VALUE
Emphasizing what you as an individual can bring to a job can mean the difference between success and failure, writes Elyse Weissberg in the American Society of Media Photographers, ASMP Bulletin. Elyse is a photographers agent based in New York, however her observations are just as relevant for photographers in Australia.
Graham Monro, Collection 2
Gone are the days when securing assignments was usually a simple, non-competitive process. In todays market, clients want estimates and bids and are looking for the best value for their money. To put it bluntly, the art of selling yourself and your services has become a critical aspect of getting work and staying in business. There is one key asset that all photographers have, and if put to use can make the difference. And that is your value as a photographer. This is what makes you and your work special. Even if all the other facets of your estimate are the same as your competitors, emphasizing what added value you can contribute can secure an assignment.
The first conversation I had about the concept of value as it related to photographers was with Emily Vickers who was at that time ASMP's education director. She was in the process of planning Strictly Business, a two day travelling seminar series focussing on photography as a business. (this sounds not unlike the marketing seminars run by Robyn Robins, which some ACMP members have had the privilege of attending-Ed)
I was brought on board to speak about marketing and promotion, and at our initial meeting was informed that "value" was to be the recurring theme of the seminars. We discussed the fact that as much as some clients like to think that photographers are interchangeable, they are not. I felt it was important to stress that each photographer has something special to contribute to an assignment and this was something photographers should understand and appreciate about themselves.
Although budgets and low bids can be the deciding factor when negotiating a job, increased awareness of a photographer's capabilities can and should help sway a client's hiring decision.
In many of my consultations with photographers, pricing a job is frequently discussed. Basically the photographer wants me to tell them the amount of money to charge for their creative fee, so that they can complete their estimates. That sounds simple, but it is not.
"Your style and
unique approach
will be worth
paying for."
We know that in general the fee is based on usage. However providing numbers on paper is just the beginning and hardly constitutes an estimate. A photographer's or a rep's job, is to explain an estimate and justify the expenses. Adding value to those numbers and explaining how you see producing the shot, will separate you from others vying for the job. Point out to the client that you provide more than film and that your skills and approach that you bring to an assignment make you more valuable. Emphasize that your style and unique approach will be worth paying for.
Last year I was bidding on a national campaign for one of the photographers I represent. We were competing against two other shooters. The assignment called for a photographer to travel to different cities to shoot a variety of models in various airports. We needed models, hair and make-up, production people, stylists and location scouts. There was a healthy budget to produce this job. As my photographer and I compiled the costs for the estimates, I kept checking in with the art buyer with whom I had worked previously and had a good relationship. Based on all the information I had gathered, I submitted our estimate. The art buyer indicated that although she couldn't promise me the job until seeing the third photographer's estimate, she did confide that we were the "front runners."
All that changed when the art buyer received the final estimate of the three-way bid. The last photographer provided an estimate that was comparable with the other bids. But the clincher was the additional value that the photographer emphasized. In a one page letter to the art director (which the art buyer read to me later) the photographer explained in detail how he saw producing the shoot. Since all the shots were on location at different airports, he was quick to point out that he was well travelled and that he was familiar with most national airports. He talked about the ambient lighting that specific airports had. He was able to interweave the "specs" the client had provided for the estimate with the actual locations in particular airports. In other words he was producing the shot before he got the job.
Needless to say, he got the job. The art buyer said that after the art director read the letter, he was so impressed that they shared it with their client. That sealed the job. I realize that it may be a bit unrealistic to accompany all estimates with a lengthy commentary on how you are thinking of producing the shot, but your individual "value" as a photographer is one of your most important assets. Harness that asset and use it.
Used by permission, ASMP Bulletin Feb.1999.
Michael
Donovan, Collection 3
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