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Photographer Peter Carey <\/a>noodles on the question of writers who are asked to “throw in” photos as an afterthought to their commissions.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI know we offered to pay you for your hard work, now how about you give us something extra for free because we\u2019re cheap?\u201d<\/p>\n No editor will ever state it in such plain English, but that\u2019s what requests for photos from writers come down to in my mind. As the publishing world contracts, more and more freelance writers (and even some staff writers) are being asked to pull double duty as a photographer. After all, you were there researching the piece, so you have relevant photos, right?<\/p>\n It\u2019s at that moment that Dennis Hopper\u2019s line from Speed runs through my head, \u201cWhat do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO?\u201d<\/p>\n My suggestions:<\/p>\n I\u2019m not a confrontational person and that\u2019s the reason for my first rule; be kind. Respond with kindness when asked for more because it means they liked your work in the first place. If they hated it, they wouldn\u2019t ask for more.<\/p>\n It also sets a positive tone rather than a confrontational one, even if that is what you are feeling inside.<\/p>\n Chances are you have had to educate editors, or those requesting your work, about the value of your written work. The same goes for your photography. Even if you don\u2019t consider yourself a photographer (hint: if you take pictures, you\u2019re a photographer), those images have value. You don\u2019t have to be a full-time professional photographer to get paid for your photos.<\/p>\n Pricing your work might leave you in a wonderland. You know how much to charge per word, but what happens when a photo is worth 1000 words? Or more?<\/p>\n I use Getty\u2019s online tool for quotes. Getty is a leading stock photo agency and they have built a fine calculator to help place a ballpark figure on your work (they actually built it to give Getty clients a price for licensing Getty images). You can find it here<\/a>. It\u2019s fairly robust and will help you get started.<\/p>\n From there I take a look at my client and try to guess how much they would be willing to offer based on my number from Getty. Remember, the first price will be a start of negotiations, so start with a price you can work with.<\/p>\n When pricing your photos, it\u2019s important to think about your relationship with this client. Sometimes it pays to do something for free when you know it means future, paid work. This has worked well for me in the past when others were telling me to grab as much cash as I could and run. I decided to build a relationship with the client and it has borne (cash)fruit over many years. It may be worth your while to give a steep discount, or even work pro bono in this case.<\/p>\n On the other side of that coin, you might set yourself up for never getting paid in the future. Giving away too much, too soon, can lead to an expectation on your next assignment where they don\u2019t ask if you have any photos after the fact, but tell you they need photos when offering the assignment. While not offering a premium for said photos. At which time negotiations are a little more difficult.<\/p>\n This is a gray, murky area you need to navigate with your wits. It\u2019s like me explaining to you how to date. I can offer some general advice now and then, but you need to take a path that feels right for you.<\/p>\n Perhaps you\u2019ve read Pam\u2019s thoughts on the exposure topic before (especially this post<\/a> and the link to an awesome flowchart at the bottom). If not, read it and the flowchart.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve done a few gigs for exposure when the time involved was slight and my CV enjoyed the boost. Or as a foot in the door when I knew I would not be asked for more free work in the future. But by and large, I avoid the exposure lure because it\u2019s never as bountiful as advertised.<\/p>\nRespond With Thanks<\/h3>\n
Educate, Again<\/h3>\n
Come Up With A Price<\/h3>\n
Think About The Relationship<\/h3>\n
Exposure<\/h3>\n