There has been huge, base-shifting events that are making these challenging times. Lower prices? Lower quality? Lower expectations? Whenever these tumultuous times happen, there are losers. And there are winners. Creating a strategy that can lead to success through the raging waters of change can be daunting... but some will. I want to be following or leading that group.
"It is such a conundrum. We are in such a strange business - part art, part science, part technology, part service. We work without a net most of the time, and we only get paid when we are working.... very little residual income.
Figure in that there is no "Base" level of experience, or gear, or technology that directly - oh hell, even indirectly - relates to what the rate for a given item is. We cannot even agree on what that item is... file, Pshopped file, RAW, JPEG, CD of everything shot, single image, indeterminate usage, limited usage, whogivesaf**k usage... all over the map.
So we sit and try to determine what we need to make a living. And even there, it is impossible to come to an agreement within the industry.
Photographer A has a 2400 sq ft studio in a warehouse district. He pays $1800 a month for the lease, $400 for utilities, $135 for insurance and that is basic. He needs that space because of the large set images he does, and the need for a cyc and other 'studio' tools that make it possible to make the images he makes. He has an investment of over 100K in lights, computers, and special tech items that he NEEDS to do what he does. He has digital DSLR's, Medium Format Digital and film cameras with about 20 assorted lenses.
His monthly outlay is about $3000 per month, and that doesn't count for his home and car and motorcycle and girlfriend ( a former Russian model who he met on a shoot when he was kinda down and vulnerable and now she OWNS his ass and is quite the material girl... but, I digress.) His apartment costs $1200 per month. He is considered very good in the business.
Photographer B has a room at her apartment where she keeps her gear in two small cases and the closet. She mostly does location work as an editorial shooter providing images for magazines and periodicals. She uses a couple of Dynalites, a fairly good sized trunk for her stands and rents the rest as needed. She shoots a couple of DSLR's with four good lenses. She is considered very good in the business.
Her monthly outlay for her "office" is, well, nothing as it is part of her apartment rental, which is about $1200 per month.
"A" shoots advertising and recently shot a celebrity holding a new iPod case for Apple. His fee for one year usage: $15,000. It took him 2 hours, with 2 hours pre and 4 hours post.
"B" shot the same celebrity for a magazine article entitled "Celebrities with Brains... Myth?" Her fee for one year usage: $750 + $300 in rental and assistant fees. It took her one hour, and the image was delivered to the editors as RAW.
So we are left looking at a single shot of the same celebrity being worth either 15K or $750. Sure there are a lot of differences in what the usage will be and on and on and on. Try explaining it to an 8 year old. Try explaining it to a guy who does drywall all day for $18 an hour.
I am not saying the above is a problem, but you can see where 'pricing' an item in any kind of meaningful, objective way, can become a series of "if's" and "and's".
Add to that Geography. If Photographer A and B are both in Philadelphia, that is one thing. If A is in NY and B is in Memphis, there is even more disparity on the value of the money received.
You can get great work done all over the country. You can ger rates that make sense and some that will knock you out... sometimes in the same market.
I once owned an ad agency and one of our clients was PeopleSoft. I needed to get 5 photographs done. People standing on Market Street in SF with the TransAmerica tower behind them. We submitted three RFP's to a list of 'approved' photographers from the Marketing Dept at PeopleSoft.
Three photographers:
1. $25,000
2. $56,000
3. $140,000
All received the same RFP.
Let's go back to the A / B photographers above.
They both receive an RFP from a music label.
Image: Artist with low-rider car, automatic machine gun and lots of "Bling" shot low with smoke machine to illustrate new album "I Can't Sing, But I Can Sure as Hell Pop Yo Ass".
Photographer A plans on building a set in the studio, bringing in a smoke machine and renting an amazing amount of Bling. Stylist, Makeup, Hair, two assistants, some Green Screen work, and a digital image expert. . Shot will freakin' rock.
With usage on the CD cover: $35,000. ($15K for CD usage) Profit for photographer after expenses: $17,500
Photographer B scouts a great little location downtown. Smoke machine, MUA/Hair person, and an assistant. Shooting from the ground means she will have to rent an additional 10K WS light kit. Artist will bring his own Bling.
Shot will freakin' rock.
With usage for CD cover: $17K ($15k for CD usage) Profit for photographer after expenses: $16,500
So the variables are all over the damn place. Fees, expenses... it gets crazy. I know a photographer who was contacted by a large agency to do a shot for a major campaign that had been going on for years. The images were everywhere. He quoted from PhotoQuote. Fee: $12,000 includes usage. Client called "We only have $7K for the shot." OK, he says, that's fine.
????
What the hell was the 12K quote then? Was it simply pulled out of his, err, the air? If it was worth 7K, then why bid it at 12K? Arbitrary bullshit to me. And that makes it damn hard for all of us...
So when I get an RFP I ask questions relating to what their expectations are. What their budget will allow (Do you want a makeup artist or will the talent be doing their own? Studio set or will we find a location? Do you have any over-riding requirements that will help me make a better bid for you... one that matches your expectations?)
But a bad week does not make a bad career. We all have the bad week now and then.
Just remember... images are worth "0" (Stock Xchange) to perhaps millions. Choose your spot well, young Padiwan's.
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