Probably a blog post or two in this:I am going to go ahead and say something that I have been thinking about and watching for a few years now... There is no money in editorial... and it is going to get worse. Shooting editorial is a means to an end these days. Shoot for a few schecklels that allow you to live and finance the personal work, work on the portfolio and get out to show advertising agencies, designers and corporate clients what you can do. Expecting magazines to keep paying when the avalanche is running downhill against it is not going to lead to anything but more pain. Magazines are losing readers, that means that ad revenues are down, that means that cuts have to be made, that means low-hanging fruit first... Sorry, but we are low hanging fruit. I can find a photographer in Phoenix to shoot a damn fine cover shot or editorial portrait for $100... I KNOW I can. Too damn fun. Too much ego wrapped into it. Turning down low paying cover work means that the next guy who did it had a cover to show a corporate Mar-com group or ad agency. I am not - NOT - advocating anyone shoot for free... just noticing that things are not the way they were, and that the tide is against us - at least at this point in time. I know that the pricing seems to be created by supply and demand... and of course the highest level shooters who have the credibility and NAME can get more. ...but I also know at least two of them who have shot major magazine editorials for next to nothing in order to work with the models (also working next to nothing for the tears) and have full freedom for the editorials. Editorials he/she hopes will take an AD's eye at a larger agency. You may disagree with me, but please let me know how you see what I am saying is wrong (not what you think the world SHOULD be, but what it is.) Designer / Photographer / Writer
www.dongiannatti.com / www.lighting-essentials.com / www.learntolight.com / www.steelid.com / 602 814 1468
Don Giannatti:
www.dongiannatti.com / www.lighting-essentials.com / www.learntolight.com / www.steelid.com / 602 814 1468
2 comments:
Totally agree.
At this point, editorial work is a way to build the portfolio and use the creativity that is not always called for in regular work.
So I would go into most editorial gigs not expecting any creative fees. And I know that the same applies for models, MUAs, etc.
However, I would go in expecting that it opens some doors that may be harder to unlock otherwise:
- They should be able to get good models to work with.
- They should be able to get access to really cool locations.
- The rest of the team should also be top notch.
So your pay is not financial but in the opportunity to work on something that would cost a whole bunch if you had to produce it on your own dime. And you get a tearsheet you can use for your marketing.
In today's standards that's already some quite valuable stuff.
Hi! I love your blog! I work as a freelance writer for vip-writers, but in my free time i'm do photography. Is there any advices for a beginner like me? I usually work from home, it there's a need in agencies for shooting?
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