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Wednesday Wisdoms

Using Time Off For Your Creative Endeavors

Time off means giving good-faith ideas/mindsets right back to yourself and your creative endeavors! 

Take time during the holiday season to reflect on your career and creative aspirations. We should be giving, not just to others, but also to oneself by nurturing one’s creative instincts and ambitions. Embrace the holiday spirit and allow it to inspire a renewed sense of confidence, trust, and faith in their professional journeys. By taking moments to reconnect with your creativity and aspirations, you can harness this downtime to foster ideas and ignite your passion for your career.

Negotiation Begins With Knowing Where You Stand

Negotiation begins with knowing where you stand. When we are in the secure position of the client needing our images, we can use that to our advantage. Of course, we want to play a fair game, but to get to the best, most reasonable price – I use the ‘start high’ approach, giving me space to come down to meet their best price. Remember, we can never raise our prices; we can only lower them when negotiating. 

Negotiation skills are so important, particularly when dealing with clients who require usage rights for images or other creative work. Start negotiations with a high asking price to maximize potential earnings, especially when the photographer has a unique position or exclusive rights. By setting a high initial figure, the photographer creates room for negotiation, allowing for a back-and-forth dialogue that can ultimately lead to a more favorable outcome. Photographers should view the high starting price as a strategic move rather than a fixed position, emphasizing the need for flexibility during negotiations. The underlying principle is to ensure that photographers do not undersell their worth and to capitalize on their unique offerings in the market.

This is a valuable guide for anyone involved in negotiations, especially in creative industries. Starting high, understanding one’s worth, and maintaining flexibility throughout the negotiation process provides a strategic framework for achieving better outcomes. By preparing adequately and recognizing the power dynamics at play, sellers can enhance their negotiation skills and ultimately secure more favorable terms in their agreements. Negotiation is not merely a transactional process; it’s an art form that requires insight, preparation, and adaptability.

Downtime Should Always Equate To Time to Improve

Slow times = time to improve.

No way to say that differently, as we should all keep pushing the creative clock and get better. Why waste valuable time thinking we get time off if we aren’t on a photo job? Plain and simple- we full-time freelancers are always on our clock pushing ourselves forward, or we will lose our lead in the industry.

Today, we discuss the challenges freelancers, particularly photographers, face during slow periods in their business. Instead of viewing downtime as wasted time, we should utilize this time constructively. We should continue working, even when we are not engaged in paid projects. This could involve collaborating with other professionals, exploring new creative avenues, and enhancing our portfolios. Reaching out to peers in the industry can lead to fruitful collaborations, allowing photographers to diversify their skills and expand their networks. Ultimately, turn slow periods into opportunities for growth and improvement.

Freelancers, particularly photographers, can navigate slow periods in their careers. By reframing downtime as an opportunity for growth, collaboration, and creativity, professionals can not only enhance their skills and portfolios but also build meaningful connections within the industry. Continuous improvement and maintaining a strong work ethic serve as a reminder that every moment spent working—whether on paid projects or personal development—is an investment in one’s future success.

Let’s Be Thankful For What is Working And Use It

Do you want to take your career to the next level?

What naturally gets you going, invigorates you, and stirs the creative juices? Let’s be thankful for what is working and USE IT to build off of those particular motivators.

Let’s have som gratitude as we enter the holiday season, particularly Thanksgiving. This time of reflection is crucial for those in the fast-paced and ever-evolving industry. Take a step back and identify the elements in your professional lives that are working well. By creating a “positive checklist,” we can focus on what is effective, fulfilling, and aligned with our goals. The message is clear: rather than getting overwhelmed by the rapid changes and challenges of the industry, we should embrace gratitude and use it as a tool for growth and direction. Take some time off to contemplate and redirect our efforts toward what truly resonates with our aspirations, allowing us to shift, grow, and thrive in our professional journeys.

The SHOT COUNT Should Not Get Downplayed As The Extra Detail Of Your Fee

Why does the SHOT COUNT often get downplayed as the EXTRA detail of your fee? No, don’t give away free images! The shot count is one of the cornerstones of your rate. The best way to handle this is to break out the usage per shot in your fees, but often, clients prefer a day rate to include it all. However you set up your fee structure, remember the shot count is not some tiny additional detail as clients may suggest.

A “Pitch” Can Be Your Proactive Way of Introducing What You Can Offer

What is a PITCH?

A ‘pitch’ can be your proactive way of introducing what you offer to potential clients, usually through an emailed Treatment-style PDF. 

Three types:

1. Images of your style matching the type of work they do

2. Production company methodology of what you handle and provide

3. Specific conceptual concept project idea 

*Thank you Mary Dail (Big Leo Productions-@bigleoproductions) and Traci Terrick (Poppy Creative Agency- @poppycreative), for our Friday discussion on “pitches.”