Estimates

I may have already told you this, but…

Part of the purpose of an estimate is to protect yourself. On EVERY bid description be sure to include:

“Bid based on information provided, any changes may incur overages”

AND

End the usage terms with, 

“Granted with full payment”

Your estimate is so important. It’s your terms and conditions, it’s what’s going to protect you. You must put in all the details, such as how many shots, how many days, how many hours, is there overtime? Will there be retouching? Always use that line, “Bid is based on…” Make it all clear in that top job description paragraph. Make sure they read it. You also would have it in the terms and conditions below, but we don’t think anyone is really reading those. They will protect you in court, but hopefully we will never get to that point. Make sure you put in all your details.

Q:

How often do you get an advance? All I hear, over and over again is, “it takes 30 days to get in the system and process payment,” etc, etc.

A:

This does depend on what industry you are in, but for commercial photography, an advance prior to the start of the shoot is especially important if it is with a new client. I would not begin a shoot without an advance for 50% of the total or 75% of the expenses.

ALWAYS GET A 50% ADVANCE FOR A PHOTOSHOOT.

Q:

How do I know if I am too low on a bid?

A:

If the client responds to your bid by asking if you have enough for certain line items like “location scout” etc, then you can assume you are too low. At that point I’d be direct and explain how you were assuming the budget was low, but you may have been mistaken. This can be turned into a positive to show your excitement for the project. Has anyone had an experience like this you’d like to share?

Q:

How do you know if you need a producer or not on your job?

A:

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.

Q:

What do you do if you don’t know how to ask for what you’re worth?

A:

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.

One line I add to all our bids:

“Bid based on info provided any changes may incur overages.”

Another good item to put on a bid is 50% advance payment of total due before shoot begins. 

Q:

Do you separate usage on estimates or do you combine it with the creative fee into one large number? If you are just using one number, are you breaking out additional image licensing costs if a client wants more than the initial ask?

A:

Some people break out and separate from the creative fee, but I have found this can get lowered too easily through shot count changes during bidding. I find it easier to include usage in one creative fee amount for that reason. I am breaking out optional additional usage if they ask for it.

Q:

What is the standard day rate for a photographer?

A:

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 [email protected].