The business of photography
I don’t know how you feel when shopping for photography. Between the copyrights, prints, post processing and managed rights it can be hard to tell what it is exactly that you are purchasing, if anything. I certainly know it can be confusing, hell it even confuses me sometimes and I do this everyday. So I figured it was time for me to define a couple things for us and to make our lives a little easier.
It is my feeling that a lot of photographers who are still operating on the up sell method of business take advantage of their client’s ignorance. Most notably are the studios around town who offer discounted sitting fees to get you in the door and then nickle and dime you to death buying a bunch of things that don’t have any real value ie: prints, mattes, finishes etc.
You would think when you get to the commercial market things would change drastically. Commercially, you may deal with the management of rights, expiration, distribution limits, reproduction methods, permissions etc. But it all boils down to the same thing. Get you in the door as cheap as possible then make you pay by reducing the value of the photos. Really what is the value of an image you can’t use?
All of this amounts to a poor customer experience and a confusing market where the value of photography swings wildly around from trade for prints (free) to upwards of $75,000 a day.
Business of photography definitions:
The following are what I consider the most important words to understand when purchasing photography.
Image: The digital file, negative or print that is the deliverable product. This can be confusing because the same image of Beau (pictured) can be delivered in more than one way and each way counts as a separate photograph.
Copyright: AKA © That little symbol still carries a lot of power (although maybe a little misguided at the moment) and it is the greatest tool a photographer has to control the value of their product. A firm and clear understanding of what copyright means is a great asset to anyone who hopes to purchase or sell photography.
Grant of Rights: The means by which the photographer sells the images from a photo session. Defines the manner in which the images maybe used by the client.
Managed Rights: If you have ever purchased a portrait session or bought prints from a photographer you have already experienced rights management. It is most easily understood as the restriction on the clients ability to copy or distribute the photos. In the commercial world all aspects can be defined and include expiration of rights, limited geographic distribution and even number, type and size of reproduction. Sometimes the client may even be required to check in with the photographer so they can approve any reproduction before it goes to press.
Exclusive: Means the rights granted are specific to the entity that purchased them, they cannot be transferred and you cannot sell the images to others.
Watermark: Traditionally: A logo or text that is overlaid on the image to discourage unauthorized reproduction. (example: when I post to flickr) Now: I use it as a way to lower the entry level to my photography, and hope that it is a discreetly placed logo and byline. I get the continued advertising and you get an entry level price.
Byline: Is a phrase on the photograph or accompanying the photograph that states legibly: “image by tyson crosbie”. Amy Lamp has an excellent example of an accompanying byline.
Time Value
It has been my intention from the beginning to run an open and transparent photography business; to place value on my own abilities instead of on the products or tools that I sell and use. Personally I value my time as a photographer and that is what I intend to spend the majority of my time doing. I know this makes for a much better customer experience and is exactly why I have a single rate. I don’t up sell anything, I let my clients manage themselves and my contract is only one page long.
I hope to have turned the photo market a little bit on its head by not managing my clients rights to the extent that I become a policeman and by being up front about what I believe my time is worth. It is by directly respecting clients and also valuing their time and intelligence that I have built a loyal and valuable clientele.
Comments
I’d love to hear any thoughts about your past, present or future experiences with the business of photography. Did I miss anything? Is there more I can do to simplify the client experience?
Very valid points, Tyson. I think a lot of what you said can be used across the creative profession, as it’s very hard for anyone unfamiliar with this kind of work to determine its worth.
When it really comes down to it, creative jobs are worth whatever someone is willing to pay, which is why we see works of art that cost more than mansions.
This is where personal responsibility comes in. The artists and creative professionals must abide by a set of guidelines and provide as much information as possible for the client to make an informed decision.
Keep up the good work.
Caption for the image: Beau knows confused
August 8th, 2008 at 4:23 pmSince my wedding, I’ve worked with 2 professional photographers, for the purpose of getting a professional portrait. The first gentleman I found the old fashioned way: the yellow pages. Until recently, I’ve felt I got more than what I paid for, as I walked away with around 50 digital raw images, taken with me wearing 3 different shirts on a CD…essentially I walked away with everything of “value” with no limits to how I could use it. As well, this first guy listened to what I said I wanted, and actually delivered that. The result wasn’t stunning, but it was pretty good…I think I just didn’t know what stunning looked like yet.
The second time around, I didn’t really need a new photo of me, except that my wife was now in my business with me, and we needed something with us together. The first guy wasn’t available, so we went down the street to guy #2. Guy #2 primarily failed to listen to what we wanted. I don’t know why listening to your client is so hard, but honestly, it is for many, many business people. So we got crummy photos, perhaps because he was a crummy photographer, but moreover, I think it was because he didn’t listen, and delivered to us something that we didn’t want. On the business side of it, guy #2 charged 3x what guy #1 charged, and delivered precisely one unedited raw photo on CD.
Honestly, 1 photo or 50 doesn’t really matter that much. You are likely to only ever use 1, or maybe 2, from a single shooting. In both cases, I was careful to explain what I wanted to use the photo for, how it would be published, etc., so that aspect was clear before the shooting, and there wasn’t any argument or up sell/side sell crap following the shooting.
August 9th, 2008 at 12:28 pmIn regards to simplifying the client experience, I can only speak to the avatar session that I had with Tyson. From the initial coordination, to the delivery of the final edits, he did an awesome job which made me proud to be client. Which usually equates to repeat business ;) Anyhow, I wanted to share how exemplary I feel it is that Tyson is continuously looking for ways to provide a paramount client experience. Just one part of my experience was the avatar shoot. Not entirely familiar with the soft edit process, the feedback that was given was extremely invaluable. There were things that participants saw in me that I don’t usually see in myself for whatever reason, imagine that.
As a service provider myself, being able to project the feeling and experience of value in something, that may otherwise be considered as “intangible”, is quite a skill. I wholeheartedly feel that those that are able to do that succeed several times over. Tyson knows a little about that. Thanks man.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:23 am