Working With A Photographer

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US author Seth Godin recently wrote a post titled Working with a designer (four paths). Since my web site is about business photography, I will steal adapt Godin’s post:

 

Working with a photographer (four paths)

All of us want to look good online, need some web site photos and maybe even a portrait of ourselves. More and more individuals and companies are learning that they need to hire a professional photographer.

It comes down to doing your homework. Be clear with yourself before you spend a nickel or a minute with a photographer. This difficult internal conversation will save you endless frustration and heartache later.

Here are four postures to consider when working with a good photographer:
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Get a Head of Yourself

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What’s the number one way to boost your professional presence?

Get a good business headshot.

This proven piece of advice was recently repeated in The Globe and Mail’s career advice section:

Chris Brown, director of talent solutions for LinkedIn Canada, says numbers prove the value of tidy headshots – profiles with images get 20 times more views. Conversely, profile photos with distant shots, cartoon avatars, and photos with pets may decimate your chances of attracting a potential employer.

The same has been said about the business headshots on a company’s About Us or Contact Us page.

How do you choose a good business portrait photographer? Look at the photographer’s own portrait. If their business headshot is missing or is poorly done then you immediately know that’s the wrong photographer. You need a photographer who understands the importance of a business portrait.

 

Copyright, monkeys and creativity

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The US government stated, in its September 2017 update to its copyrights practices (link to PDF), that it will not register a copyright for any work that lacks human authorship. This includes, but is not limited to:

• A photograph taken by a monkey.

• A mural painted by an elephant.

• A claim based on the appearance of actual animal skin.

• A claim based on driftwood that has been shaped and smoothed by the ocean.

• A claim based on cut marks, defects, and other qualities found in natural stone.

• An application for a song naming the Holy Spirit as the author of the work.

You can be assured that all of the above stem from actual events.
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Taking stock of your photography

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Everything old is new again. Maybe it’s because a new audience is always being born or maybe it’s because some folks fail to learn from history.

Around the year 2000, a Canadian web developer started his own online stock picture agency. Back then, existing stock agencies usually screened prospective photographers and they refused his photos as not being good enough.

His new stock agency accepted everyone and initially gave pictures away for free. But he soon realized that free wasn’t sustainable and he began to charge a few dollars per picture. His stock site was aimed at amateur photographers who were happy to give away their pictures:

The monetary rewards are an added bonus, but I don’t think they’re everything for everyone,” he said. “I think our core group of photographers, our 2000 exclusives” — photographers with portfolios exclusive to iStockphoto — are motivated by the reward of being part of an elite club that engages in creative discussion nonstop.

– Bruce Livingstone

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Public Relations Photography

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This past weekend’s Globe and Mail newspaper, like many of its weekday editions, had several half-page and full-page advertisements that weren’t directly selling anything:

Who would spend up to $75,000 for a full-page ad (link to PDF) that’s not a hard-sell ad?

Universities, colleges and various non-profit organizations.

Why do they do this?
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Licensing Terms for Photography

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A long post about some general licensing terms a professional photographer needs to know.

Although licensing affects pricing, this post has little to do with pricing photography.

These terms are mostly for corporate photographers. Licensing terms for retail photography may be different. Advertising photography will often have more exact terms concerning specific types of usage. Book publishing usually has terms that deal with edition and revision rights, language rights, electronic rights and location rights.

 

The obligatory but important disclaimer: I am not a lawyer but I have photographed many lawyers. The following is intended for your general information. It is foolish to think that any of the following is absolutely true or totally accurate.

The use of any of the following terms does not form a complete contract. There is much more that needs to be included. The devil is always in the details.
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