I recently answered a few questions on a freelancer site about how potential clients should approach photographers - what questions they should ask, what to expect during a shoot etc. I thought this would be a good starting point for my first blog. I wouldn’t class myself as being the best at getting my thoughts to keyboard but I thought this would be a good way to introduce myself more personally and to discuss my working practises.
So you’ve found my site, probably through instagram as it’ll be a while before I get near the top of Google, you like my style and you see something in my photographs that you think may work too for your brand.
“What are your rates?”
Pretty much all of the enquiry emails I get from potential clients go straight for the money question. This is fine. I have set rates but this doesn’t mean I won’t change them to suit your needs. A small introduction of your company pretty early on will help me decide if there is any wiggle room. If you are just a small start-up operating out of your bedroom then tell me. We all started somewhere and we don’t always have the budgets for e-commerce and marketing we might want.
“Can I send you some images I like?”
Of course. I only have a limited portfolio of images on my site and product photography covers such a broad spectrum. I am always looking at all forms of imagery around me, advertising, other photographers, artists, interior and fashion magazines. I don’t aim to go out and copy others but I do like to look at what techniques may have been used and then test my skills to produce something new. I have been working in commercial photography in various freelance forms for the past 17 years. Most of what you see on this site was shot over the past couple of years. These are the kind of images I like to make. Nothing goes up that I didn’t enjoy working on, no matter who the client may have been.
“I already have a stylist in mind can I send you their details?'“
Not everyone is creative. You might have an idea in your head that you want but you might need guidance to make it a reality. I self-style a lot of my photographs but having a stylist just enhances the creative conversation for everyone involved. I can work to their vision just as much my own. It also allows me to concentrate on the photography side of things which means a full day shoot may become a half-day. If your budget will allow it, it’s definitely worth considering.
“All my products are at my shop, can we shoot there?”
Yes. Even if you have the tiniest of shops or studios I can come up with a solution which meets your needs. If you already have an idea where you want the photos taken I may ask you for some rough dimensions and whether your space has natural light. You can always just over a photo of the area if that’s easier. The difference between shooting in a studio and on location is that at my studio I have 100% control of the lighting, I therefore know what I can achieve before I start. On location I may have limitations to the kind of images I can produce, this could be a good problem to have though - I like a challenge! Either way, I have various options when it comes to artificial lighting.
“When will I receive the images?”
When I quote I will always ask you when you need to take delivery of your photographs. The timescale I can work towards usually depends on the amount of images i’ve taken and to what level of editing is required. My rates include basic editing, for example - colour correction, spot removal, cropping and formatting for web or print. For this level of editing I may be able to deliver your images the same day, generally I aim for 48 hours though. If you require enhanced editing, like a background colour change or products cut-out, then this obviously takes time. It’s not good for my sanity to go straight into a lengthy editing process straight after a shoot!
“Do I have to pay a deposit?”
I may sometimes ask for a deposit if i’m booked for a full day shoot or more and there has been a certain level of preparatory work undertaken, prop sourcing for example. This would normally be 25-50% of the total fee and would be paid 48 hours before the shoot. Once the work is completed I will send an invoice with the files..
“Can you go back and edit this image for me?”
Of course. Don’t worry, I’m not going to disappear off the face of the earth as soon as payment has been received! I am always happy to take a fresh look at my images I’ve produced and see if there’s room for improvement, even months after a shoot. I understand that a lot of clients may not have the budget to hire designers and do a lot of the web design and marketing themselves. If you want some tips and cheats just ask.
“Do you do weddings?”
Not at the moment. Lol
