Cost Justification Time

I just loved when John Nack over at Adobe revealed the color schema and iconography of the entire Adobe line (click here to see larger)


Which leads me to talk about software. Today, I committed to my upgrades to:

Yes, that would be the amazing CS3, the new Bridge, Lightroom, and the new Acrobat 8 Pro. All together, my upgrades ran just over $2k.

"That's A LOT of money, you say!"

I say, it's worth every dime. Each version, I do a reasoned analysis of the capabilities of the new upgrade. I did skip Acrobat 7, for example. I didn't see the cost justification for the number of seats I needed, and the functionality. However, with v8, I see the benefits.

When you're just flopping around thinking that post production doesn't cost much, or is no big deal, don't forget that on a fairly frequent basis, you'll need to be upgrading your software.

For those of you still using pirated versions of any software application, shame on you! Don't ever complain when someone steals your photographs, because that will make you a hypocrite. Then, when you have to shell out $600+ for a full (and, unless you're a bonafide student, that does NOT mean Academic version!) version of Photoshop, you'll understand why it is necessary to charge for Post-Production. Next week, check out Black Star Rising for more on post production charges justification.

For now, though, realize that your soon-to-be expense for your upgrades will only cover your use of the software for about 18 months, before you need to buy the next version, with whatever can't-live-without feature additions.

If you're not factoring in these software costs to your overall expense, you are setting yourself up for more bad business decisions as you "eat" things like upgraded computers, screens, and so on.

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I Appreciate What I Earn

I've been doing a lot of readin' these past few days on forums and other blogs. (That's me, on the left, at my Remelli reading wheel. My laptop's on the floor to my right.) A lot of people are bitchin' about pricing, and RF, and so on. I've done that a few times here, hopefully somewhat constructively. However, in the end, I figure my revenue stream is fairly good. I can't see any lunatic justifying "earning" $0.50 off a license for a photo. You can't even buy a stamp with the $0.25 you have left after taxes.

My assignment fees range, of course, in the $500+expenses range easily to the nearing $2k mark for editorial, and start around $1k and frequently get above $3k for limited licensing of corporate work. I have also completed assignments that exceed $10k. In other words, my fees (and associated expenses) range according to complexity, extensive uses, and so on. For each assignment, I EARN what I am paid. (How the heck else do you think I could afford something so eccentric as a reading wheel??)

Now:

Try dialing 411 on your cell phone - $1.50
Try buying the local paper - $0.35
Try buying a hot dog and soda at Costco - $1.50
Try feeding a parking meter for an hour - $0.50

None of these things can you cover the cost of, with your after-tax profits of $0.25 from that $1 stock sale. You have spent more time working to produce that image than you'll earn on it, almost without exception, FOREVER.

I make no apologies for a fair, thoughtful, and earned revenue stream. I do what I can with portions of that, and my time, to give back to try to help others, and I am often saddened by others who don't have enough self-respect to charge similarly (self-determined) fair and thoughtful rates for their work.

And don't, for a minute, try to suggest that when you get paid $0.50 for the use of your image, you earned anything. You did not. Each use of that photograph represents a net loss. And, woe the businessman who sold everything he had below cost, loosing a few dollars on each, expecting to make it up on volume.

When I see people willing to work for photo credit, or for less than you could rent the equipment you are using and hand it to a monkey to make pictures, what I see people earning, is a reputation as a chump, or as a sucker.

If the local camera store rents a Nikon D2x ($125), single lens ($35), and strobe ($10) for $170, and you take an assignment for $150, you're the sucker. See, the camera store amortized that camera over it's useful (and functional) life, and determined what it cost them to have available for use, plus a moderate profit. When you use your same equipment (plus other lenses, and redundant cameras if you're professional), those same figures apply to you, and taking $150 is paying for the privledge of being that client's sucker. You didn't earn anything. You took a loss, and those losses will compound, over a year or two, and you'll be out of business. And, as PT Barnum once said, "there's a sucker born every minute", so, have no fear, someone will, in ignorant bliss, step in to take their chump change once you're out of the picture.

When you are paid a fair wage, plus profit, you appreciate what you earned. You earn respect from your clients as a professional that can contribute talent to a project. Two years ago, I was called on by a large corporate sponsor to cover a big Spring parade here in Washington. The fee plus expenses for a five hour day on a Saturday exceeded $3,500, with a limited rights package. Last year, someone got the bright idea that it could be done for (a lot) less, and I didn't get it (I asked and it was a lot less). I asked why (which I always do), and the client said price. "No problem, I hope to work with you in the future", I said, and I meant it. Low and behold, something didn't work out last year, because they came back to me again this year. "My fees have increased slightly since two years ago," I said. "No problem, please send along an estimate. This year we probably have two days we'll need you for", they said. "Great, I'll get those estimates right out to you. The rights packages will be the same, with a nominal increase in fees/expenses from two years ago" I said.

Two years ago, I earned that assignment's revenue. It was a profitable assignment for me. Last year, someone had the not-so-bright idea that a monkey with rental gear could do the job, so I did not do it. This year, I am appreciative that they have have returned and remember the level of service and quality images that were delivered when I did it last. I look forward to earning these upcoming assignment's revenue, and earning back this client's understanding of the value that I bring to bear on each assignment.

Respect, and especially self-respect, is not for sale to the lowest bidder, just ask the starlet hoping to make it big as an actress who starts out in adult flicks. For some reason, that just never works out for her. Ask the late night "if you've got a phone, you've got a lawyer" guy. Respect is earned, and not through nickel-and-dime "sales", but rather valuing your own work. Interestingly enough, it seems that the higher you price your time and licensing fees, the greater respect you get. Sure, you might have fewer assignments, but you'll have earned so much more respect for the work that you do do.

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Save the Date: March 28th, Philly Bound!

Best Business Practices for Photographers

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Program description:
How do you operate a successful freelance photography business, even if you're a staffer? How do you determine your rates, handle supposedly "no-change" contracts, late-paying clients, and debates over rate increases. Simply put —the business of photography is just plain time-consuming and oftentimes daunting. How can you negotiate better? How do the needs of editorial and commercial clients diverge and intersect? During this presentation, John will address these topics and more as you learn to handle your business better and more efficiently. We’ll discuss considerations when developing rates and resources, designing a business model that accounts for everything from taxes to business expenses, plus several techniques for negotiating with clients.

Social Chit-Chat: 6:30 - 7:00 pm
Program begins: 7:00pm

Community College of Philadelphia : http://www.ccp.edu/site/, Photo Studio B1-21 Bonnell Building, 1700 Spring Garden St 19130 215-751-8319

Other program details: http://www.asmpphilly.com

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Remembering A Legend

Monte Zucker, you may have heard, has gone on to his great reward. Monte first came into my consciousness when I learned that he and I shared the same lab, Custom Touch, in Hyattsville, Maryland. While I only met Monte once, he was legend amongst photographers, and rightly so.

A story I recount, I can assure you, is true. The story goes that Zucker, known to be the best wedding photographer in the business, was arriving to his appointment with a prospective bride, groom, and bride's parents, in the ultra-exclusive Potomac Maryland enclave. As he was walking towards the house, the florist, whom he knew quite well, was leaving. Monte asked if she was doing the wedding, and she said she was, and they'd just confirmed their budget for flowers. "How much?" Monte asked. "$30,000", came the reply. Monte contratulated the florist, and headed in to his appointment.

After looking through his work, and discussing his style, the bride's parents asked the unasked question, "How much for you to be the photographer?" Monte, not missing a beat, said "$30,000." The bill-paying parents were incredulous. "That's outrageous!" they said. Monte, always the calm and collected one, said softly "You're paying $30,000 for flowers, which will last one day. My photographs will last a lifetime, and always remind you of this wonderful occasion. They are certainly worth atleast as much as the flowers." With that, Monte booked the wedding.

We all have much to learn from Monte, not just from him as the consumate businessman, but more importantly, as a good person with a good heart. As is said in Matthew 25:23, "Well done, good and faithful servant...enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Rest in peace, Monte.

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Hack Journalists and Paparazzi

When I picked up Saturday's Washington Post, I read the front page article by hack tabloid journalist Amy Goldstein, and then further read the trash written by that other muckraker Dana Milbank....

Oh, wait. Was that offensive? Hmmm. Reviewing the caption that accompanied Ms. Goldstein's article, dead center top above the fold, was the following caption:

"Valerie Plame strolls into the hearing room, the only sound the paparazzi's shutters."

Then, I read in Milbank's article the following:

"A hearing room in the Rayburn House Office Building, March 16, 2007. Valerie Plame, playing herself, enters the room fashionably late, and 30 paparazzi start shooting. She walks with the slow poise of a catwalk model, pausing for the cameras on the way to the witness table."

Now, the photo is credited to the post's photographer, not a paparazzi. I know her. In other photographs from the event, published by Reuters, the AP, and (well, if you believe the reporter's count, and a round "30" seems a bit inaccurate to me) 27 others, are colleagues whom I know quite well, and they too are not paparazzi. To coin a phrase - "I know paparazzi. I've worked alongside paparazzi, and those men and women there that day were not paparazzi."

The word "paparazzi" is a pejorative. Just like calling the Post a tabloid. Just like calling Goldstein a hack or Milbank a muckraker. Those members of the Senate Press Photographers Gallery can courteously stand behind a velvet rope between two stanchions at the most intense of a news event, and all come away friends and bruise-free. The paparazzi require metal barricades be erected, and strong-armed security details to keep the true paparazzi from their prey.

Those photographers were the working press. The visual arm of the reporters you see clamoring for the Starr Report, the Iraqi Study Group Report, or any other hotly debated document's release. Do we ascribe to those reporters who are hoping to get the document and get it on air first or get their story onto the wire first, perjoratives?

I have known many a time a reporter has wanted a photographer with them on a story, because they know that having a photograph and solid headline will get their pieces read. A story without a photograph is less likely to be read, and a story with a large photograph is much more likely to be rememebered. These insights, from the EyeTrack III study reaffirm what photographers have already known, but some reporters might have forgotten. Clearly those that refer to their breathren in a derogatory manner need a refresher.

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The Importance of Markup

One of the things I have long held in high regard is my relationship with my agency - Black Star. They are a true photo agency, looking out for the best interests of their photographers, as opposed to those of Wall Street investors. Fair rates are secured, rights packages are licensed, and so on. They have had a blog running for awhile, Black Star Rising, and they've asked me to contribute to it (and I've created my own graphic to illustrate that). So, from time to time, I'll be posting over there, and encourage you to hop on over to the article that I wrote there instead of perusing it here. There are a bunch of other interesting articles to read there as well. The link for the article on the importance of marking up one's costs is: Markup? Yes Mark it up!

Check it out.

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One more nail in the coffin

What do the movies X-Men, X2, Contact, Rambo III, The Karate Kid III, and Batman & Robin have in common? Director of Photography David Stump, who says about The RED Camera, "The RED Mysterium sensor has finally pushed digital acquisition past the timeless 35mm barrier in resolution and clean color fidelity."


What he's not saying it how it's going to affect still photographers. At 29.97 FPS, the previous standard, and with a smaller chip, HD was "almost there" in replacing still photography at major news and sporting events. It would have required special merging software to take two frames that were shot at 1/30th and merge them into one sharp image.

Now, at 1/60th of a second, AND with 11.4MP, you can bet for certain that the 2008 Superbowl and ensuing Olympics will be shot primarily with these cameras, and were *I* the holder of the TV rights to the broadcasts, I would be looking to monetize key-moment stills from my events, and talking with, say, a major sports wire service to license out those images from their 15+ cameras at each game.

Yes yes, TV would need an amendment to their contract, probably, for the rights to sell still images, but once say, CBS put a number on that, the leagues would take that number to commercial photo agencies and dictate a pay-to-cover scenario. This will then leave, at best, local-to-the-team newspaper coverage, who would then have to pay careful attention to NOT allowing the commercial photos to get too much play, or risk their own independant access/credentials.

This means that the glory of covering "the big game" is fading fast. What little assignment money that remains will come from smaller college games, and events where TV is not covering, or is covering with antiquated equipment. So, in about a year, pay close attention to the TV guy next to you, it may be his corporate parent company that you are competing with, along with the skycam Red HDTV images never before seen in print, as well as the rest of the unseen cameras around each stadium, that is your competition!

How much are these cameras? According to Engadget, "the initial batch of $17,000 pre-orders are long gone...", and they go on to say (in this article) "...it all starts with the $17,500 RED ONE base system...you can add your choice of the $1,250 Basic or $2,750 Premium production packs...$1,650 RED ONE Power Pack featuring 2x RED BRICK 140Wh batteries and charger, a $1,950 RED Electronic Viewfinder, and the $1,700 5.6-inch LCD. Optics accessories include a $3,500 B4 lens adapter and both Canon and Nikkor 35mm photo mounts costing $500 each. There are also several RED branded media accessories for CF, SATA disk, and something called the "RED RAM 64GB" for $4,500 -- extortionate if that's just a RED-branded SSD in an external housing. But hey, no one said that a 4k resolution and 60p frame rate would come cheap."

Well, that about makes this camera as costly as a standard Sony or JVC professional betacam. In other words, it's not some boutique $100k camera that no broadcast operation could afford, it's something that costs the same as the cameras they are using now. Wikipedia has more technical information about this 4520 x 2540 pixel camera.

Want less size and 1920x1080 pixels (that's 12.8" x 7.2" at a standard 150dpi for newspapers)? Check here for a much smaller 60fps.

If you're a photographer shooting major sporting events, this is going to be one more (really big) nail in the coffin, as with major tv news events. Evolve and survive, or keep doing what you're doing how you're doing it at your own peril.

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The Photo Booth Rig

I've been getting several inquiries about the photo booth setup I had put together up at the Northern Short Course last week. I'd never done this setup quite like this before, save for once at a friend's wedding, but in that setting, there was no printer for the immediate gratification of the self-portrait subjects. Up in Warwick, subjects walked away with a 5x7 to memorialize their experience. My colleague, Brian Storm (a multimedia genius) insisted I post the specs of the setup, so here goes...

My journey began when I decided that my lab needs were not being met through outsourcing, and I came across the new Sony DR-150 being sold by Imaging Spectrum, whose folks I met at the PPA ImagingUSA event early in January. I ordered this to decrease my reliance on my outsourcing lab, not for a photo booth operation, but ended up deciding it would work great for this project.The results were amazingly fast, and here's the blurb from the ImagingSpectrum folks about the printer's capabilities:

Sony's fastest dye sub printer, which offers high-volume roll printing, durable print heads, and a simple front-access design, is now available for a net price of $305 (after mail in rebates)! Buy a Sony 150 before March 31 and get via mail, a $250 rebate, 2 cases of 4x6 paper ($470 value), and 2 cases of 5x7 paper ($770 value). The UPDR150 prints 4x6 images in about 8 seconds, 5x7's in ~15 seconds, and 6x8's in approximately 20 seconds.

To get your own, contact Steve at ImagingSpectrum.com, click that link.

My next step was the software necessary for immediate gratification. We of the now digital age want to see our files within seconds. This printer doesn't disappoint, but getting the files from camera to print was the challenge. In steps Tim at TriPrism, who has this amazing TEPS-X software that delivers files from shutter release to media in about 20 seconds total.

First, the setup:





Here , you'll see how Baltimore Sun phototojournalist David Hobby produced repetitive 5x7's and continued to photograph himself with them. Hobby also writes the blog Strobist.com.

Here are ONE, TWO, and THREE examples of people that are posing WITH their 5x7's with the software-added event logo overlay.

Here, you can see almost all of the images that were printed during the weekend.

For the subject's instant preview of their self-portrait, I used my own external 20" Visio monitor (seen to the right of the autopole in the second image), with s-video in for previews. About $400 at Costco. This was critical for people's interaction with the setup, and s-video was important as that was the video out from the laptop.

I have since placed an order for this ZigView from Penn Camera, which, with the accessory removable 2.5" LCD screen, will let people see themselves in the viewfinder as they are arranging themselves. I have other uses for this, of course, I am not buying it for this rig, but I know it will be helpful.

Laptop 1 - Primary 17" laptop. USB port 1 goes to Camera, USB Port 2 goes to a USB hub that connects the printer via USB and the necessary USB Software Authentication Key that comes with the printing software. Since you can find a USB hub anywhere, I'm just sayin you need one, otherwise, you're one port short, since you need the USB authorization key, printer, and camera plugged in at all times.

Laptop 2 - Secondary 15" laptop. I was only able to find one way to automatically have the images (on a Mac), AS THEY ARE SHOT, refresh, and it was using the "desktop images folder" set within system preferences to do that. All other applications, once you started the slide show, it only accessed whatever images were in the folder when the slideshow started, even the screen saver. This laptop connected wirelessly to the 17" laptop, mounting it as a network drive, and then used as the source for "desktop images" the folder that is created by the software that keeps a file saved of just the images printed. In turn, this laptop was connected via a 50' VGA cord to my LCD projector, which displayed the images on the wall, in the background.

Nikon D2X with 17-55mm lens. This worked great with the 9' backdrop. Note: The Nikon battery needs to be changed twice within a four hour period. My first camera test was with my Canon 1Ds Mark II, and it worked fine too. I think that as long as your camera has a USB or Firewire out, you can make it work teathered just fine. I've not toyed with doing this wirelessly, altough I do have a wireless transmitter for both bodies. To maximize throughput of the files, I always shot at the smallest JPEG size, which still sends over a 2000 pixel wide file, suitable for an 8x10, if necessary at a later date.

One Autopole with tri-leg base. This allowed the entire setup to attach just to the pole, with pressure to the ceiling and the floor, and the added stability of the tri-leg to ensure it all wouldn't fall over. The gold wiring at the top was where I disassembled the ceiling fixture that hung over the table, and clamped the wires up out of the way. That pole is under pressure with the rubber foot on the top holding it up to the cieling. Note part of the tri-leg base at the bottom of one of the photos.

Two Mathelini clamps on opposite sides of the pole to attach the lights to, just above the camera's superclamp, and just below the autopole's tensioning lever. This was the easiest way to connect the 40" extension arms that held the lights.

Two Hollywood Heads with 40" extensions on them to attach the lights. This was important because I didn't want people tripping on the lightstands for the heads/umbrellas. (note the one lightstand in one of the photos is not holding up the head, it's just standing back there as it was a prop for an earlier picture.)

One Superclamp and Bogen geared head tripod head with quick release plate. Mine is an older model, the 410 Junior. This head is important because there is no loosening, adjusting, and then tightening if you wanted to raise or lower the angle, just dial the gear and it always stays tight.

One Hensel Vela 1500 pack, with two heads, at about 1/4 power. Fast recycle ensured. Two Hensel 3000 heads. You could use lighter Monobloc heads if you'd like. Just make sure you hardwire them, as lots of people like to take their own snaps, and you want to ensure the heads only trigger to your camera. This may require a Y-splitter for the wiring. I suppose you could also use a Dynalite pack with two heads too.

Two Wescott silver umbrellas, about 30" in diameter.

One wired remote for the camera so people could do self-portraits.

One superclamp with a U-hook on it so that people could return the wired remote to it's correct place below the camera for the next guest.

At one point, we used Pocket Wizards to trigger the pack by the camera, but switched to hard wired when the batteries ran out and we'd forgotten AA's.

Note that the equipment is raised off the table during the party with equipment cases, incase anyone spilled a beer. It didn't happen, but we wanted to be safe!

LCD Projector - Standard Epson projector, raised to the cieling with an autopole, and connected via superclamp and Magic Arm to a Bogen accessory tray that held the projector (like their Video Monitor Tray 3152, or their accessory tray FF0844.) This projector made a big difference, as people who were not in the photo booth could see what their friends and colleagues were up to, and served as a form of "performance platform" for people to try a variety of off the wall things in a very freeform way. You can see the projected images in one of the photos past the autopole in the background.

Paper was standard 9' superwhite Savage brand, used for both the backdrop wall, and the projected image wall. All paper was taped up, eliminating stands that people could trip on.

Note that it is not my plan or intention to go into the photo booth business. I figured this rig out because I wanted to do something fun at the NSC, and it may make it's way to another upcoming photographer's gathering. However, I like the ability to be able to offer this type of service to my regular clients, when requested, and, more importantly, to be able to produce reprints in house for those clients who need printed pieces.

So, why use this rig? Why invest in the software? Because when subjects have to wait even a minute or two, they will wander off, and not return for their print. If it's in a corporate convention center booth, you want the corporate sales person wrapping up their dialog with the prospect as the print is printed in under 30 seconds. Further, in a closed environment, like a wedding, the ability to pass around and share with others, will increase the interest at the event of getting a print. In fact, you could sell this service as what the bride and groom give as favors!

I've assembled a complete list of what's needed. Clicking on the links below completely pre-populates the e-mail with what you need, as noted above, To get your own Sony DR150 printer, click to reach Steve at ImagingSpectrum.com. To get the TEPS-X software, click for Tim at TriPrism. And, for all the hardware, click Jeff Snyder, at Penn Camera. While the Penn list does not include the camera, lens, or laptop(s), because I am assuming you have suitable stand-ins for them, they sell those too, just ask.

So, what should you charge for this? Hmmm. I'm still working on that. My general sense is that, to spend a day for a client, including you as the photographer (also shooting other things), an assistant to hit "print" and attend to the rig, and all the media (which is probably 300 to 400 prints a day), the cost should be somewhere around $2,500 for the day, all in. I may change my mind on this figure, but I'll work through it, and let you know. This would, of course, be where you were "giving away" to subjects all the photos, which, in the end, is covered by the client who hired you. If you're doing prints where you are selling them individually, the model I have to go by is the photo kiosks that charge $10 for a 5x7, and $25 for an 8x10, but I have not fulling investigated those figures enough yet. More on pricing later.

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Self Confidence

Remember when you were under age, and tried to fake your way into a bar, buy at a liquor store, or buy cigarettes? Perhaps it was a cousin's license that sorta looked like you. Maybe it was your license that you'd changed the date because your birthdate somehow was easily switchable with a slight stroke of a pen to turn you from 18 to 24. Or, perhaps, a more underhanded way - a totally fake license.

When the license evaluator cast a critical look at it, and handed it back (or confiscated it!) and said "fake. You're not coming in." You stammered something, but you had no fortitude in your position. You knew you'd been busted.

Fast forward to a week after your 21st birthday, when that baby face has the bouncer or store clerk saying "you're not coming in, this is a fake." Within seconds, you are all over him, "What do you mean fake? That's me idiot! I am 21, and I've waited years to get to this date. Get me your manager. You can't keep me out!"

In a short period of time, you've had no confidence in your position (because you knew it was a fake) to the ultimate in self confidence "How dare you...!" This is the attitude you must have about your work as a photographer.

You must develop self-confidence in your work. One of the most important things in business is self confidence, and to believe in yourself. You will almost surely fail if you don't believe in yourself. In the not to distant future, I am going to write about Ego, it's risks and benefits.

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A Commitment to Excellence

Today I turn my attention to the legendary coach Vince Lombardi, and share a few of his quotes for you to ponder:

The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.

Lombardi's words here ring true. If your work is mediocre, and if your service is lackadaisical, your commitment will be lacking, and thus, excellence will not be within your grasp, fair-to-middlin will be.

Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price.

This past weekend, at the NPPA's Northern Short Course, I met many up and coming photographers who clearly are doing everything within their power to become successful. Here in town, I encounter the occasional photographer who is not doing all they can, and I see the sad fact that they are heading towards a life they wouldn't choose full of disappointment, and jealousy of their peers who are succeeding, and they can't understand why. I have seen many come and go, I wish them well, of course, but more importantly, I wish they had made the right choices in the first place.

A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.

Many of those photographers I see on the going end of coming and going are amazing artists and storytellers. They could be great, if they wanted to be. And, they say they want to be, but something, somewhere, somehow, is precluding them from really truly wanting to be great. Perhaps it's fear of success. Perhaps the abscense of determination or dedication. Often, it's the unwillingness to make sacrifices here and there.

I encourage you to make a commitment to excellence, and turn as much of your attention as humanly possible to your own success.You can be a great photographer.

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