Cost
90 creative works found
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Photographers - What are you paying for? (Part One)
by Jo O'Brien^Disclaimer: This is not legal advice or even professional advice. This is some stuff I’ve learned along this funny little thing called l…
Disclaimer: This is not legal advice or even professional advice. This is some stuff I’ve learned along this funny little thing called life and may not apply in any way to your current situation. At worst, it’s my opinion, at best it’s some ideas for you to think about. If you need real proper advice, go see your solicitor. I’m of the opinion that photography should make me money, not cost me money. So far, I have been successful is making more from a photograph than it took me to create. Here is my list of not so secret tips and advice on covering your arse and saving your cash. When To Pay There are times where spending your hard earned money is the right choice. For example to obtain goods or services you can not find for less (or free) elsewhere. Or when you have done all the maths yourself and you feel you are buying into a good deal. But there are also some pit falls to watch out for. Art Direction, Ideas and Intellectual Property My rule of thumb, if I am paying to shoot, I should have full rights to everything I take. No ifs buts or maybes about it. If you shoot a commercial, the art direction team put together a shoot and then hire a photographer to take photos of what they and the crew have created. They pay for lighting design, they pay the models, they pay the hair stylist, they pay the guy who makes the coffees- and they pay the photographer. Some businesses operate under a similar model but suck money out of photographers in the process. As part of a ‘workshop’ or ‘event’, several photographers rock up with their cameras and take photos of a scene. Often they have little or no control of the setup, can’t communicate properly with the models and will walk out of it with similar images to everyone else who attended! In the worst cases they have restricted rights regarding how they use their images. So is essence, they have paid for something that out in the real world, would be making them money. Sorry if it sounds confusing, the concept completely baffles me. When you are shooting someone else’s ideas and have restricted publishing rights or have little influence over the set up, posing, lighting or set design, (in my opinion) you should be getting paid by them. After all, you are doing them a favor by taking images of their creative work. Classes or Tuition Wanting to improve you skills and knowledge is a great thing. And there are numerous classes, mentors and workshops available for you to choose from. If you are going to pay to attend these, make sure you are getting what you pay for. Before you hand over any cash there are a few details that you should have to help make your decision. Class Size: The more people attending, the cheaper the class should be. If there is a practical component, I usually wont accept a class bigger than 10-12 / Location & Time: no point signing up for an ‘on location’ workshop only to find it is out of your way. Also as a safety issue, you should always be able to tell a trusted person exactly where and when you will be shooting. / The Teacher: You should be able to find and contact the person facilitating the class to verify their experience and ask questions. It not always convenient for a facilitator to take calls from a whole class, but you should be able to send them an email and get a reply without going through a middle man. / Contracts: Ask if you will need to sign any contracts and insist upon receiving them before paying. / What do you get: do you get class notes to take home? Exactly what does the course entail? What can you hope to know and have learned at the end of the course? Contracts These are a great way to waste your money. They also happen to be very important. First and foremost contracts exists to make people money or stop people from making money. So before signing anything, read it a few times and make sure you are aware of what your actions are costing you. If you need to get images approved before sale or publication, you could be agreeing to never publishing or selling any images taken if none are ‘approved.’ It is completely reasonable to request changes to a contract or write your own and offer it instead. Don’t sign away potential income! You should always be able to take a contract away and show it to other people for advice before signing it, and especially before paying for anything. If you are not given this opportunity, my advice is to avoid it with a ten foot pole. And then there are the bazillion poorly written contracts that mean very little or nothing at all. It’s actually quite funny to me sometimes, what people will put on paper. Useful Links Australian Competition & Consumer Commission / Scam Watch Photographers – What are you paying for (part 2).
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Old concrete and steel lighthouse in the middle of an estuary
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Pricing your photography
by Leah HighlandI found this article and thought that I would share. / Great information and a bit inspiring to those that might not have / the confiden…
I found this article and thought that I would share. / Great information and a bit inspiring to those that might not have / the confidence they deserve. By Scott Bourne When photographers turn pro, they face an important issue: How to price their products and services. Unfortunately, photographers are at the low end of the pay scale because they usually don’t apply standard marketing and business strategy when pricing their work. The goal of this article is to give you advice that will let you earn what you are worth and at the same time, elevate the price positioning of the entire industry. START AT THE BEGININNG – KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SELLING Are we selling square inches of paper? For some reason, the first thing that enters a photographer’s mind when pricing is print size. This has cost more photographers money than you can imagine. The most important thing to know here is to build value in your product. You do that by considering ALL the factors that go into making a salable image. So what are we selling? How about that creative eye? Anyone can buy a camera but can they see through it the way you do? Are the hours you spent training for this moment worth something? Your mechanic, doctor and lawyer all get paid for their time, shouldn’t you? Then there is your present technical ability. The casual amateur may not be able to get the most out of the same equipment as the everyday pro. And speaking of equipment, you need to consider the value of all those gadgets you have laying around the studio. When you price, charge for your logistical skills, intelligence, time and your ability to translate your client’s desires into a visual statement. You should consider standard usage and copyright in the price as well as basic business economics. And here is one of the first places that photographers stumble. They aren’t honest with themselves about the cost of doing business. In order to price something, you must know what it cost to make. Here are some things to look at: Pricing Economics 1) Overhead / 2) Profit / 3) Market Type Calculating overhead requires you to consider all the costs that are associated with being a professional photographer. That means: 1) Equipment depreciation / 2) Insurance / 3) Rent / 4) Licenses / 5) Legal Fees / 6) Accounting Fees / 7) Payroll Fees / 8) Salaries / 9) Taxes / 10) Utilities / 11) Production / 12) Repairs / 13) Printing / 14) Postage / 15) Office Supplies / 16) Subscriptions / 17) Dues / 18) Advertising/Marketing / 19) Transportation/Shipping / 20) Travel / 21) Misc. Calculating profit is a bit easier. You consider your cost of doing business by allowing for a percentage of your overhead to be applied to the cost of each job. From there you add mark up. This can be based on any number you want but a good starting point is to double the cost of your product. Now you also need to adjust this figure based on market type. Is the image being used in a small or large market? Will thousands of people or just a few see it? What is the value to the client? What will the client do with your image? What choice besides you does the client have? Are there 50 photographers in town or only three? All of these factors go into calculating a price. STRATEGY Now that you know what you have, what you are selling and what it costs you to make it, you need to devise a pricing strategy. This can be as simple as jotting down some basic facts. 1) What is your overhead? 2) What is your marketing strategy? 3) What is the competition charging? 4) How much income do you need to survive? If you have a real business plan, you will have answered most if not all of these questions. If you don’t have a business plan, now would be a great time to write one. It doesn’t have to be fancy but you need to be able to articulate your goals or you won’t be able to measure success. EDUCATE THE CLIENT After you have decided on a strategy, you need to start educating your clients about your business. Most people have no idea what it costs to run a business, let alone a photo business. Share that with your clients. If you run a portrait studio, make sure they understand the differences between what you do and what the chain studios do. If you are selling fine art nature prints, discuss your education and training, the cost of dues to professional organizations, etc. When dealing with art directors, let them know when you have purchased new cameras or computers that feature advanced technology. Once the client can see a nexus between value and price, the higher rates become less of a stumbling block. You can embark on this education process in a number of ways. Issue press releases that tout your equipment acquisitions, attendance at seminars and new employees. Bring these things up in casual conversation when selling. Publish a studio newsletter. Conduct your business in a manner that exudes professionalism. CONCLUSION There is one last but very important step that you must take to profitably price your photography. Ask established photographers how they bid jobs. Smart photographers who have made a good living at photography will gladly help beginners with this information. They realize that if you are new, you might undercharge, thereby bringing prices down industry-wide. Ask for help. You’re likely to get it. Article Copyright 2005, Scott Bourne – Photofocus Magazine ABOUT THE AUTHOR Scott Bourne is the author of “88 Secrets to Selling & Publishing Your Photography” and “88 Secrets to Photoshop for Photographers.” Both are available from Olympic Mountain School Press, http://www.mountainschoolpress.com His work has also appeared in books, magazines, galleries, calendars, on greeting cards, web sites and on posters. Scott is a professional photographer, author, teacher and pioneer in the digital imaging field. His career started in the early 70s as a stringer covering motor sports for Associated Press in Indiana. Since then, he has shot commercial, portrait, wedding, magazine and fine art assignments. His new passion is wildlife photography. Scott regularly lectures on a variety of photo and media-related subjects. He’s appeared on national television and radio programs and has written columns for several national magazines. He is the publisher of Photofocus.com, an online magazine for serious photographers and also serves as the executive director of the Olympic Mountain School of Photography in Gig Harbor, WA.
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Photographers - What are you paying for? (Part 2)
by Jo O'BrienBe open minded about your camera gear You can make a tripod for only a few dollars...
Be open minded about your camera gear You can make a tripod for only a few dollars, tracing paper makes a great diffuser and a trip to a hardware store will give you very bright lights. Yes, there are downsides, and for the technically perfect photographer, these suggestions will be a very funny joke. The point here is keep and open mind and try new things before forking out $100 for a piece of shiny material that resembles a $5 dash board cover. Unless you use a biscuit tin to take photos, eventually you will want to buy a new camera. Shop around, get advice, try out a friend’s and when you walk into the shop, don’t spend hundreds of dollars on accessories that you wont’ use. It doesn’t hurt to haggle a bit either. When the salesman tries to close the deal, my typical response is “what else are you throwing in?” Studio Hire So the first question you ask yourself is “Do I know anyone who already has a studio set up?” If the answer is yes. Skip the rest of this section, suck up your pride and ask them if you can visit and have a play. The rest of you, ask yourself what you are paying for. Is it the chance to get a professionally lit shot? Maybe you could try a lighting course that will not only give you many opportunities to work with professional lights, but will teach you the theory and science of lighting. Often these courses are much cheaper than a similar amount of time in a rented studio. Do you want to try shooting in more controlled conditions? Try clearing out a room of your house and setting up a few scenes. The results may not be brilliant but it will give you a sense of how much time you can spend setting a shot up before you get to click the button. If you are certain that a proper studio is for you, consider hiring it out through a camera club for a discounted rate, or hiring it out with a couple of other photographers to minimise your expense. Models and TFP Models and photographers have one thing in common – they both need a portfolio of photos to proceed in their career. This is why Time For Photo shoots have become so popular. But before you jump up and down about using a free model take a second think about what is fair and ethical. At the end of the day, both you and the model should be happy with your arrangement. If someone feels short changed, you should consider modifying your approach. This is my rule of thumb. If a model approaches me to take shots for her portfolio, and I am working to her brief, she should pay me. If we have put our heads together to come up with a project and proceed on equal footing where we both use the images, then neither should pay. And if I conceive and art direct the shoot and have priority over the image rights, I should pay the model. Basically whoever comes out on top should be paying the person who is doing them a favor. Then there are test shoots, these are almost always done on a time for photos basis. These shoots are a bit like ‘warm up’ shoots for the model and photographer to see if they want to work together properly. They are also a chance to test new ideas or equipment. Often the images taken in test shoots are less than great, and if they do turn out, they are most commonly shared equally between all parties. If you are requesting a model release form because you intend to profit from the images, in my opinion, the model should be paid or you should have an arrangement to split any profits. My plan of attack is to put out a call for models. Then I will do a test shoot with the model who has contacted me and we either have equal rights to the shots or split them down the middle. If the test shoot goes well we may arrange to work together again. This might mean doing an even split of “her ideas” and “my ideas” for no payment, or it may be paid work if I am contracted to produce shots for a commercial job. Photographers – What are you paying for? (Part One).
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Happy Bubble Birthday To Me!! :D
by Paul Louis VillaniThis month is twelve months I’ve been a member on the bubble!! / So due to this massive event I’ve uploaded this image… / / !http://ima…
This month is twelve months I’ve been a member on the bubble!! / So due to this massive event I’ve uploaded this image… / / / / ...and because it’s my bubble birthday…. This image will be at cost price for all whole month of May!! Woohoo! :D hehehe!! / / Peace, love and bear hugs to you all!
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Purple miniature tulips on a silver platter with a glass of blush wine.
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Just my way of proving a point. We are suffering because of the greed from the oil companies.
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A dark day
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Calendar Disappointment!!
by shallToday I received my delivery of Calendars.. a good thing you might think?? However, I had to pay, at the door, an additional amount of £2…
Today I received my delivery of Calendars.. a good thing you might think?? However, I had to pay, at the door, an additional amount of £24.76 G.B.P… this is on an order that originally only cost me £27.00 GBP.!!!! This was a charge made by the good old British Government covering Import VAT and charges. So my fellow Bubblers beware the Great British rip-off!.. My calendars have each cost me almost double the original price.. I am so disappointed.. Bahhhh Humbug!
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A kind of humble tribute to Sogyal Rinpoche who delivered the Tibetan book of the Dead in a format the western world can better understand.
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I am relieved to find an alternative to admitting patients to psychiatric hospitals or other residential treatment facilities. Many patients are resistant to treatment with severely disturbed patients and although they consider themselves looney, they want a more secluded and less restrictive environment. I found the perfect solution and now many psychiatric patients are flocking to a new facility, namely Looney Bins. If you know anyone who would prefer residental treatment in this unique environment, please call 1-800-566-6392. Don’t delay making arrangements since the looney bins are often filled during the holidays when patients often suffer from depression and their therapists are away for the holiday season. Looney Bins offer low cost treatment in a unique and colorful atmosphere.
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JORDY UPDATE (16/04/08)
by Craig ShillingtonVBS Jordy and I just got home from the vets and he has had his stitches removed :) I think he had about 35 stitches in total, so it was a…
VBS Jordy and I just got home from the vets and he has had his stitches removed :) I think he had about 35 stitches in total, so it was a bit of a job ;) But I can tell he is so happy to have them out because now he is back to rubbing and bumping his head on everything, including me :) :) VBS I will try to get some photos tonight and upload them to my blog (Maybe tomorrow) :) He still looks all shaved, but he is looking so much better :) :) Don’t forget the Jordy Fund. :) It’s doing really well and so far sales from my works have raised $152.50 towards Jordy’s bills :) :) Thank you all so much for helping out and sharing the love, it is so much appreciated :) :) MEOW :) :) Here is a run down of the costs P.S. :) If you have posted what you purchased in the Buyers Booth, PLEASE send me the link and I will start making those links available for others to look at too :) :)
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Illusions
by Amber Elizabeth FrommReality, values, freedom
Living in the moment
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Greed
by Maria DryfhoutEarlier this week, I sent in one of my images in the Challenge Cafe #21. The competition theme was “GREED”. / I just came home, and disc…
Earlier this week, I sent in one of my images in the Challenge Cafe #21. The competition theme was “GREED”. / I just came home, and discovered that I had won! I feel honored and humbled at the same time. Thank you everyone who voted for “Highway Robbery.” It was on impulse that I decided to created this image in my driveway one morning, not knowing what people would think. But I had just came home after filling my gasoline tank, and I was enraged. This photo is the result…
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Retro wooden clothespins holding American currency. The image is a concept of many various aspects of life. “Line of credit”... “Money laundering”...”Pay on lIne”...”It all comes out in the wash”.
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Conceptual view of real estate, mortgage or foreclosure on a home in the suburbs.
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JORDY UPDATE (27/03/08)
by Craig ShillingtonOkay … after much anxiety and stress I finally rang my Credit Card company and they agreed to lift the limit on my Mastercard enough so…
Okay … after much anxiety and stress I finally rang my Credit Card company and they agreed to lift the limit on my Mastercard enough so that I can now pay for Jordy’s operation on the day!! At first I thought I could pay the bill via payments, but when I rang to talk to them about that, they simply said they’d rather full payment … or at least 50%. So I have been stressing a lot about that, but now I have the credit (and with the help from the Jordy Fund … I am in the process of booking him in. I rang them Wednesday Morning to let them know I have the money and want to go ahead … they still haven’t rang me back (am expecting a phone call at work today). I am really anxious because the longer this is left, the more chance the cancer has spread. Jordy has got a bit worse. The tumor on his eyelid is now big enough that it is rubbing halfway up his eyeball … and has started to secrete some sort of pus … so his eye is always dirty. Plus it is still bleeding a lot. He is still purring a lot and he sleeps with me (he has got really close lately). I will try to get some photos of him before the op … and progress shots after the op .. but will post them on my blog, because they won’t be pretty photos sadly. But I think everyone has a right to know that this is real … that your money is going to a good cause. I want to take this opportunity to once again thank those who have purchased my work knowing the profits are going towards Jordy’s Operation. As of writing this … together we have raised just under $100!!!! That is amazing. But please … keep buying :) :) It helps so much!!!! Hopefully after the phone call today … I will be heading to Perth either tonight or tomorrow for an overnight stay. Fingers crossed!! For those interested in seeing where the money goes … I will break down what has been spent so far and predict future costs. It’s amazing how much it adds up :( Merriden Vet Clinic (Initial Consultation about growth on eyelid) Consultation – $44 / IDEXX Blood Test – $125 / Anaesthesia Inhalation 1st hr – $110 / Cryosurgery – $50 / Biopsy – $33 / Histopathology – $125 / BETAMOX LA Injection – $13.45 / METACAM Injection (pain relief) -$15.77 / METHOPT TEARS 50mg BAYTRIL – $21.35 / MELOXICAM ORAL 10ml – $23.72 Total for Vet Bill – $566.30 (Paying this off) Trip to Murdoch Vet Hospital for prognosis last week. Fuel – $110 / Consultation – $129 Total – $239 (I borrowed $200 from a guy here for that trip and am paying him back) Operation Total Fuel – $79 / Operation – $2099 Total – $2178 Grand Total – $2983.33
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I just don't get it.....
by John De Bord Photography IPAI just don’t get it…I really don’t. How is it that deviantArt can justify charging a massive markup to non-print accout subscribers…
I just don’t get it…I really don’t. How is it that deviantArt can justify charging a massive markup to non-print accout subscribers for when they want to purchase their very own art, when they can go directly to the source, ezprints.com and order it much cheaper. AM I missing something here? I invite you all to read my latest blog entry in my journal on deviantART which calls this into question, with some interesting answers for the administration there. The Raping of Artist’s on DA—-UPDATED! In it I mention Redbubble…I think we will be getting quite a lotta familiar faces soon over here….something just doesn’t sound nor smell right with all this! And honestly, it makes me quite sad….. / —-John
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Closeup of a rusty old gas pump from the 1940s
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Red Bubble gets my vote of the year xx
by Heather CroftJust after receiving the shock of my life by paying £90 for red bubble goods in freight and vat. – I have been informed by Hop at Red Bub…
Just after receiving the shock of my life by paying £90 for red bubble goods in freight and vat. – I have been informed by Hop at Red Bubble that they will credit the amount to my account – absolutely brilliant service – what a pleasant change from some of the companies you try to deal with. Red Bubble will be supported by me from now on. Thanks everyone for all your comments. Merry Xmas – Heather
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Debris washed up on the Surfers Paradice beach after hurricane like weather.
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Jordy Update on my Blog :)
by Craig ShillingtonFor those of you that have been waiting … I have just uploaded recent (Sunday 11th May) Jordy photos to my blog. :) I am so sorry to th…
For those of you that have been waiting … I have just uploaded recent (Sunday 11th May) Jordy photos to my blog. :) I am so sorry to those that have been B-Mailing me asking how he is doing … for taking so long to put these up. I just wanted to give him a little time to get more handsomer for you ;) He is such a poser :) :) VBS You can view the photos HERE And once again thank you all for your love, well wishes and generosity :) :) :) {{{{{hugs}}}}}
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“id – convenience at any cost remix” designed by indie artist Eric Murphy of sadmachine.com Copyright 2002-2008.
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Domain Nightmare!!
by webgrrlOk.. some geek exspharated (sp?) energy here!! / / Anyone here using Registerfly as their domain register? / / If so, “have you heard …
Ok.. some geek exspharated (sp?) energy here!! / / Anyone here using Registerfly as their domain register? / / If so, have you heard of the news??? faints / I have about 25 domain names, most with Registerfly (my own domains and clients) – and sometime yesterday i notice that one of my sites, Psytrips.com was down.. infact not just down, but looking very ‘expired’ GRRRRRR / / - to cut long story short, i find out that Registerfly.com has just been canned, stripped of all accredetation by one of the big boys, ICANN / – anyways, so i googled and read some more and just knew im in deep shiat creek or at least wallowing in some mess… So from like 3am till 10am today, im transferring all my domains one by one (cuz theres also probs getting Auth codes, and more geek, I.T dramas) and spending over quite a bit over US$100 in transfer fees that i wasnt planning for… so yeah…..... GGGGGRRRRRR and AAAAgggHHH##$$$$$~!!!!! and if any of you’s got ya names there… better get them out fast, cuz it looks like da Registerfly has crashed!
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