Making the Best of Event Photography

[by Jenna Close]

I will fully admit that events are far from my favorite type of thing to shoot.  It seems that the lighting is always difficult, the days are always long and the settings less than majestic.  That said, there are benefits to event photography that can be used to your advantage.  Often it is a great way to meet and interact with those who make the marketing decisions for large corporations.  If you play your cards right, these people may hire you to fill the commercial photography needs of the company in the future.  It can also be an excellent way to practice shooting portraits on the fly with minimal lighting set-ups.

Two things have really stuck with me from my experiences with event photography: one, make sure you charge enough.  Many estimates for events seem to be priced by the hour, so make sure you set your hourly rate high enough to make it worthwhile.  Don’t forget about post-production charges if you intend on doing any.  If you need to, add this labor into your hourly rate.  Two: wear comfortable shoes.  Really.  Conference halls are large and you will be running around quite a bit.  (I once chose fashion over function and had sore feet for days after.)

Jenna Close, along with partner Jon Held, run P2 Photography.  They specialize in imagery for the alternative energy market.  You can find Jenna at www.p2photography.net.

Per Image Pricing for Events

[by Rosh Sillars]

I’m a big fan of per-image pricing. I use it most for events in the retail environment.  This is especially true for the rare one or two corporate client weddings I photograph each year.

I’ve discovered that people’s budgets are often bigger than what they reveal to me or even what they originally envisioned.  Per-image pricing allows me to offer good clients a fair option without feeling like they’re taking advantage of me.

I begin by requesting a non-refundable down payment to save the date.  The payment is credited toward the first images they purchase.  For retail events, the per-image rate is much lower than commercial rates due to the volume and the personal-use license.

Once I’ve edited my images, I upload them to Photoshelter with the option to download each image at the agreed-upon rate.  I still offer prints through the system, but the smallest size available is 4×6 at the same rate as the original file download.

Is there a risk? Absolutely. Fortunately, I have found when I work hard and present creative images to my clients, they’re happy and I receive a monetary reward.

Rosh Sillars is the co-author of “The Linked Photographer.”  View his people photography at http://people.roshsillars.com

Thoughts on Event Photography

[by Kevin Lock]

Are you thinking that Event Photography is a dead end street?  I say you are looking in the rear view mirror.

At first glance, it might appear that event photography is just a way to make money, a way to survive in tough economic times.  Of course there is money involved and it is nice to make but that is not the prize that I am eyeing.
While event photography is not my forte and it certainly does not feed my soul, it does serve my purpose.

Event photography is simply a means to an end.

The means is actually “the opportunity” and the end is a new client that I might not have “reached” if I did not have the stomach to take this journey.

I actively market to events, specifically ‘corporate events.’  Corporate events are easy to research online and have definite deadlines.  They involve people within the corporate world that I am trying to reach and make an impression upon.  They happen all the time and all over the world.

It is my intention is to obtain a new client, and have that client fall in love with me.
Once the love is made and the relationship solidified (thru the documentation of their event, delivering high quality imagery, and the development of a friendly relation that I started and actively sought)… How can they refuse to hire me again?

I have faith that my client will recognize the potential in having me do other types of work, work they were not even considering when we began our journey.

As you take your eyes away from the rear view mirror, pull over, open the passenger door and offer a new client a ride.  I am certain you will be pleasantly surprised as they will embrace a journey into the world of your photography.

Kevin Lock is a National Board member of the ASMP.  When not picking corporate hitchhikers, Kevin can be found shooting corporate events in your home town.

Sweat the Small Stuff

[by Judy Hermann]

A couple of years ago, I surveyed a bunch of photographers to find out what Assistants do that drives them crazy.  If you’re building a business as an Assistant, following these tips will help you win ongoing client loyalty and great referrals.

1. Be on time.  If you’re not going to be on time, be early.  If something catastrophic (and it had better be catastrophic) happens and you’re going to be late, call the photographer the moment you know you’re not going to make it on time.
2. Dress appropriately.  Most photographers are pretty casual but not all clients look kindly on piercings, tattoos, etc.  When in doubt, ask the photographer what’s expected.
3. Stay on task.  Don’t text, make or take calls or use your iPod unless you’re on a break.  Don’t sit or eat unless the photographer is doing the same or tells you it’s ok.
4. Communicate openly.  Ask the photographer what their expectations are and be honest about your ability to fulfill them – never exaggerate your skills or knowledge level.
5. Be Proactive.  Anticipate what the photographer’s going to need and have it ready.  If the photographer grabs a powerpack, have that extension cord plugged in before he or she has to ask.
6. You’re not just an extra pair of hands.  You’re also an extra pair of ears. If you overhear any client comments – about the shots or their experience of the shoot, good or bad – discretely convey them to the photographer.
7. Remember who your client is.  Your job is to make the photographer look good.  If you have ideas or solutions, that’s great but share them with the photographer in private.
8. Remember who your client is not.  Never, ever try to get work directly from the photographer’s client unless the photographer explicitly gives you permission to approach them.

The best analogy I’ve ever seen to a great photographer – assistant dynamic is a Surgical team.  Think of yourself as the scrub nurse to the photographer’s surgeon and you’ll do great.

Judy Herrmann’s Breaking into the Biz seminar covers what every student and emerging photographer should know.  Her blog, www.2goodthings.com, helps people earn a living doing what they love.

Are People Really Still Making Calls?

[by Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa-Stone]

A mutual client of ours recently worked on her brand, portfolio and marketing strategy (with Suzanne).  Then she came to Agency Access to work on implementing her marketing through Campaign Manager (with Amanda – a year long plan to make sure marketing is being done).  After getting her beautiful portfolio printed, through PushDotStudio.com, she was ready to start showing her book.  She was ready to tackle her local market first.  We trained her to make the calls using a dialog that has been perfected over the last couple of years (available on AgnecyAccess.com).  After her first attempt of calling, this was her report:

First attempt: local market
-called & emailed 11 contacts today
-had a response (within 10 minutes) saying ‘nice work, what’s your day rate’
-had 2 more responses in the next hour:
1: scheduled an appointment with an art buyer in her local market (NOT NYC)
2: scheduled a meeting for the next week with a very popular Magazine in her local market

Second attempt: trip to the South:
-8 calls to South Advertising Agencies today
-2 meetings set up for next week

Things to focus on when attempting to make these calls:
-Despite the fear of rejection, it feels SO GOOD to be making these calls and actually ‘doing’ something.
-Having a beautiful well thought out book gives you the confidence to make these calls!

Our client emailed last week with her final report and said “THANK YOU, your Your magic formula is working!”  Nothing feels better than knowing that a client is working hard and it’s paying off.

So the answer is YES there are still meetings that are happening – it’s just a matter of how much energy are you willing to put into the calls.  It’s a numbers game.

We also prepared our client for those UNCOMFORTABLE questions (like who have you worked for in the past, etc…) and after her trip to the South, we followed up and she said having those UNCOMFORTABLE situations planned out had her prepared and she felt confident going into those meetings.  You have to be honest, but put a positive spin on your greenness, your lack of commercial work, your fear of location shooting, major productions or whatever your concern is. Remember we all fear something, look it directly in the face and tackled it.  What do you have to lose?  You don’t have this client now,  so go in and conquer!

GOOD LUCK!

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