Two weeks ago, a photographer that I chat with on a photographer web forum announced that he accepted a job as photo director at an important Quebec magazine. Got a call today. Guess who doing a shooting for that magazine this Friday?

I also got a cold call for a another job thru my website. Again, it paid off to have a beautiful and Google-friendly website. The editor wanted me for an editorial job, but he also wanted to know if I could recommend a local studio photographer, for a side part of the same assignment.

Since I am an editorial photographer, I don’t really hang out with studio and commercial photographer. However, a couple of times I worked side by side with a guy that I never had a chance to chat with. One day, I stumbled into him while taking a walk, so we took the time to introduce ourselves and chat a bit. I learned that he has a studio in his apartment, and he gave me his business card.

So of course, that’s the guy I recommended to my client. However, that photographer do not have a website. Did he end up having the job anyway, without the ability to show his work to this potential client? I don’t know yet. But a small investment in time and money would have helped a lot. As a freelance photographer, you ARE a business. Do you know any store that did not invest money for a front sign, some decoration, and maybe some advertising? Invest in good gear, but also invest in self-promotion too!

I’ve often told younger photographers that the most important day in their fresh careers just might be the one where they turn down a job. Turn down a job? Sacre Bleu! You might feel a lump in your throat as you enunciate your thoughts, no question. But it’s a sign that you’re in control of your own destiny.

Matt Mendelsohn on Getting paid

Note: Since I will here explain in details a recent negotiation I had with a client, I will keep in the dark the client name, the photo we where negotiating, and even the type of photo that was discussed. All that is important for you to know is that the image has some kind of uniqueness factor. If you are not familiar with those concepts, you might first want to read Wikipedia’s entries for Royalty free, right-managed (that’s how I sell my stock) and microstock.

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I got the call recently. The photo buyer wanted to buy a particular photo from my stock library he saw online.

He tells me that his company wants to use the photo in [big daily newspaper] and asks how much it will cost. I tell him it would be X$. The price sounds good to him. However, while the conversation continue, I understand that the usage will not be editorial, as I first thought, but as part of a publicity.

That is where it become interesting

I tell him that the price will then not be the same. I quote him a significant higher price.
He answers me that the first price was within his allowed budget, but not the new one. He would have to talk to some people. All of that, of course, on a tone that could mean “I don’t think it’s going to work”.

At this point, I could have said, “well, I guess it’s OK for [the first amount agreed]”.

It was even more tempting to say that when the buyer added that he would also have to call this particular photographer who might have something. And I KNEW this other photographer had tons of similar photos. He was actually probably the only other photographer who could have those.

But I stood my ground. “No problem. Call me back if you are still interested.”

It did not take long to have a call back. The buyer asked me if the price would be the same if they would also use the ad in two other newspapers. “Unfortunately not. It would be [even higher amount]”.

After some second of hesitation, he says that he would call me back.

And so he calls me back soon, inquiring about the price for just one paper, but not as big as the first one. So I quote him a fourth price.

“And we might want to use the picture again in May. Will we be able to do that?”

Again, I decided to do it “by the book”, at the risk of losing an important sale.

“Unfortunately not. The price is for a one-time use. Another license would have to be bough if you want to re-use the photo. Or we can agree on a new price for a broader license right now if you want.”

Since he was not sure they would need the picture later, he decided to accept my last quote, telling me that he might call me back in a few months for a second license.

So at several point during the negotiation, I could have surrendered to secure a sale, fearing that the client would walk away. But by sticking to the value of my image, I ended up with my biggest license yet (actually probably more money than most micro-stock photographer make in a year) with the opportunity to re-sale the same image to the very same client later.

What is the most important gear a photographer must have? What is THE gear you must buy, not matter what?

A cell phone.

And what it the most important part of your marketing tool? What is THE thing you must put money into?

A website.

I just got a phone call from a photo editor in Switzerland. She had two contacts in the area, but she could not reach one of them, and the email of the other one bounced back.

She used Google, and she stumbled into my website. She liked what she saw, and called me. My cell phone is with me all the time, so her problem (finding a photographer) was quickly resolved. And me? I got a neat 2 days assignment, which will pay my cell phone bill and web hosting for many months.

** edit ** 30 minutes after I posted this, I got a second call from a publication in Ontario, thanks to my website.

Last week, Cindy and I went to Montreal. Beside spending 500$ in 15 minutes at L.L. Lauzeau and visiting the WorldPress exposition, I spent some time with Martin Benois, teacher at the CEGEP du Vieux Montreal in the photography department.

Martin wanted to meet me do to a podcast for the blog he his doing for his class.

You can hear me talk about freelancing, new trends, the future of the profession, etc. Sorry, French only!

As you have hopefully noticed, I cover a lot of Quebec Remparts game this year. Actually, I’m planning to cover them all. On top of getting experience and maybe adding a picture or two in my portfolio, I’m slowly building a nice collection of young hockey prospect stock photos.

Here is so far my collection for:

• QMJHL Quebec Rempart stock photo (focus on recently drafted Angelo Esposito)
• QMJHL Chicoutimi Sagueneens stock photo
• QMJHL Val-d’Or Foreurs stock photo (focus on Brad Marchand)
• QMJHL Baie-Comeau Drakkar stock photo

I made it. If you google photojournalist Quebec city or Editorial photographer Quebec City, I’m right there in the first 3 spots. Today, one of my two jobs was for a magazine in Toronto that needed someone to get a portrait of a restaurant owner. I did not asked, but I’m pretty sure that they found me thru Google.

So 2 jobs today and a job for the Gazette last Thursday, just before leaving for the 3 days equestrian event in Bromont. That adds to 2 requests I got today to cover upcoming events (one thru Google) in the area and 2 stock photo requests. Yep, things are rolling pretty well!

New client: Infoman TV show on Radio-Canada (French Version of CBC) with their “photoshop this photo” game. God bless a good archiving system for selling stock images!

Some assignments end up being more costly than the rate you are paid.

*Sigh*

Oh! And my pair of jeans is written off.

Lesson of the day: Roots can get OUT of the ground and become a deadly and sneaky trap.

For the one new here, part I and II of “Photojournalist - a Dangerous job” are on the older version of my blog.

Let’s start the new version of my blog with a big teaser. We freelancer have a big advantage over the staffer: we don’t do the less interesting day-to-day stuff. A photo editor don’t want to pay us around 200$ to shoot some bottles of wine for the food weekly section or some shoes for the fashion one. When we go out, it’s usually fun, refreshing, new, interesting.

I’m back from shooting a portrait of a very important figure of the Quebec City area politic. I’m 32, and this guy is around for as along as I can remember. When I got the assignment sheet, I really felt lucky to do the job; he is getting older and I feel I am documenting history, that those pictures will be very valuable in the future.

A couple of minute ago, I finished my editing and my photoshoping. I really think I was able to capture the essence of this man. I’m so glad I did well.

Unfortunately, you will have to wait a bit to see the picture and even know of whom I am talking about. It should be in the paper on April 21 and I will wait until then to put them here.

I told you this one was a teaser!