Should I consider this

Ann McRae

Got an email yesterday from a local soccer program. They are looking for proposals to shoot their T & I shots. I suspect this is round two for proposals, cuz the timelines are really tight.
Some essential details:
over 1400 players
eight age groups and over one hundred teams
strong possibility that the contract will be sub-divided into three or more smaller contracts. If this were to be the case, it would be essential that the final products from each photographer be of consistent quality, format, and size.

The terms of the contract are as follows:

1. Photo sessions are to be scheduled on a team basis.
2. Each player will receive one individual photo and one team photo. The two may be combined into a single sheet.
3. Photographers may offer additional products (trading cards, magazine covers, additional copies and sizes etc) to the players. In this case, the photographer is responsible for taking the orders and arranging payment themselves. Riverbend Soccer will not be responsible for payment of additional photo products.
4. The photographer is responsible for scheduling the photo sessions for all teams in their contract with the Riverbend Soccer photo coordinator.
5. One alternate date should be offered for teams unable to make the first session.
6. All photo products must be delivered to the Riverbend Soccer photo coordinator by 5:00PM on Friday, June 15.

In order for the the deadline of June 15 to be met, the first photo sessions will likely need to be scheduled for the second week in May.

So, should I
1. just completely ignore this
2. bid on doing a portion
3. bid, and indicate I would do all if they so chose.

Remember, I work a day job full time. This volume would mean taking a week or more vacation time, but the resultant pay would justify that.
I already have one other soccer program lined up, with about 100 players, and a few individual teams, and of course have to honor that commitment.

Thoughts? This could be the contract that seperates the MWACs from the real photogs......

ann

apexonephoto

Ann,

If you can schedule, all of this for the upcoming weekends and use all of your Victoria day weekend to do some or all of processing, you may even be able to bid on the whole group.

Wouldn't most kids be in school while you are at work? If you can schedule to do the shoots at the same time as they normally do practice on an off day, you would be busy, but I can see how you wouldn't be able to do it.

dragon300zx

Ann this would be a lot of work. But if you can get it, it would open up so many doors for you (1400 kids = tons of new people (parents, aunts, uncles) seeing your work). Only you know if you can take on the work load but if I was in your position I would jump all over it. We all know you can do it, the question is are you up for the late nights.

Congrats on this opportunity. :ivar

bham

Ann McRae wrote:

Got an email yesterday from a local soccer program. They are looking for proposals to shoot their T & I shots. I suspect this is round two for proposals, cuz the timelines are really tight.
Some essential details:
over 1400 players
eight age groups and over one hundred teams
strong possibility that the contract will be sub-divided into three or more smaller contracts. If this were to be the case, it would be essential that the final products from each photographer be of consistent quality, format, and size.

The terms of the contract are as follows:

1. Photo sessions are to be scheduled on a team basis.
2. Each player will receive one individual photo and one team photo. The two may be combined into a single sheet.
3. Photographers may offer additional products (trading cards, magazine covers, additional copies and sizes etc) to the players. In this case, the photographer is responsible for taking the orders and arranging payment themselves. Riverbend Soccer will not be responsible for payment of additional photo products.
4. The photographer is responsible for scheduling the photo sessions for all teams in their contract with the Riverbend Soccer photo coordinator.
5. One alternate date should be offered for teams unable to make the first session.
6. All photo products must be delivered to the Riverbend Soccer photo coordinator by 5:00PM on Friday, June 15.

In order for the the deadline of June 15 to be met, the first photo sessions will likely need to be scheduled for the second week in May.

So, should I
1. just completely ignore this
2. bid on doing a portion
3. bid, and indicate I would do all if they so chose.

Remember, I work a day job full time. This volume would mean taking a week or more vacation time, but the resultant pay would justify that.
I already have one other soccer program lined up, with about 100 players, and a few individual teams, and of course have to honor that commitment.

Thoughts? This could be the contract that seperates the MWACs from the real photogs......

ann

Do you have a good relationship with any other local photographers that you could team with to take on the whole committment. Just an idea if you are somewhat hesitant to tackle the whole assignment yourself.

Ann McRae

James, Gary & Bham

Thanks for your replies. I am still really torn. The timeframe is so tight, and I am already so committed. The soccer taxi rarely gets home before 9 p.m. But I really, really could use the cash - and the business. We all know referrals is the way to grow. And this is big exposure. Hmmm, but is it the right kind or is it too cookie cutter to be noticed?

So, the other things preventing me from thinking about this straight is I am pretty sure this is their back up - they didn't get a response their first try. Or else they are incredibly disorganized.
I sent a proposal to do this job two years ago, and didn't get it - although there was some negotiation about price then. If I remember correctly I was at $12 a kid, with all organzing etc on me. They wanted it for $9 or less.

Well, I will sleep on it. Maybe, tomorrow when I got to work, they will give me a raise and send me on a business trip and then I can not worry about this!!!

Art Scott

I do not hink I would bid on this for less than $20....remember you are a pro and you aredoing ALL OF THE WORK.......I have contracted for a company here that was called Group shots...we travelled from Wichita north to Salin and North East to the Kansas City area......we shot with as many as 15 photogs shooting literally fron sunup to sunset taking no actual breaks ( except for the necessary restroom break).....the contractors got a Min. of $18.00 per hour plus gas, food (BK and Mickie Dees) and also lodging for the night before the shoot......The different leagues made the actual schedule fortheir teams.....so we j=knew by way of a schedule list (from the league it self) who were shoot at which time....for our sake we had a check in point and from there the teams were directed to their photog.....every 2-4 photogs had an assiastant to keep track of orderslips fro mthe teams and also to make sure we had film when we changed (so I would just make a reach behind me and a roll of film landed in my palm and I would basically kinda toss the used film behind me in the same fashion)........

I have done say a small football or soccer league all by my self and that is no fun....trying to keep kids in line and orderly.....but the money can be very good.

Ann McRae

Thanks, Art.
What I decided to do was to simply reply to the offer via email rather than formal proposal, referencing my posted pricing on my smugmug site.I have a feeling that they have limited options (maybe I am wrong) and I really know I have limited time.

I work (at my day job) with several other photogs and I think that if I needed to I could hire them to help with this. As well, I am trying out the freelance thing this weekend - working for an hourly rate to shoot a charity road race. I am working with another photog that I haven't met, so may be able to hire him at this hourly rate.

We will see what comes of this.

Will keep you posted

ann

Nikolai

Ann,
First of all - congrats on the proposal!
Now...
It does sound like a lot of work. 1400 playes (plus coaches probably). My guess: between 50 and 100 teams. Hence, between 50 and 100 group shots + individual portraits + probably subgroups. I'd average an hour per shoot, roughly. Since most of them will be the same, I'd say 30 min of PP (you'd need to get some scripts/actions, though). At a $100/hr this gives about $150 for photo, and I don't know how far it is, so some $D maybe for driving.
Let's say you need to produce 20 8"x10" pictures (1 sheet with two pictures on it) per shoot. ($150 + $D) / 20 = $7.5 + $D/20 = that's just your time. You also need to cover the cost of the print ($3..$4). So, basically we're arriving at your original price of $12 per sheet, about $8 of them been your time compensation.
Well, if you can do it without leaving your day job - prolly why not? Say, cover 500 players - nice 1DIII right there, plus you can make maybe same amount on extra stuff, like those cards, covers, etc. (actions again!). $4K..$8K in one week, plus great exposure (don't forget to attach your business card to every package and offer some sort of discount or deal)...

Just my 0.000002 of the f/stop