Should you really stop accepting $200 assignments?
How low should an assignment photographer go? Freelancers gotta eat, but at what point does your willingness to accept cut-rate assignments become self-destructive? Check out the animated discussion at the APhotoEditor blog. Some excerpts:
"I’m not widely known, nor have I been in the industry for decades with a client list that stretches for miles, but I know the sooner I learn to value my own work and the sooner I learn to value the industry in which I work, the better my business will be, and the sooner those big jobs will start rolling in."
"I simply cannot afford to turn down the $200 gigs and continue to work as a professional."
"...[W]e can only do so much to educate ourselves and other working professionals in our market, but not only is it extremely difficult to regulate pricing...it is extremely difficult to eradicate the '$200' market when so many photographers, hobbyists and the like are willing to do it for free."
"The key is learning from each negotiation and being very conscious of why you decide to accept a job that’s below your standards, whether it’s to keep the electricity on, or for the connection, or the tear sheet, or the creative opportunity, or you’re helping a nonprofit, etc... We all choose to sign the occasional bad contract or take the $200 gig, because it’s a choice that’s more complicated than the bottom line. There are simply no absolutes in the real world, no matter how true to ourselves and our industry we strive to be."
"I’m not widely known, nor have I been in the industry for decades with a client list that stretches for miles, but I know the sooner I learn to value my own work and the sooner I learn to value the industry in which I work, the better my business will be, and the sooner those big jobs will start rolling in."
"I simply cannot afford to turn down the $200 gigs and continue to work as a professional."
"...[W]e can only do so much to educate ourselves and other working professionals in our market, but not only is it extremely difficult to regulate pricing...it is extremely difficult to eradicate the '$200' market when so many photographers, hobbyists and the like are willing to do it for free."
"The key is learning from each negotiation and being very conscious of why you decide to accept a job that’s below your standards, whether it’s to keep the electricity on, or for the connection, or the tear sheet, or the creative opportunity, or you’re helping a nonprofit, etc... We all choose to sign the occasional bad contract or take the $200 gig, because it’s a choice that’s more complicated than the bottom line. There are simply no absolutes in the real world, no matter how true to ourselves and our industry we strive to be."
Views: 10
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Damon Knight on -
Hey there, Snapper.
I recently attended a panel at SXSW Interactive that discussed this topic. It was called "Be Your Own Boss: Create a Life You Love." Apart from being a bit like an AA Group, it really did provide a lot of valuable information about working for yourself. One suggestion, which I thought was pretty valuable, was to craft a mission statement for yourself and your self employment to make sure you're staying on task ... and truly following your passion. They stated you should refer to your mission statement before you take each new job. If it aligns with your overall goal ... then it might be worth taking ... even if you might not be making as much as you would like. If it doesn't align, you should pass. "If you don't ... you will take any job that comes your way and get burned out."
Some attendees also stated you should always get some sort of a deposit before you begin work. If they can't come up with this amount ... it should be a red flag that a.) they won't be able to pay you ... or ... b.) they don't really value your contribution. The leaders of the panel didn't necessarily agree with this approach ... but I thought it worth sharing.
Best of luck,
dk
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Permalink Reply by Mike Le Gray on -
Hey guys,
Interesting stuff. As a newly turned pro photographer, I find this topic particularly relevant, especially when the economic climate is as bad as it is.
I agree with the fact that you need to be true to yourself, but when the bank manager's banging on your door, it's not really the time to start thinking about mission statements.
I think that once you are at least a little established and have a happy accountant, then perhaps you can afford such luxuries.
I know I don't want to undervalue my work, or make things harder for other photographers out there, but you can't eat mission statements.
I hope I get to the point when I can turn down work that compromises not only me but all photographers.
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Permalink Reply by Snapper on -
I'm with you, Mike.
As a photographer, I'm strictly an amateur, but my entire professional life is freelance. I don't set an arbitrary minimum on earnings per gig. Each gig has to be evaluated in context: Could it lead to other, more lucrative work down the road? Could I use it to beef up my portfolio? Is it possible the client will refer me to other, more lucrative clients? Will I learn something useful by performing this work? But perhaps the most important question of all is, Can I find a way to make this gig fun and fulfilling?
The corollary to that last point: Don't take work you really don't want to do -- it's a disservice to your client and to yourself, and if your attitude becomes evident to the client it could hurt your business in the long run.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Le Gray on
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I couldn't have put it better, myself.
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Permalink Reply by John Nicklin on -
I suppose that the answer to the question depends on several things. How badly does one need the work? How many hours or days will the work take? And how well known is the photographer?
I would think that accepting $200 assignments might allow one to gain experience and build a reputation that may command more lucrative assignments in the future. I think that accepting 10 $200 assignments would be more lucrative than waiting for 2 $500 ones. We are in the world of micro-stock where images that would have commanded hundreds of dollars are selling for under $5. Everyone with a digital camera is now a photographer and many of them can, and do, sell their work. That undercuts the ability of professional photographers to make money, but people will still seek out the pro when they need to ensure that an event, like a wedding, is done right.
I guess that your location can be a modifier as well. It may be easier to get more lucrative gigs in a large centre than it is in a small town where you might be lucky to get $50 for a gig other than a wedding.
Like others, I agree that one shouldn't take work that one does not want to perform, you might not give it your whole attention. The client will know and it won't help your reputation.
Just some thoughts.
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