Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Creative Consultants
















I have never seen so much  promotion with creative consultants then I have these past few weeks.  What is a creative consultant?  A person to help or guide you in a direction that will benefit you with your creative endeavors.  For the most part they help you pull your portfolio together/ website.  Some are former Reps or worked in Åd agency's.  My concern and caution would be to make sure they have an understanding of the type of photographer you want to be.  I have seen it first hand myself and with others, how some just slap a book together.  Some are nice, some are well.  I'm not coming from a place bitterness or anger.  I have meet several consultants that are fantastic.  But in hindsight, I would have asked better questions.  I would have check with reference that they have worked with.  


I'm not here to say that all creative consultant are bad or not worth the money.  But I find it very interesting that several come out of the wood work in such a down economy.  I would hate to use prey, but proceed with caution and ask lots of questions.  Make sure they are right for you.  Like anything, do your research!

Friday, January 16, 2009

News is changing

So isn't it interesting how all these social website like Twitter, facebook and flicker are changing the way we see our news instantly.  With heroic landed of yesterday US Airlines, several people we able to shoot with there cell phone and post images before ANY news outlet was able to.  Just a matter of time before that all this changes.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

American Express Publishing Lays Off 33

it keeps coming...straight from ADage.com



NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- American Express Publishing, which publishes titles such as Food & Wine and Travel & Leisure, laid off another 33 people today as part of a drive by its parent company, American Express Co., to cut its head count 10%, a company spokeswoman confirmed.


Travel & Leisure is published by American Express Publishing.

Travel & Leisure is published by American Express Publishing.


"We wish this wasn't necessary, but given our performance outlook, these steps must be taken at this time," she said. American Express Publishing also cut 22 jobs last October. After today's layoffs, about 400 employees remain.


Still struggling

Together with last week's 250 layoffs at Meredith Corp. and another 19 at Forbes, today's cut by AmEx Publishing demonstrates that media companies didn't finish retrenching when they finished 2008. Many are still struggling to handle the recession and, in the case of traditional media, continued pressure from new media.


In another example, Gannett said today that it will force all its employees to take the equivalent of a week off without pay during the first quarter of 2009. American Media, meanwhile, decided it couldn't afford to continue fulfilling more than 300,000 subscriptions to Country Weekly.


American Express Co. said last October that it planned to cut 7,000 jobs, or about 10% of its global workforce, in a bid to cut costs by $1.8 billion. The layoffs at American Express Publishing today bring the division in line with that plan.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Hard Work















Hard work is tough.  Hard work DOES hurt at times.  Hard work is not patience, easy & it is not luck.  But, hard work with a bit of luck..trumps all


You have to put in the hard work to create opportunities/luck for yourself.  But along the way, you will fail at times.  We all do.  That is cool.  It is part of the process.  If I'm not open to fail, then I have close to the door for any possibility to succeed. 


Read biography of any successful people and see the things the came up against and how they overcome them.  Sir Richard Branson is one of my favorites.  

Friday, January 9, 2009

What is your stock "Worth"?
















So since I have posted this video hiring a photographer, I have received several e mails about cost and price.  Things like, What is the price of an average photographer?  What is the cost a typical shoot or how should I price myself.  The answer is .... I do not know.  All of the questions are good and valid.  But what is a "average photographer" price?  I guess you could look up an old Photo District News article and see a survey they came up with.  However, in my opinion those are so bogus.  Everybody wants to show or tell people how much better they are doing then in reality.  It seems to be human nature.  Ask someone "how are you doing"?  They always seems to say good, great fantastic...ect.  Not too often to you hear anything negative.  Until they are on verge of a breakdown.


So why is it so hard to put a cost on our art / service?  How come everyone prices are all over the board?  Well, there are a lot of factors involved, especially when it comes to advertising.  Advertising prices are based on how many eyes are going to see an AD. Or it is a percentage of a clients AD buy.  When it comes to asking for a price, none of us will give up the cards in the first round.  We are all holding out for the best number possible.  This seems to be a game we all play with each other.  The client  play it with the agency.   Agencies play it with us.  Are we afraid of loosing?  Loosing out on money we could of had?  


What if there a system in place that money/price was a set factor.  We could finally be judge on our work alone?  What a concept.  That type of system is not likely to happen.  I think they might call that a union.  But think about the idea of strength in numbers .  Hmmmm....However, one point to be freelance is to have unlimited possibilities with a verity work and earning potential.  


I bring this up, because over the next year we will all be facing some tough negotiating.   How many times has a client ask you to come down on your price and you agreed by just dropping the price.  I'm guilty.  That was early on in my career.  As time goes on and the more experience I gain, dropping a price to get the job is the wrong approach and the wrong message.  UNLESS....get ready, both parties agree to give something up.  Why should it be one person burden?  This goes both ways for all parties involved.  That way no one is LOSING!


So to get back at the questions at hand....What is the price of an average photographer?  What is the cost a typical shoot or How much do you charge?  The answer is .... I STILL don't know.  We are never in a "average time" and certainly not now.  We all charge what we feel we are worth.  And during these tough times that lay ahead.  When your sitting front your computer and the phone is not ringing....your stock in "worth" may tumble a bit... internally.  So going forward, make sure your keeping your "worth" stock up.  Do things that are not going to put you in "funk".  Do some test shooting, blog, read books., talk with other photographers or try a different type of photography.  This could the best thing for you.  I choose to think that there are loads of opportunities coming ahead.  Exciting & tough times ahead.  Just  do things that are going to keep you sharp in this very odd time of ours.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Part ONE of Tip on hiring a photographer

This is a two part video that explains a little bit of information when hiring a photographer

Hiring a photographer Part 2

This is part two of two on Tips on hiring a photographer