The following quotes are from a web forum used by art directors, marketing and public relations people, web designers, and other marketing “experts”. The topic was: how much to pay a professional photographer for business portraits to be used on a business web site.
• “You should be able to get a good photographer who will automatically hand over rights for the photos as part of the work. If they are not prepared to do so, then find someone else.”
• “I think you should be able to negotiate getting the rights without paying for them”
• “… the rights should come the cost of paying the photographer.” (sic)
• “[newspaper photographers] … unlike many studio or commercial photographers, are prepared to give us unlimited rights to the finished product at a reasonable cost.”
• “You could probably find some good inexpensive talent at a local college.”
• “[find a photographer who likes the assignment because] … they tend to be cheaper when they’re working on something they enjoy.”
• “As part of your agreement with the photographer obtain full rights to the photos…”
• “… you are buying the right to do whatever you please with the picture. That’s implied in the process: you are contracting a work, not paying for work someone developed independently from you.”
• “When I shoot for a client I try to find out what the intended uses are before I quote anything. Although my prices are pretty standard because I typically include a high-res DVD for every client, and the rights for them to use the images for their business purposes.” – (from a “weekend freelancer” who, based on his title, has a full-time corporate day job.)
The above comments show nothing but disrespect for, and ignorance of, photographers and the photography business. It’s unbelievable that some of these comments came from designers whose own jobs depend on the same copyright laws and licensing principles.
It’s funny how some people are in favour of cheating the other guy, lowballing the other business or stealing content from the other web site. But should any of this happen to them, then the screaming starts.
Here’s the deal. All of us know that we get what we pay for. There are no shortcuts to quality. There are no secret doors.
If you want cheap business pictures:
1) Ask a friend or employee to shoot the pictures on their cell phone. Oh but are the pictures too cheap looking? Then:
2) Get someone to bring their “big camera” from home. Oh wait, are the pictures too amateurish with bad lighting? Then:
3) Find a photo student or camera club hobbyist. On wait, do the pictures have bad poses? The photos don’t have a polished professional look? The pictures aren’t suitable for print or proper media handout and don’t meet prepress requirements?
Amateurs and cheap photographers have nothing to lose when they mess up. And they mess up at your expense.
The worst thing a company can do is cut corners on its business photography. Photography is the number one attention-getter. Quality photography is:
• the only thing that can create eye-contact with the public
• the only form of communication that can create instant trust
• the best way to sell a press release to an editor
• the only way to stand out from those who use cheap photography
• the only way to show your customers that you respect their time. Remember that business pictures are not for your customers not you.
When people go out for a special meal, they never ask, “Where can we find the cheapest steak dinner?” But rather, “Where can we get a good steak dinner?”
Yet when it comes to their all-important business image, some businesses will go cheap. I recently had a small but well-known technology company request a CEO portrait for . . . (wait for it) . . . $75, which is cheaper than a good steak dinner. (sigh)
