This article is only for beginners who wish to enter the competitive world of professional photography.I come from a middle class family so this may have influenced my views.
Commercial photography has many branches. These include advertising, wedding, industrial, editorial, and fashion photography. Its a highly competitive field where you are as good as your last job. And you will be competing against skilled as well as unskilled photographers who all vie for the same job.
Am thankful toMs.Sharell Cookfor editing this write up.
Business of Photography
By R Prasana
Initial Stage
So, you either have your parents blessing for continuing with your passion, or you dont. As long as its a hobby, its no problem at all. However, once you decide to become a full time professional photographer the equation changes. Every penny has to be invested carefully, since there has to be returns on your investment.
A good initial setup will consist of:
•A decent DSLR camera
•Couple of good lenses, preferably wide zoom and tele zoom with macro capabilities,
•Tripod
•Flash
•Cards
•Card reader
•Studio lights (if you have the budget)
•Computer to download and process the Images
Resist the temptation to buy each and every thing. Also, explore the possibility of renting the equipment that you need. Expensive lenses, high end lighting systems, light meters, studios and digital backs are all available for hire. Access to a good colour lab is also a must. Most of the labs give professional photographers discounted rates. So, try to talk to the lab owner about this. If youre a regular, they might consider you for a discount.
Unless you work as a photographer in a company, most professional photographers are freelancers and work from a studio or a home office. While its good to be your own boss, the main drawback is work timings. I insist that regular working hours be maintained, such as from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. If you work from home, its easy to be lazy. However, this must be avoided, and work timings must be followed strictly.
During the initial stage, its important to avoid negative people. People will say so many things about this field, such as "get a real stable job", get an office job", do this, do that. If youre convinced to take photography as a career then dont deviate from it. Obstacles and insults should make you stronger and not weak. Therefore, avoid people who discourage you. Faced with an uncertain future, the last thing you need is a negative person around you.
The initial stage is also where youll need to enquire about the cost that fellow photographers charge, and the industry rates. Youll also need to befriend good a makeup artist, stylist, studio, model coordinator etc., and you should know how much to charge for what.
For wedding and portrait photographers, there are now many options available such as custom made calendars, key chains, and mugs with photos. So, get to know the places offering these products and the rates.
Portfolio
No matter how fancy the equipment is, the ultimate worth of a photographer is judged by his/her portfolio. A common mistake is to show the entire collection of images that you have shot. A portfolio represents your capabilities as a professional. Hence, show the client what you are good at and whatever is relevant to him/her. Ideally, the portfolio should contain 15-25 of your best shots. Showing a spectacular landscape to a fashion client and a fashion shot to an industrial client will end up as the wrong impression. So, try and learn a little bit about the company before the meeting.
In addition to your portfolio in print, have a copy of your portfolio on CD to hand over to the client. It will help if you have a personalized CD label with your name and details so that the client can contact you directly after seeing the CD. It goes without saying that you need to pay attention to the print -- take care of issues like colour correction, sensor dust etc. Get good prints with a nice border from a quality lab. Also ensure that all your stationery, like letter heads and business cards, has legible font and font size. Photos can be presented as a self running slide show, or as a video with music and effects, using the requisite software.
Regarding your portfolio, if you are interested in pursuing fashion or people photography but you cant afford a model, you can always ask a friend to step in. He or she will get a free portfolio and you will have pictures for yours. However, before you do that, do analyse recent fashion trends through magazines.
It also helps if you have a website displaying your works. However, avoid free websites with extensions such as yournameame_freesite.com. Host photos on a website with your own domain name -- it is worth the investment, considering the cheap rates for domain name registering and hosting.
For wedding photographers ,do something different .So that your work stands out from the rest.Go to a relatives wedding with a camera and shoot candid shots in available light.Iam sure many people with a good taste will appreciate pictures done creatively .Since you have chosen this career out of passion.Be passionate.
make you stronger and not weak. Therefore, avoid people who discourage you. Faced with an uncertain future, the last thing you need is a negative person around you.
Meeting the Clients
This is the most important part. It either makes or breaks an opportunity. Be punctual. Even if you reach there ahead of given time its better, but dont arrive late. If youre held up in traffic or otherwise delayed, then call the client up and explain instead of keeping them waiting. If you go early, you can relax a bit and prepare for the meeting.
Dressing is very very important. This was told to me by none other than Mr. Iqbal Mohammed, the famous photographer. Some people think that creative people need not bother about dressing, so they go to client meetings wearing chappals and round neck t-shirts with silly writing. However, for a professional photographer thats doing wedding or advertising work, dressing well is crucial. Otherwise 90% of clients will think that youre immature, especially since youre a beginner. However, if youre an established photographer and you wear chappals, shorts, and a torn t-shirt, theyll think youre simple.
After the necessary introductions, ask the client politely if they would like to see your work and start showing the selected pictures. Make sure you dont disturb the client when he or she is looking at. Explain only if youre asked to. If you keep on talking about the shot and the techniques that you have used in it, the client might get distracted and irritated. So, let the pictures talk not the photographer.
There is one more thing I would like to mention, which is soft skills. In this modern world, if you want to make it big its best to cultivate good manners. Most people wont want to deal with an uncivilised and bad mannered person, no matter how talented he or she may be. This is especially so in the case of a beginner. The first impression has to be the best impression. If the client doesnt like you then most likely, they wont want to work with you. Communicate clearly. Good communication skills are vital, so cultivate such skills. Sound confident but not arrogant. Dont be desperate for a job. Many clients will smell desperation and you might end up getting exploited.
During the meeting, if you are a wedding or a commercial photographer and your images receive criticism or negative feedback, dont lose hope. While you were an amateur, your pictures would have only been seen by your friends and relatives. They may say the pictures are excellent just because they dont want to youre your feelings. However, once you decide to start doing photography professionally, clients dont care about your feelings because you will be charging them money. For example, if my wife has cooked something bad I normally eat it without complaining so as to not to hurt her feelings. Yet, if Im in a hotel and it food is bad I definitely will complain. Your pictures are just like that.
Keep in mind that some clients may even sense desperation in your voice and try to say bad things about your work just to bring the price down. Therefore, having a sense of self worth and confidence in your skills are vital. Criticism, if correct, should be taken positively and should be used to rectify your mistakes and help you grow.
After The Meeting: Follow Up
After a day or two has passed, make sure that you give the client a follow-up call. Just say, hello, it was a pleasure meeting you. I hope you liked my pictures. That kind of thing. A courtesy call.
This will help in remembering you. Since most clients may be busy and may have forgotten you, a follow up to a meeting is important.
Another main thing to remember is to sound professional when the client calls you. Having your kids answer the call, or having background household noise of kids crying or TV blaring is a big no-no.
Generating Contacts
Get a list of all the advertising agencies in your city from your Local Ad Club and call them up to fix up an appointment with them. Many photography assignments come through word of mouth references -- hence it is important to show your portfolio to as many people as possible in your chosen field. For example, if you are into model portfolio shoots, then approach model coordinators with your portfolio. As mentioned, you need to be well mannered and well dressed in meetings with potential clients.
Before accepting a shoot, its necessary to decide whether you like the genre or not. If youre purely in it for the money, then no problem. Otherwise, you wont be able to enjoy what you do. An industrial photographer should love machinery and have basic knowledge about it. A fashion photographer has to keep himself/herself updated with the latest trends, should be comfortable working with female models, and should have a great sense of colour and style. So, for every speciality, continuous learning is a must.
Estimating for a Job
A PAN number is often required while dealing with corporate clients and you will also have to factor in Tax Deducted at Source. In addition, its important to not price yourself too low as its difficult to raise the prices by a large margin in a short period or vice versa.
So, after all the struggles, you get your first call from a client. He briefs you on the phone and asks you for your cost. In your desperation you will be temped to agree. Even experienced photographers land in trouble sometimes. What sounds like a simple shot may not be like that. So, take in the brief and ask for time to think. If youre a wedding photographer consider if the client asks you to shoot a wedding locally. Also, if youre not sure about factors such as the size of the hall and number of guests, ask for time to think.
If its a factory shoot that the client wants you to do, most often theyll say something like, "I want you to take five six shots of my factory. How much will it cost?" Never accept a factory shoot or interior/exterior shoot without visiting the place or knowing the place. Its normal to do a recce or factory visit before giving an estimate. Factors like size of the factory, direction that the factory is facing, and illumination levels (some factories will be quite dark and big, and may require additional lighting) in the factory play an important role.
I have already explained that beginners need to enquire about industry rates. This will come in handy when clients ask for an estimate. If someone is asking you for an estimate for a model shoot, you need to calculate the costs for make up artist, stylish, costume designer, studio according to shifts, production assistants etc. The list goes on and on. So, meeting up with the client in person, seeing the layouts, and absorbing the concept properly will be helpful.
Another thing to consider is that companies have payment policies such as a 30 day credit period, or 45 day credit period. Even if youre shooting events, this will apply unless its cash and carry. Some companies release payment only on Fridays. So, you have to check all this out. Furthermore, while doing an estimate apart from all the costs that youve calculated for, there might be sudden expenses. For example, you plan for ten people and suddenly you find the client bringing five of his friends for the shoot and you cant say there is no food. So, keep a safety buffer amount in the estimate.
Ask for an advance that covers your basic material costs like studio and camera hire. If youre doing a wedding, then you need to take an advance that covers print costs also. We can wait for payment, but others whove worked for us wont.
Since youre by now familiar with industry rates, price and position yourself correctly. Dont price yourself too high or too low. Keep it competitive.
Since youll have a soft and hard copy of the estimate, type correctly, give a break up of each cost instead of simply stating a total amount, and send it on time. Most commercial clients will get estimates from five or six photographers, and if you take your sweet time to give them your estimate, theyll be shooting with someone else by the time it reaches them. Thats why I previously asked beginners to maintain timing properly.
Many clients use beginners for small shoots. So, even if your fee is a little low and you like the job, go for it. At least you get an opportunity to prove yourself.
Planning
Planning a shoot is the most crucial part. In commercial photography, you are as good as your last shoot. This gives you little room for mistakes. If youre an event photographer, visit the venue beforehand and be sure about the agenda. For example, see where the shows host will come from, the size of the stage, and information about the availability of lights and effects like smoke and laser.
For my dance shoots, I make it a point to attend rehearsals, so as to get familiar with the place and order of the performance, as well as the dance too sometimes.
For advertising shoots, it helps if you discuss with the art director, production manager and crew to make sure everyone has an idea of their roles. For model portfolios, meet the model, discuss costumes with him/her, discuss with the stylist. Plan interesting props so that all shots do not look the same.
Regarding industrial or interior shoots, places wont be in perfect condition most of the time. Instead of calling the client and telling him/her that you want the place to be cleaned, wires to be fixed, bulbs replaced etc., take some low resolution images during the recce and provide them as a visual reference. This will ensure that the client knows what youre talking about. Otherwise, it will be difficult since the message goes through a hierarchy most of the time. I also give the client at least three days notice before I arrive at the location.
During the recce, another important thing to take note of nearby power sockets. If you think a socket is too far away, you can take an extra junction box or ask the client for one before the shoot. So, planning is crucial for a professional.
Planning a shoot is the most crucial part. In commercial photography, you are as good as your last shoot. This gives you little room for mistakes. If youre an event photographer, visit the venue beforehand and be sure about the agenda. For example, see where the shows host will come from, the size of the stage, and information about the availability of lights and effects like smoke and laser. For my dance shoots, I make it a point to attend rehearsals, so as to get familiar with the place and order of the performance, as well as the dance too sometimes.
Regarding industrial or interior shoots, places wont be in perfect condition most of the time. Instead of calling the client and telling him/her that you want the place to be cleaned, wires to be fixed, bulbs replaced etc., take some low resolution images during the recce and provide them as a visual reference. This will ensure that the client knows what youre talking about. Otherwise, it will be difficult since the message goes through a hierarchy most of the time. I also give the client at least three days notice before I arrive at the location. During the recce, another important thing to take
Shoot Day:
So, finally you got your first assignment. How do you go about it? Its perfectly normal to be tense. However, the main thing is that you shouldnt show it. If you look tense and act tense, the model or client will lose confidence in you. So, its better to cover up your nervousness. One more thing is that you should be comfortable with the photography equipment that you use. Dont fumble or fiddle with it in front of others. A client is only giving you the job because he/she has confidence in your skills. So, no need to spoil that.
Secondly, whatever shoot it is -- model, wedding, or Industrial -- youre IN CHARGE and you are responsible for the end result. So, if anyone tries to treat you like a wannabe or a pushover, you must be firm with them without being rude. During weddings, people will be busy and will complain about having to stand in a group photo. And, if you think that youre doing them a favour by letting them go without being photographed, think again. The same chap who complained will be asking for his picture. No passing the buck!
In an Industrial shoot or product shoot, the clients representative or agency person may get bored and tell you, okay, okay boss, enough shall we pack up? Its tempting but unless youre fully satisfied with the shot, and unless youve covered all the requirements, dont agree. The buck stops here.
Another thing that usually happens is that the client might want an extra shot, which was not in the plan previously. While its easy to reject it, think again. If its a simple shot that you can click, and if you refuse to do it, that will be the only thing the client will remember. So, be flexible.
What to Keep in Mind During the Shoot
Clear communication skills are a vital part of the shoot. If its a model shoot or wedding shoot, communicate properly. Make sure you tell them when youre ready. Once you say ready, they will pose and you shouldnt be fumbling and focusing. People will get irritated.
Keep your cool. If the model is throwing a tantrum of, or a client is upset, or if the sky is not right in an exterior shoot think about how to handle it instead of getting upset and messing it up further. Remember, at the end of the day, whosoever mistake it is the blame squarely falls on the photographer. Strange but true!
So, staying focussed and cool is essential in a shoot. Learn to work as a team as well. Alright, you are in charge but it shouldnt prevent you from listening to suggestions. Keep an open mind and valuable tips will come from unlikely quarters. Team work is the key to success.
After the Shoot
Ensure that photos are handed over to the client on time in a professional manner. Make sure that the CD/DVD you handover has your contacts and details labelled on them for future reference for the client. Also, ensure that your latest work is mailed across to the clients in regular intervals. Always keep a backup of the material at your end so that the client can access it even if they lose it.
Call the client up after a couple of days and ask them for feedback about the shoot and your pictures. Any type of feedback, even negative, should be taken by the photographer in a positive way. Criticism and feedback helps in career growth.Keep track of pending bills and follow up on payments regularly.Too much of credit is not good for business.
Promotion
A photographer is an establishment himself.
Photography is extremely competitive today and promotion is absolutely essential for someone to earn from photography. Word of mouth can be extremely powerful -- it can work for you, or against you. Therefore, its crucial that you maintain cordial relationships with your previous clients and peers whom youve worked in the past.
As Ive already mentioned, be flexible and try to maintain a smooth relationship with people. Technicians such as makeup artists are very valuable. Since they work with many other production houses, filmmakers, corporates, models, and celebrities word will spread that you are Good. Trust me, this will only happen if you have a smooth relationship with them.
If you treat them badly, then word will spread that you are DIFFICULT. If youre interested in shooting model portfolios, then a smooth relationship with the model coordinator is a must. These coordinators will also refer you to freshers who want their portfolio to be shot.
Other self promotion includes sending custom made calendars showcasing your work, circulating your DVD to magazines and agencies, and using social networks like Orkut and Facebook to maintain contact with clients.
Legal stuff
Since this is essentially a contract between you and your client where you offer your skills, services and time for money, its important to be clear about all legal issues. Model releases, clear cut copyright agreements are extremely important to avoid complications in the future. Dont get tempted and use one clients picture for another client also. Maintain ethics. Be honest in your dealings and avoid cheating.
Money Management
Many people make a mistake here and end up in a mess, so some points. Consult an auditor or a well wisher (who knows) regarding money management. Invest your money carefully. While its tempting to buy new accessories with payments, it must be done wisely as you can always hire equipment.
Save for a Rainy Day
The title explains it all. Being self employed, and unless youre super rich, this is vital. Look for allied sources of income to supplement your earnings. Photographers can also do designing, video editing, short films, corporate films, etc.
Final Note
And finally, dont forget the purpose of yourself becoming a professional photographer. If youre here only to earn money -- sorry, wrong job. So, try to maintain the same level of interest and enthusiasm that you had when you started. And be prepared to face the financial as well as creative challenges that come with this creative profession. Again, be honest in your dealings and avoid cheating. All the best.
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