Commercial Photography Handbook: Business Techniques for Professional Digital Photographers

130 Pages·2009·5.89 MB·english

by  Kirk Tuck

COMMERCIAL
PHOTOGRAPHY
HANDBOOK
Business Techniques for
Professional Digital Photographers
KIRKTUCK
Amherst Media
®
PUBLISHEROFPHOTOGRAPHYBOOKS

Thisbookisdedicatedtomypatient,
indulgent,andlovingparents.
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Copyright©2010byKirkTuck.
Allphotographsbytheauthorunlessotherwisenoted.
Allrightsreserved.
Publishedby:
AmherstMedia,Inc.
P.O.Box586
Buffalo,N.Y.14226
Fax:[phone]
www.AmherstMedia.com
Publisher:CraigAlesse
SeniorEditor/ProductionManager:MichellePerkins
AssistantEditor:BarbaraA.Lynch-Johnt
EditorialAssistanceprovidedby:JohnS.Loder,CareyMaines,andSallyJarzab.
ISBN-13:978-1-58428-260-0
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2009903888
PrintedinKorea.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,stored,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,
mechanical,photocopied,recordedorotherwise,withoutpriorwrittenconsentfromthepublisher.
NoticeofDisclaimer:Theinformationcontainedinthisbookisbasedontheauthor’sexperienceandopinions.
Theauthorandpublisherwillnotbeheldliablefortheuseormisuseoftheinformationinthisbook.
Contents
Preface ................................5
ABriefHistoryofCommercialPhotography ....6
DistillingtheBusinessof
CommercialPhotography .................10
1. The Basics ..........................12
TheRoleoftheClient ....................12
SellingImagesorLicensingUsageRights? .....14
“BestPractices”forLong-TermProfitability ...17
HaveaSignedContract ................17
GetModelandPropertyReleases .........18
KeepYourCopyright ..................20
2. What’s Your Niche? ...................23
Architecture ...........................23
Spotlight:PaulBardagjy ..................24
ProductandStill-LifePhotography ..........27
FoodPhotography ....................30
FashionPhotography .....................33
RetailPhotography ......................37
WeddingPhotography .................38
PortraitPhotography ..................41
Spotlight:WillVanOverbeek ..............44
AdvertisingPhotography ..................47 3. Learning the Kind of Photography
WillAdvertisersTakeaChanceonNewcomers? .48 You’d Like to Do ....................59
JobsonthePhotoShoot ................48 PhotoSchool ..........................59
Equipment ..........................49 Assisting ..............................60
CorporatePhotography ...................51 GettingtheMostOutoftheRelationship ...63
EncouragingRepeatBusiness ............52 Spotlight:WyattMcSpadden ...............64
WhatYou’llNeedtoDeliver .............53 TheFrictionZone.....................69
UnderstandingCorporateCulture ........54 CommonSenseStuff ..................70
Equipment ..........................55 ProfessionalOrganizations ..............71
BreakingIn ..........................55 TheAmericanSocietyof
SomeAxiomsforDoingBusiness ...........55 MediaPhotographers ................71
WhereDoesStockPhotographyFitIn? .......56 ProfessionalPhotographersofAmerica .....72
Contents 3
TheKarma(InstantandOtherwise)of
DisparagingOtherPhotographers .........96
NondisclosureAgreements ................97
Taxes .................................97
6. Setting Up Your Fledgling Business ......99
YourBusiness’sName ....................99
CollectingSalesTax......................99
BecomingaBusinessEntity ................99
Accounting ...........................100
GettingRightwiththeIRS ...............100
EnsurethatYouAreWellInsured ..........102
HealthInsurance ....................102
GeneralBusinessInsurance .............102
AutoInsurance ......................104
DisabilityInsurance ...................104
LifeInsurance .......................104
7. Pricing What You Sell and License ......105
TheCostofDoingBusiness ..............105
PricingTheory ........................105
TheDayRateversusFeeBasedWork .....108
BidsandEstimates......................109
CorporateBidsandEstimates ...........110
GettingPaid ..........................112
TheSpecialCasethatDrives
FreelancersCrazy ....................113
YouSettheRules ......................115
4. Marketing ..........................73
WritingaContract ......................115
EffectiveMarketingRequiresSixSteps .......74
MassMarketingversusTargetedMarketing ....75
8. Financial Strategies for Running
MarketingTools ........................76
Your Business ......................117
InternetMarketing ....................76
Undercapitalization .....................117
DirectMail ..........................81
CloggedCashFlow .....................117
Sourcebooks .........................83
MoreDebtthanAssets ..................118
FacetoFaceMeetings ..................85
ACaseStudy .......................118
ProfessionalAssociations ................86
Predictions ...........................121
AdditionalAvenues ....................88
DesigningYourMarketingPieces ...........91
Epilogue .............................122
Summary ..............................91
Resources .............................123
Index ................................125
5. Ethics and Standards .................94
NeverGiveYourWorkAway ...............94
4 CommercialPhotographyHandbook
Preface
T
o people outside the industry, commercial pho- the desire to buy them. In order to do that you need
tography seems like a fun and carefree business. todifferentiateyourofferingsfromthoseofyourcom-
The image that usually comes to mind is that of a petitors and be able to couch the differentiators as
young photographer making great money by taking benefitsandadvantagesforyourintendedcustomers.
photographs of some beautiful, scantily clad models Finally,youhavetomakegoodfinancialdecisionsand
on an exotic beach location for a benevolent client understand the real value of your work to clients in
who really values creativity. At its core, commercial order to maximize your profits and minimize your
photography is a service that involves making art for overallexpenses.
paying clients. The reality for most photographers is If you master these things, you’ll have a fighting
moreinlinewiththerealitiesfacedbylegionsofsmall chancetobeoneofthe10percentofbusinesseswho
business owners in every industry, in every sector: willstillhavethelightsonandthecreditcardprocess-
How to find clients who will pay enough for specific ingterminalhumminghalfadecadefromnow.
products and services to make the photographer’s I’m assuming that, since you bought this book,
business profitable; how to effectively advertise the youarediligentlyfocusedonbeingoneoftheexcep-
thingsthatmakeabusinessspecialanddifferentfrom tions to the rule. In the upcoming chapters, we’ll
competitors; and how to make sure that the business focusonwhatkindofphotographyyou’dliketopur-
(and product) continues to evolve and grow during sue; howtofindyourniche;whetherornottoattend
periods of prosperity and plenty as well as periods of a photo school; how to negotiate, estimate, and
recessionandgloom. charge for your work; and how to market. We’ll also
The most important of all the parameters listed cover the ground rules and ethics of being a photog-
above is the ability to evolve. In nearly every kind of rapher, why you should join a professional organiza-
photography, styles, tastes, and public perceptions tion,andabunchofrealworldstuffthatIhavelived
change, and for every photographer who masters throughasaphotographerforovertwentyyears.
change, there are a disproportionate number who WhoamI,andwhyshouldyoulistentome?Iam
don’tevolve.Accordingtobusinessstatistics,onlyone a photographer who specializes in corporate photog-
out of every ten new businesses will survive after five raphy and advertising, and I have been doing this
years.Andtherulesaresimple:therearenorules,be- workforseveraldecades.Fromtheeconomicdisasters
causenoonecanpredictwhatthefuturewillhold. of 1987 and 1992, to the wholesale shutdown of the
But there are general principles and steps you can economyfollowingtheeventsof9/11/2001,Ihave
taketoensurethatyourbusinesswillbeoneoftheex- beenabletostayinbusinessduringtheworstperiods
ceptionstothestatistics.Thefirstistomakesurethat andhavebeenabletoprosperduringthehappierpe-
yourproducts(yourimagesandthewayyoupackage riods. At the same time, I’ve watched many of my
them) fit the markets in which you are trying to sell peers, friends, and competitors leave the business be-
them. Second, you must find ways to expose your cause of economic issues. I believe that my longevity
products to the customers who have the money and and relative prosperity during these years are the re-
Preface 5
sultsofhardwork,goodmarketing,andplanningfor where he remarks, “Build it and they will come!” In
a rainy day. I’ve tried to distill the things I’ve learned the movies that may work out well, but in the real
aboutthephotographybusinessintothisbooksothat world things are a little different. The spoils have al-
you don’t have to reinvent the wheel in your own waysgonetothephotographerswhohavebuiltit,ad-
business.Thebottomlineisthatasuccessfulphotog- vertisedit,soldit,andreinventedit.Shootitandthey
raphy business is all about the business. Remember, will come only if you’ve built up your brand, primed
it’s not a business unless you figure out how to con- the market, showed consumers how to find and buy
sistently get paid for the products and services you your work, and have created a compelling desire for
wanttooffer! yourimages.
There are many good resources available to pho- Theearliestcommercialphotographerswerethose
tographerswhoneedspecificinformationaboutcon- whomasteredthenascenttechnologyoftheDaguer-
tractsandforms,businessstructures,andaccounting. rotype(oneoftheearliestformsofphotography)and
IntheresourcessectionofthisbookI’llpointyouto- sold them to a ready market of middle-class people
ward all the technical information you’ll need to set whocouldnotaffordtohaveapaintingofthemselves
upandrunyourbusiness.Thisbookwillconcentrate ortheirlovedonesdone.Therewasapent-updemand
on presenting an overview of the industry, coupled for portraits and, in the era beginning in the 1850s
withrealworldexperiences. andextendingtothe1890s,manypeoplelearnedthe
difficult craft and opened studios or traveled around
ABriefHistoryofCommercialPhotography the country making portraits. Many made small for-
Since photography was invented there have been tunes,andotherslostmoney.Mostofthepractitioners
“starvingartists”andverysuccessful“entrepreneurs.” eventuallydiedfromthemercurypoisoningtheywere
The starving artists thought along the lines of Kevin exposed to while coating the small silver plates that
Costner’s character in the movie Field of Dreams, wouldserveasthefinishedartintheirpractices.
An interesting complication of the early years of
commercial photography is that there was no way to
duplicateaDaguerrotype.Ifaclientwantedtwopic-
tures of himself or his loved ones, they needed to be
created,oneatatime,inthecamera.Thismadeeach
photographaverylimitededition,oneofakind.This
madeeachplatemorevaluable,butitalsolimitedany
futureincomethataphotographercouldderivefrom
eachassignment.
Toward the end of the 1800s several processes
were introduced that allowed for the duplication of
images by contact printing. This allowed photogra-
pherstocreatemultipleeditionsofalbumsthatcould
be sold to collectors. One of the most famous exam-
plesofthisexpansionofenterprisecanbefoundinthe
successoftheSketchbooksoftheCivilWar—handmade
albumsfilledwithoriginalimages—byAmericanpho-
tographerMathewBrady.
Left—Daguerrotypefromthemid19thcentury.
6 CommercialPhotographyHandbook
Left—Anearlytwentieth-centurypaperprint.Right—Earlyphotographer,circa1900,withaplatecamera.Fromthe
author’sprivatecollection.
Brady and his crew took tremendous risks docu- acetate base (in the 1890s), films consisted of glass
menting the American Civil War and photographed platesofvarioussizesthathadtobewet-coatedinthe
several of its famous battles. The resulting photo- darkrightbeforetheywereexposedinthecamera.It
graphswerepackagedasalbumsandsoldtocollectors. required incredible patience and technical ability. It
Theabilitytoduplicatetheimagesandsellthealbums alsorequiredahorse-drawnwagon,astheglassplates
to many buyers was the key to Brady’s profitability. were very heavy and delicate. The introduction of
The ability to duplicate, reprint, and resell (or reli- packaged film meant that, for the first time, photog-
cense)imagescontinuestobethesecrettoprofitabil- raphers could go out without chemistry sets and
itytoday. sheets of glass and make images that could be devel-
Though books and magazines were being pro- oped hours or days later. This is the point at which
duced in the time period, no one had mastered the photography,bothasahobbyandaprofession,began
technologies of half-tone printing that would enable totakeoff.Kodak’snewinventionsloweredthetech-
the large-scale reproduction of photographs within nical barriers to entry, motivating many to take up
them. photographyprofessionally.
The invention that led to the widespread growth In the early part of the twentieth century, the
ofthephotographicindustrywastheflexiblefilmcre- know-how to create black & white photographs in
ated by the Eastman Kodak company. Until their in- magazines printed on presses was finally worked out.
troductionofdriedsilvergelatinfilm,deliveredonan Thisledtoagreatdemandfornews,advertising,and
Preface 7
ucts and buildings for businesses, and images for use
in ads. Most commercial images were shot on 4x5
viewcamerasusingblack&whitefilmsincethemost
prevalent use was inclusion in black & white news-
papers. Before 1960, only national ads and editorial
workweretypicallypublishedincolor.
A commercial photographer in a medium-sized mar-
ket needed to know how to use a view camera, light
with “hot lights,” expose film without the benefit of
Polaroid tests or digital flash meters, develop film in
his own lab, and make black & white prints destined
forvariousmediainhisowndarkroom.
Commercial photographers at the time did not
chargeadayrateforadvertisingphotography;rather,
they charged a fee to produce the photographs and a
usagefeethatrepresentedthevalueoftheuseforthat
image.Inthemajormarketsitwastypicalforadvertis-
ingphotographerstochargeapercentageofthetotal
ad placement budget for their work. As the ad place-
ment budgets grew so too did their fees! It was not
unusualforanationallyknownadvertisingphotogra-
phertoearnupwardsof$10,000forasingleadpho-
tograph by the end of the 1960s. Adjusted for in-
flationthatwouldbeover$100,000in2009dollars.
Editorial photographers charged for their work in
adifferentway.Theywereguaranteeda“dayrate”for
each day on which they shot stories on assignment.
This was a guarantee against a space rate. They were
paidacertainamountforeachphotographusedinthe
final story, and these rates were based on the size of
Top—Late nineteenth-century paper print made by con- theimageinthefinalmagazinelayout.Inthiswaythe
tactprinting.Bottom—Lateninetenth-centurypaperprint photographers whose talent shone brightest were re-
portrait.
warded in direct proportion to their skills. If a story
documentary photographs. For the first time in his- was killed, they were still paid their day rate—their
tory a photograph could be disseminated rapidly to guarantee.
millionsofreaders. From the 1970s till the dawn of digital photogra-
Even with the advent of better films and equip- phy, commercial and editorial photographers worked
ment,photographyrequiredafairamountoftechnical consistentlyandprofitablybecause,eventhoughfilms
skill and know-how right up through the 1960s. A got better and better, development more consistent,
well-roundedphotographerworkingasageneralistin andtestingmethodsmorefoolproof,photographystill
a major regional market might shoot a wide assort- requiredabroadrangeoftechnicalskillsandlargein-
mentofassignmentsduringatypicalweek,including vestments in cameras and lighting equipment. These
lotsofportraitsforfamiliesandforbusinessuse,prod- were sufficient barriers to entry to ensure that the
8 CommercialPhotographyHandbook
middleandhigherlevelsofthemarketwereprotected stock industry. Prior to the digital revolution, stock
from the encroachment of casual hobbyists and rank agencies held and maintained huge physical libraries
amateurs. As corporations grew dramatically, so did ofcolorslidesandlargertransparencyfilms.Requests
their global reach and their budgets. During the last for images would come from clients who would pay
thirty years of the twentieth century, the American forboththeresearchtofindtherightpictureandthe
economywaslargelystrong,robust,andgrowing,and FedEx charges for shipping the images. Fees were
commercialphotographywentalongfortheride. basedonusageandcouldrangefromhundredsofdol-
During this time, the tools became more refined, larstotensofthousandsofdollarsforasingleuse.
andreproductioninmajorglossymagazineswasmuch WiththepricedropforInternetbandwidth,digital
improved.Bythemiddleofthe1990s,mostproswere storage, and automated administration, the market
shooting with medium format cameras and banks of was “disrupted” by the appearance and rapid growth
veryconsistentandwell-engineeredstudioelectronic ofroyalty-free,cheapstock.Nowtheclientscoulddo
flashequipmentinordertotakefulladvantageofthe theirownonlinesearchesforimages,retrievetheim-
improvements in the media. Most worked in their ages as a web download, and pay the very low fees
ownstudios.Eventhoughtherewereupsanddowns with a credit card at the end of the transaction. Not
intheeconomy,theoverallmarketformostcommer- onlyhasthischangeroiledthewatersforcommercial
cial photographers was positive. Then the paradigm photographers,buttheveryagenciesthatengineered
shifted. the original web-based stock photography market,
Theadventofreadilyavailabledigitalcamerasand Corbis and Getty Images, are quickly being eaten by
low-costcomputersseemedtochangethewholemar- theirownoffspring.
ket.Theapparentqualityofdigitalfilesandtheeaseof
their production almost immediately decimated the
bottom end of the commercial markets starting in
2000asbusinessesrealizedthatalotoftheiradvertis-
ingandcommunicationsmaterialsandmessageswere
movingtotheInternet.Thefilesneededforgoodre-
production at small sizes on the Web could be of
muchlowerqualitythantheimagesrequiredforhigh
quality, four-color press printing. Now a business
couldproduceitsownphotographs,inexpensively,in-
house.
Basic ID head shots, photographs of houses for
sale, simple product shots, and more moved from a
practice that nurtured entry-level photographers to
extinction. Another consequence of the amazingly
rapid acceptance of digital cameras by businesses and
consumerswasthelaunchofthe“dollarstock”digital
Top—TheCanonG2wasoneoftheearlydigitalcameras
thatcreatedfileswhichcompetedwith35mmfilm.Itwas
in the vanguard of inexpensive cameras that started to
erode the professional market’s “barriers to entry.” Bot-
tom—ThenewCanonG10,withahotshoe,15megapixels
ofresolution,andverydetailedfilesfurtherblursthedis-
tinctionbetweenprofessionalandamateurcameras.
Preface 9