Wednesday Wisdoms

Being freelancers doesn’t mean we have to do this alone, protecting ourselves from our competition. 

The defensive stance of guarding our experiences blocks the one source of spot-on bona fide feedback.

Put this in our business toolkit: 

In the midst of crazy production, the human element cuts right through it and can speak volumes. Impress our crew + clients with sincere kindness during stressful intensity to make the best of it and create a lasting impression. 

You are up for a job. Bidding and negotiating is the open door opportunity to get the client to understand how you are best for this project based on your approach. Our challenge is to align our ideas to match what they are going for. I see it like a maze of gated doorways as we look to follow the one that opens. Throw out your ideas and see what sticks with a question format allowing them a chance to redirect your ideas toward their goal. 

PORTFOLIO means the collection of images defining the clients you work with and the style sensibility you will provide clients to reach their goals. 

Continuously striving for this long-term past and future balance will land you jobs. 

Business lulls in the creative field are a part of the norm. What we do with them can help us wake up those creative spurts, feeding the machine and opening new avenues to more unconventional unexpected new ideas. I like to take a step back, change my ways and notice something I didn’t see before.

Photographer’s office hours can be challenging as it’s not exactly what we signed up for. Or is it? “Office hours” keep us plugged into work mode with random actions motivating us to keep going. Have your resources and your people, and reach out to those you want to connect with for no clear-cut reason. Plug yourself into all that keeps the office activated.

When we get bid requests asking for our price, but they don’t have the project information, I hear, “I don’t do this often, I don’t know how this works, and I expect you to do most of our job – so inform us what our $500-$3000 budget will get us.”

Four ways I respond:

1. I cannot give a cost without more information. 
2. It sounds like this will end up being between 10k-30k, give or take some, depending on your job specifics. 
3. This may be at least 10k, so we can discuss this to get more exact if that is near your budget. 
4. I am available to help create this job for you, and here are my option ideas to git within the 3-8k budget or the 10-12k budget range. 

Be Aware: A usage term getting overlooked right now is VIDEO usage. It’s standard to see “no broadcast usage,” but we cannot assume that means no video or motion usage. 

The two are no longer interchangeable. Price accordingly.

When offered an exciting job for a low budget, you can always offer your time and usage licensing for a discounted rate while having the client handle all production. If you feel you can create high-quality images, these jobs require clear terms of what you are and NOT including. 

Sample Negotiation:

Client: How much would it be to shoot this?

You: I don’t have enough information to give you an accurate price. What is your budget?

Client: We have $2000. 

You: For a $3500 discounted rate, I would do this for one month of social media for four final images within an 8 hour shoot day, and that does not include any production expenses only my time. 

Add this term to your estimate, protecting you from any verbiage where ad agencies do not pay you until they receive payment from the client they represent. 

“BOTH THE CLIENT AND CLIENT’S CLIENT ARE WHOLLY AND SEVERALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT IN FULL BEFORE ANY RIGHTS ARE LICENSED.”