is not within the ballpark, it’s a waste of everyone’s time to put him/her in the mix. Lastly, it might come down to having a bad experience from a previous job or a difficult agent who makes things harder than they should be for myself, the internal team and the client. No one wants to work with someone who is “difficult.”
Guest Post: Creative Consultant, Mara Serdans
