Lines of Sight

This past week, I turned down three jobs.

Two jobs were turned down because their dates, six weeks from now, conflict with days that I’m holding for tentative assignments from another client. Two definite jobs turned down in favour of two possible jobs. What was that saying about “a bird in hand…” ?

Many wedding photographers ask for a non-refundable deposit to hold or book a date. But I’m not aware of any corporate photographer, business photographer or commercial photographer here in Toronto who asks for a non-refundable deposit when booking a job.

Most professional photographers have postponement and cancellation policies in place. But these generally apply to last-minute changes and not changes that might happen weeks in advance.

Perhaps photographers shouldn’t accept tentative jobs too far in the future. Or maybe, “lost jobs” are just part of the business.

The third job was turned down because I didn’t think I could do high quality work, given the circumstances:

Three days before the shoot date, I knew only where and when, and that five models, clothes, an ice rink and a gym were involved. No layouts or concept of what was required. Oh yeah, it might be necessary to light that ice rink. Also, 24 to 40 product shots to be done on other day(s). One more thing, maybe six to eight days of computer work.

There was no way I could do a rush quote (under $4000 please) without knowing exactly what or how I was going to shoot. Without knowing any details, it’s also very tough to plan equipment and assistant(s).

A photographer will never lose by turning down the “wrong” job. Doing poor quality work, for whatever reason, is always the fault of the photographer not the client. A polite “no thanks” is always better than “it’s not my fault.”

Toronto’s public transit system, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), suffered a few front-page scandals over the past several weeks. And yes, there’s another front-page scandal today.

The current scandal is not that a married TTC executive, who was living a double life, got his “long-time female companion” a $50,000 contract with a TTC design consultant.

The real scandal is that the woman, described as being “an amateur photographer”, was paid “at least” $50,000 over ten months to take pictures at public meetings and of roads where new streetcar tracks might be built.

$50,000.00!

Pictures of meetings and roads.

Fifty thousand dollars!!

Attention TTC: Since the woman has been, uh, “released” from her contract, I’m available for your photography needs. Not only do I charge less, but here’s a bonus I’ll throw in: I guarantee I won’t end up in a front-page scandal.

Most press releases don’t get published.

This is partly due to the sheer volume of incoming press releases and partly because of the lack of news value contained in the releases.

But yet, the chance of a press release being published is greater today than ever before. All newspapers, magazines and their web sites, need and want content, especially free handout content. Demand is high and the supply is much higher. So what’s the problem?

After working for almost two decades at Toronto newspapers, here is what I’ve learned about press releases:

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If you’re looking for a business photographer, corporate photographer, marketing photographer, public relations photographer, industrial photographer or an editorial photographer for your company’s photography needs, then download your copy of this free e-book (2.2MB PDF).

It’s a small PDF file, so yes, the above picture is fake, (or a hand-drawn facsimile, as they say). The image was added only to get your attention because pictures always get noticed much more than text.

This easy-to-read, 11-page introductory guide is aimed at first-time buyers of commercial photography, specifically small business and perhaps the not-so-small. Even a smaller-than-small business which wants to make a big impression because it knows the importance of quality business photography, can benefit from this booklet.

With only a few minutes of reading, you’ll gain a few tips on what to look for when deciding on a professional photographer; learn what information you need to tell the photographer about your photo assignment; and know what to expect from the photographer.

While all professional photographers differ in their creative work, most conduct their business in a similar fashion. This booklet outlines the minimum of what you need, and in fact, deserve, from a photographer.

If, after reading this e-book, you still have any unanswered questions with regards to choosing the right photographer, let me know and I can address them in an updated version.

Your copy of the booklet can be downloaded here. (2.2 MB PDF)




Here’s a cautionary tale for every type of “professional” photographer and for every client about to hire any kind of photographer.

This 11-minute clip is from the Judge Joe Brown TV series, posted on YouTube. A bride is suing her wedding photographer for delivering poor quality results.

This (yet again) shows:

• You get what you pay for;
• “Cheap” is always too expensive;
• The best bargain is getting it right the first time;
• An educated customer is the best customer;
• A professional photographer is much more than someone who pushes a button;
• Real professional photographers use only professional equipment, which costs a lot more;
• Photography contracts are important for both photographer and client;

For most events, whether it be a wedding, a marketing program or an advertising campaign, the most important part is always the photography.

Brides and businesses often make the mistake of trying to cut corners when it comes to the photography. They will always regret it later.