|
Business
Practice
Negotiation
Tips for the Official Show Photographer
|
İSusan
Sexton |
|
I
photographed dressage shows and combined training events for 25
years, and had to pay a vendor fee only once. I worked things
out every time after that!
If
you can see where the show committee is coming from you can explain
your side and negotiate to your benefit. They are after all providing
an excellent opportunity for you to increase your income, and
therefore it is not unreasonable for them to expect something
similar in exchange. Other vendors on the grounds have to pay
to
be there, and so it seems (on the surface and without giving it
much thought) that photographers should too. Continue to bargain
in good faith by assuring them that you would like to contribute
to their committee, and that you're sure you can work something
out that is beneficial to both parties.
In
order to negotiate something workable, start by telling them that
you understand their position and that you agree with their logic
about vendor fees. This shuts down confrontational attitudes and
makes things flow a little more readily in your direction. Be
inventive and confident and explain that you are more than a vendor
and therefore don't fall into that category.
Remind
them (very, very gently) that the photos are for the riders, first.
It is a service you provide for them, that they appreciate it
greatly, and that you couldn't do it without the committee's making
it possible. Tell them how the riders appreciate that the show
committtee wants a photographer
there. The show itself, obviously, is for the riders, but show
committees tend to forget this little detail, they get so wrapped
up in the big project.
|
The
committee itself can benefit from having you there, too, not as
a paying vendor (because you are so much more than that), but
as someone who can help promote their shows in the coming years.
They might not have looked at it that way. Furthermore, they can
use pictures in programs. They can run them in the local newpapers
demonstrating what's going on in the community, and how they are
contributing to it.
In
addition, your photos are an excellent way for the committee to
express appreciation to their sponsors. Sponsors love having pictures
of themselves doing good works -- such as bringing income to the
local community. The judges also like to have photographic memoirs
of shows they've worked.
Tell
the committee that you are willing to give them some photos, whatever
amount you figure works for you. And DO figure it. How much extra
film do you have to shoot? How much extra in processing, and how
much extra in printing and shipping them! It all adds up, especially
if you have to pay a rush fee to the lab and special delivery
charges.
In
all your dealings in photography, start by saying you understand
their point of view; explain yours; and then see how you can bring
the two together. Good luck!
Susan
Sexton
www.susansexton.com
|
Inspirational
Moments . . .
"Photographers
deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they
have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make
them come back again."
--
Henri Cartier-Bresson
|
|
DIGITAL
CONNECTION:
The Myth of "Cheaper" Digital Photography
|
|
Digital photography is not less expensive than film photography
and actually is much more expensive. While it is true there
are not hard expenses of film or developing, there are significant
"hidden" expenses of shooting digitally that do
not apply to film.
Those
are:
*
the recoupment of required equipment costs which are considerably
higher than film including computers whether those are taken
on site or not - take just a camera body to compare: a 35mm
film body of sufficient quality for the heavy workload of
a pro will cost from $500 - $2000 vs. a digital body which
will be $3000 - $6000 or more
*
the need to continue upgrading digital equipment - a film
body can last a decade while a digital body will be obsolete
in 2 years tops and may or may not hold up much longer than
that - we just don't know yet the expected failure profile
for sensors & other technology involved - if the equipment
doesn't fail, the quality of technology 2 years from now
may be so much greater that today's top-end camera is just
not good enough to deliver high quality any longer
*
the recoupment for considerable software & storage media
costs which are not part of film - a consumer needs 1 or
2 storage cards, Pros need many more and use them much harder
than any consumer ever will - digital imaging software costs
$500 or more just to get started with many more options
raising that cost ever higher and again, new versions are
released frequently which mean upgrade costs to stay abreast
of the latest level of quality in the industry - replacement
of storage media if/when (another unknown) there is failure/obsolescence
*
the significant time required to use software, move data
files,manipulate/interpolate/retouch/reformat/print or send
electronically to a lab for print images to deliver a finished
product - this is considerably more time required than the
time it takes to drop at the lab when processing film -
time spent working post production needs to be time considered
when calculating cost of doing business because other paying
jobs cannot be done during the time that must be spent on
these tasks
*
the time required to learn software & concepts required
for digital shooting - this is ongoing with technology changing
rapidly - many consumers have no need to understand file
formats, Photoshop, resolution, printing, etc. and may be
perfectly happy with displaying images on a pc or having
lab prints made - Pros must know it all and stay abreast
of the latest developments to be effective and continue
to offer the highest quality service to customers
|
*
wages for the required desk person for digital review/order/delivery
on site or even in the office - film work can be done without
full time desk support onsite and with much less educated
& lower paid employees (after all, no computer/software
background is required to show prints or write up order
forms for film)
All
pros should do some reading on the web (APAdigital, the
Advertising Photographers of America's digital yahoo group,
and the Pro forum at www.dpreview.com are 2 good places
to start) to see how other pros are pricing & billing
for digital services. Most digital pros are incorporating
Digital's inherent higher costs into higher fees overall
and adding post-production fees that cover the required
ministrations to color correct, sharpen, watermark, format,
transmit, etc. every image delivered. A few have been stung
hard by failing to include these costs and are trying to
help others by sharing stories. And yes, clients need to
be educated about this just as copyright & use licensing
education should be ongoing.
As
digital is promoted to the masses by camera makers as "easy
& cheap" many don't consider real costs in equipment
& specifically in the time added to our workflows. Certainly
for consumers, digital is easier & cheaper once their
basic learning curve is mastered and as long as they are
happy which may be for many years. For pros, digital is
a totally different, more complex & intensive story
that changes at an incredibly fast rate. If you are shooting
digitally or considering it, do yourself and your industry
a favor and learn all you can about the business side of
it as well as the technical considerations. Obviously, a
Pro needs to deliver top notch quality service & product
and education is key. Saving money is a great thing but
don't fall into the trap of overlooking the somewhat "hidden"
yet significant costs of going digital. You and your customers
benefit when you ensure you will make a sufficient profit
and be able to stay in business and continue providing the
services the customers need.
Kathleen
Wattle
Captive Spirit Photography
"Capturing the essence . . .
for Business or Pleasure"
www.captivespirit.com
|
|
The
Vintage Image
This
is my Dad, William H. Chisholm, on his pony at my grandparents'
farm, Strathglass, in Purchase (Westchester County), NY. Photo
taken in the early 1920's.
Photographer unknown.
Barb
Young
-----------------------
http://www.RainbowFarm.com
Premium Oldenburg horses and fancy sport ponies
http://www.RainbowFarm.com/photos.html
Quality equine photography for the Western Slope
|
|
|
|
MARKETING
INSIGHTS:
“How
To Write An EMailed News Release”
|
| You
want to get the word out about your accomplishments and upcoming
events without spending bucks to do it? Write a news release for
your targeted market.
Here’s
10 tips to writing a news release that the publication may use:
1)
Put the name and address of your organization and the name and
phone number of a person to contact for more information. Publications
often want to talk with you for answers to additional questions.
2)
Follow the heading with the phrase: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
3)
Drop down a couple of spaces and type in all capitals a headline
summarizing your message. For example: SUSAN SMITH EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHIC
ON EXHIBIT AT ABC GALLERIES.
4)
A couple of spaces below that, type a second sentence supporting
your headline. Example: Wild horses of the West featured.
5) Follow with the information you have to offer in the body of
the release. Begin with the name of the city you are reporting
from and the date the release was written. Your first sentence
should re-tell the information in the headlines.
For
the example above:
ST. LOUIS, March 1, 2002. Equine photographer Susan Smith traversed
the Rockies for 3 months to capture images of the elusive wild
horse.
|
6)
The most important information should go at the beginning, with
the less important details coming at the end. Put your newsworthy
information first. Lead with whatever you think the reporter will
be most interested in. Let the less important details bring up the
rear.
7)
Keep your release to a page or two. Even a half-page release will
often do the job. Publications want the information quickly and
with a minimum of effort. They will call you for more details,
if interested in expanding the story.
8)
If there is a photo to accompany the news release, let the publication
know if and how the photo is available from you (after the end
of the release).
9)
Be sure to send your press release to the email address of the
publication editor(s).
10)
Most important, keep in mind to write clearly and newsworthy from
the eyes of the publication. Publications are not obligated to
print your news release. If they find your information newsworthy,
of interest to their readers, and have space to fill in their
next issue, they just may use your press release and give you
some valuable free publicity. Good luck!
Best
regards,
Susan G. Holtzman Marketing Strategies & Solutions
“Helping People Get What They Want”
email SusanGHoltzman@aol.com
Future columns include:
-PAID vs FREE: How To Know Which To Use
-PAID ADVERTISING: How To Maximize Your Buck
|
Legal
Views
Question:
If
a rider isn't recognizable to public, meaning back to
camera or just partly visible in frame, do I need a release
for commercial use of photo? (e.g., I have great photos
from Rolex Horse Trials and want to sell them as prints).
|
|
Answer:
If the rider is not generally identifiable, a release is
not required. However, keep in mind that just because the
person has their back to the camera or is only partly visible
does not necessarily mean the person cannot be identified.
You need to consider the totality of the circumstances such
as clothing, color and size of horse, etc. to determine
whether someone is recognizable.
Bert P. Krages
Attorney at Law
6665 S.W. Hampton Street, Suite 200
Portland, Oregon 97223
http://www.krages.com/lvaserv.htm
Editor's Note: Bert Krages is an attorney
practicing environmental and intellectual property law in
Portland, Oregon.
He is also the author of the Legal Handbook for Photographers:
The Rights and Liabilities of Making Images
More information on his book may be found at http://www.krages.com/lhp.htm
|
|
Spotlight:
Behind the Camera
Paula da Silva
I
was born in Africa, from Portuguese parents and subsequently
moved to Italy where I currently reside with my family.
I first came across horses when I started riding at the
age of 10 whilst attending a military school in Portugal,
near Lisbon(my father was an officer in the Portuguese
army) until the age of 17, when I completed my studies
in foreign languages and sciences with the highest grades.
I believe that this early start in the equestrian field
has allowed me to develop a deep understanding of the
dynamics and mechanics of movement of the horse which
are of fundamental importance when developing the art
of being able to visualise and anticipate the decisive
moment in which to take a photograph.
I then went on to study medicine, but my love for horses
was so strong that I decided to leave the university and
pursue a career in the equestrian business: after working
for two years training hunters and dressage horses, I
obtained the equivalent of the AI teaching qualifications
and taught mainly children at my equestrian centre in
Italy for approximately 10 years. I also used to run a
small Arabian horse stud farm near my home where my stallion
Madjid el Nabil stands.
It
was during the early years at school that I developed
my passion for photography, often winning prizes at local
competitions for my images and poetry. I believe that
photography allows you to document reality in a fairly
objective way, leaving enough room for personal interpretation
of a subject but without becoming too subjective as it
would be possible through painting. It is the subject
that creates the image and the camera does all the work
to capture it, my role as photographer is merely limited
to choosing the right moment, to stop time for an instant
and preserve it forever.
The aim of portraiture photography is to create images
revealing traits of the subject's character and attitudes.
This is also very true with horses. We all know that horses
have very distinctive 'personalities' and I feel that
it is the job of the photographer to capture these so
that the images produced are unequivocally those of that
particular horse and not just nice settings with a horse
in the scene. Portraits are my favourite subject, and
my camera is a Nikon F5 with a zoom 80/200mm. I am considering
the digital cameras, but haven't tried so far.
Having
grown up and studied in different countries has certainly
had an impact on my cultural "roots" deeply
influencing my aesthetic and photographic taste which
is rather anti-conformist at times. This multicultural
background has resulted in a 'way of seeing' that allows
me to explore less conventional approaches to equestrian
photography as shown in some of my pictures.
Other
activities include organising and hosting various stages
in different countries, thanks to me being fluent in several
languages. These stages are always well received within
the equestrian community, the subjects ranging from management,
breeding, marketing, photography and first aid. There
are always several guest VIP speakers, some of them travelling
long distances to be there. One of the forthcoming projects
in this field is to hold a horse management course in
Portugal in April 2002 and at the same time do a photo
shoot for a few breeders.
I
own and run the website 'Horse Project' (www.horseproject.it)
written in six different languages to make available to
the world a wealth of information at no cost. The site
includes several forums on horse and stable management,
veterinary, legislation, breeding, all monitored by experts
in their relevant fields. The main objective of Horse
Project is to help spread information and educate horse
owners so that ultimately all horses will benefit. The
website also serves to showcase for my work, I balance
the necessity of display and concern over protection of
my artwork online. My best photos I must keep private
and protected as unfortunately there are many who surf
the internet that have not yet recognized the value of
just looking and dreaming.
|
Paula da Silva
www.horseproject.it
|
|
| Photo
Tip . . .Shooting Product
When
shooting equine product for catalogs or other, try a piece
of velvet behind the subject to soak up all excess light
and simplfy the background. This works whether outside in
natural sunlight or indoors with flash. Choose a color that
will let your items stand out to their maximum potential.
Image shows a rack of spurs in front of brown velvet shot
outside in direct sunlight.
Cristy Cumberworth
www.horse-photography.com
|
İCristy
Cumberworth |
|
|
»This
Just In...«
- The
7th Annual Larry Larson Equine Photography Clinic set for May
10-12 at the High View Ranch in Rapid City, South Dakota is nearly
filled. Students are already enrolled from California, Washington,
Texas, Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota
and South Dakota as well as Canada. Call or email me for a clinic
itinerary and information. Larry Larson Photography, Inc., Post
Office Box 3145, Rapid City, South Dakota 57709. llarson@rapidnet.com
605-393-0900 (Evenings)
|
The
mission of EPNet News is to inspire, educate and reinforce
the importance of integrity and professionalism in business practice.
As
a publication of the Equine Photographers' Network, the EPNet
News does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy or completeness
of any information presented. One Horse Productions, the staff
of EPNet News, guest authors of the EPNet News and current members
of the Equine Photographers' Network are not responsible for errors,
omissions or for results obtained from the use of such information.
Any reference to specific products, process, or service does not
necessarily constitute or imply endorsement of such. All photographs
and illustrations on newsletter are copyrighted through the respective
photographer/designer and the Equine Photographers Network through
publishing in the EPNet News .These images are not in the public
domain and may not be posted on personal or commercial websites
or correspondence or used in any manner without obtaining permission
of the copyright holder. For more information on images contact
EPNet News Editor.
Editor: rebecca@rebeccabaucus.com
© 2002 Equine Photographers' Network, All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer
|
Site
design by One Horse
Productions
|
