What photographers need you to know

Many clients may already know these things but here’s some information that photographers need you to know (in no particular order):

• When a photographer doesn’t answer the phone right away or doesn’t respond immediately to your e-mail, it usually means they’re busy on a job. The photographer is not ignoring you. Some photography can run all day or longer. We devote 100% of our attention to the client and job at hand. Please leave a message. Your call really is important to us.

• Depending on your proposed photo project, it might take from 30 minutes to several days to produce a full and proper photo estimate. Photographers cannot give an off-the-cuff or ballpark price because it’s meaningless. We have to figure out every step of the proposed work before completing the estimate. This benefits you. We put everything in writing. This benefits you.

• Our prices are not pulled out of thin air. What we charge is based on our overhead, our experience, the work required and the value of the pictures. Please don’t expect something for nothing. We run our business exactly the same as all other businesses: we’re trying to make money!

• No photography is ever “just a few minutes” and even then, we don’t charge by the hour. Good rule of thumb is that for every hour of photography, there’s two hours of computer time.

• We don’t work for credit lines or exposure. Credit lines are the law in Canada and exposure doesn’t buy a lot of groceries. You don’t work for free, neither do we.

• Please don’t expect us to finance or subsidize your business. Just as your company must pay its employees on time, we also appreciate being paid on time.

• Don’t ask to constantly review the pictures on the camera’s LCD screen. No one likes a backseat driver. If we shoot while connected to a computer then feel free to take part.

• Our job is to produce great photographs for you. Anything beyond that is beyond our control. Don’t ask us to indemnify your company against your use of the pictures. Photographers are neither publishers nor lawyers. Please take responsibility for the actions of your employees and your company.

• We cannot legally copy another photographer’s work. Please don’t hand us a magazine picture and ask us to copy it.

• Please tell us who’s who at your event. We don’t know your executives or their spouses.

• Describe your photography project in terms of goals not facts. For example, instead of saying, “We need her standing in front of her desk with her arms crossed,” say, “We need her looking confident and in charge.” The latter offers you more options.

• During a photo session, if we ask your executive to sit on the conveyor belt, stand in the middle of the road, toss the product into the air, or do any other seemingly odd thing, it means we may have a great idea. Trust us. Getting something different can be a huge winner when it comes to media attention.

• If Brad Pitt and George Clooney have to wear makeup for their work, then there’s nothing embarrassing about your male executives wearing a touch of makeup for their portraits, if need be.

• Since there are many ways to do any photo, we need to know what the pictures will be used for. What message are you trying to send? What are your expectations?

• Simple expectation doesn’t necessarily mean a simple picture.

• A simple picture doesn’t necessarily mean inexpensive.

• Photoshop can work miracles. But if you’re expecting a miracle then expect to be amazed by our fee.

• It may look like we just push a camera button but it’s actually far more involved than that.

• It really is necessary to edit the pictures. Depending the job, this can take from several minutes to a few days to complete. Please remember to budget for this.

• If you’re not sure, ask. There are no stupid questions. (Actually, there are but we promise not to laugh).

• Photographers love what they do and take pride in their craft. Making good pictures is very important to us because we take it personally. It’s much more than just a job.