This comic hit close to home with my situation and I was wondering if I could get a professional’s opinion.
Now, I do not consider myself a professional, but rather, I feel I’m more a student learning with hopes to take it to a professional level some day. So, in the mean time on my journey to that place, I have been offering to shoot for local(small) events at no charge just to be able to get out there and practice under every possible situation I can experience. My question/concern is that I’m not sure if this would harm the business in anyway. Even though most of the venues I’m offering my service to are not searching for a photography, I’m wondering if this is still a bad practice? I would hate to do a disservice to the photographic community and possibly to my self in the long run.
Any thoughts?
Pete N Reply: November 19th, 2008 at 4:52 am
Never undersell yourself. If you offer your services for free now, what is the client going to say when you want to charge them?
So there was this other cartoon ’bout this guy who should have get “a lot of fame” from his contractee and the photographer said something like “My landlord stopped accepting “fame” as currency for the rent…”
do you thing this is bad? for years the corporate video production industry has had to deal with questions such as: “Why do you need a 2 day shoot? I thought we are only doing a 10 minute video. Shouldn’t that only take 10 minutes to shoot?”
Yeah, just like the latest James bond movie only takes two hours to shoot… it’s realtime baby didn’t you know that?
Salut Vincent,
En France, les choses commencent à bouger pour mobiliser l’opinion sur les droits d’auteurs bafoués, la photo vendue $1 etc… Si tu as un peu de temps, tu peux regarder ce qui s’est dit au Salon de la Photo à Paris ce WE. L’intervention de l’avocat Jean Vincent est remarquable et brillante (à la 19ème minute), c’est ici : http://www.photographie.com/?pubid=105233&secid=2&rubid=8
I can only speak from personal experience that clients have treated me with more respect when I charge then when I haven’t. I work with my clients who have hit hard economic times, unfortunately more common these days, to streamline photo shoots, do a little less touch up work or perform the shoot closer to my place of business to save on travel expenses. Everyone deserves a good family keepsake, but a priceless photograph costs more than zero. I’d love to hear more from others though as there’s clearly a wide spectrum of rational opinions on this topic.
An old story, repeated more often in these days of digital. Call it the downside of democratization. Almost everyone owns a camera and some are convinced they know how to use it. I second Phat Photographer’s suggestion. Work with people. Don’t work for free. Let’s not blur the lines between amateur and professional any further. Many folks can blunder into a good shot but a pro can create it on cue, by design.
story of my life
Only 18 but I have a feeling this is me in 10-20 years. Someday when I can afford another body, that is. Great comic!
So Vincent, we all know what you packed to shoot Reverie. Would you care to share what you typically pack for a day trip or say a family vacation?
This comic hit close to home with my situation and I was wondering if I could get a professional’s opinion.
Now, I do not consider myself a professional, but rather, I feel I’m more a student learning with hopes to take it to a professional level some day. So, in the mean time on my journey to that place, I have been offering to shoot for local(small) events at no charge just to be able to get out there and practice under every possible situation I can experience. My question/concern is that I’m not sure if this would harm the business in anyway. Even though most of the venues I’m offering my service to are not searching for a photography, I’m wondering if this is still a bad practice? I would hate to do a disservice to the photographic community and possibly to my self in the long run.
Any thoughts?
Pete N Reply:
November 19th, 2008 at 4:52 am
Never undersell yourself. If you offer your services for free now, what is the client going to say when you want to charge them?
So there was this other cartoon ’bout this guy who should have get “a lot of fame” from his contractee and the photographer said something like “My landlord stopped accepting “fame” as currency for the rent…”
😀 So true for nowa days:-D
Hi all this does happen but I draw the line when the client asks where to buy the camera/lighting then asks me for lessons on how to use it.
Jon
do you thing this is bad? for years the corporate video production industry has had to deal with questions such as: “Why do you need a 2 day shoot? I thought we are only doing a 10 minute video. Shouldn’t that only take 10 minutes to shoot?”
Yeah, just like the latest James bond movie only takes two hours to shoot… it’s realtime baby didn’t you know that?
Salut Vincent,
En France, les choses commencent à bouger pour mobiliser l’opinion sur les droits d’auteurs bafoués, la photo vendue $1 etc… Si tu as un peu de temps, tu peux regarder ce qui s’est dit au Salon de la Photo à Paris ce WE. L’intervention de l’avocat Jean Vincent est remarquable et brillante (à la 19ème minute), c’est ici :
http://www.photographie.com/?pubid=105233&secid=2&rubid=8
So true, unfortunately….
It’s once again “funny cause it’s true” 😉 Keep it Up out there!!
I can only speak from personal experience that clients have treated me with more respect when I charge then when I haven’t. I work with my clients who have hit hard economic times, unfortunately more common these days, to streamline photo shoots, do a little less touch up work or perform the shoot closer to my place of business to save on travel expenses. Everyone deserves a good family keepsake, but a priceless photograph costs more than zero. I’d love to hear more from others though as there’s clearly a wide spectrum of rational opinions on this topic.
An old story, repeated more often in these days of digital. Call it the downside of democratization. Almost everyone owns a camera and some are convinced they know how to use it. I second Phat Photographer’s suggestion. Work with people. Don’t work for free. Let’s not blur the lines between amateur and professional any further. Many folks can blunder into a good shot but a pro can create it on cue, by design.
Hey thanks for the motivation to get PAID!
Talk about the daily Zen riddle!
Just do it 😛
I experience this all the time with my corporate video production company.