My first freelance job. Yay!!! :)

ccpickre

So I was offered my first potential freelance job. A woman that works for a program on my campus and I talked the other day, and I mentioned a photo I had taken last spring. She asked if she could see it just because she liked how I described it, and asked if I had any other photos, so I showed her my gallery from old snapshots, to photos I had taken for the school paper. She said she really liked my work and thought it was amazing, and said she would definitely be in touch with me.

So I have a few questions.

1. What are some things I should think about to protect my work? Contracts, ethics, profesionalism, etc.

2. How do get paid? Should I be paid upfront and how much? Or should I be paid by used photos and how should I go about guaranteeing myw ork is used?

3. How do I guage my worth? I don't want to ask to be paid 2 grand for a years work and be told I'm not worth it, but I don't want to ask for 100 when I am worth more than that potentially? How do I know how much I'm worth (especially since this is my first freelance job, and therefore worth would be an important issue)?

4. What are some things I should think about? I'm not a beginner, but I'm not Anne Leibowitz either. And right now my background could be classified as "photojournalist", and freelance portraiture or snapshots is a different mentality. What are some things I should practice now, so I'm not practicing them while I'm working for them?

5. How can I massage this into further freelance work? Do I act as my own publicist and use this work as a resume item and pimp my self around, or do I actively ask them if they know of any other opportunities?




Thank you for any advice or help. I really appreciate it.

DavidTO

First off: w00t!

Good onya.

Second, check the stickies in this forum for more info.

Third, I'm sure someone who knows more about this than me will be along shortly...

ccpickre

DavidTO wrote:

First off: w00t!

Good onya.

Second, check the stickies in this forum for more info.

Third, I'm sure someone who knows more about this than me will be along shortly...

Thanks for the initial advice

jonh68

Congratulations.

I think you will find marketing will take for itself. Get a card made up and a website going.

In regards to protecting your work, it depends on the business you deal with. I freelance for a paper and anything I send them is theirs, unless I specify it's a loner, at which I don't get paid for it but they can use it. Because of this, I am very careful of what I send in as sometimes I keep the best in a series and send them the 2nd best if it's something I really like. I also need to keep track because I don't want to use anything I have sent to them.

I also work with a magazine and they pay for use of the picture. I get to do with it whatever I want, they just want to have first dibs on the use of it in regards to publications.

In regards to pay, I really don't know the rate. I send in an invoice, which just recaps pictures used during the period, and I get a check. The editors at the paper come up wth a rate depending on the photos and article. I have found I make more money when I send in a series with a story behind it. I am pleased with the money I get, even though I don't know how they come up with it. I don't think they do either, just depends on each individual submit and how it's used and where in the paper it's used. I will say there have been times my jaw has dropped to the floor when I opened the check. Some may not like not knowing the details, but I am getting paid for something I am doing for fun.

ccpickre

According to the lady I talked to, they do a $25 an hour thing, which makes no sense to me, if they just want to use photos. But hey, it's $25 bucks an hour.

Is that bad? Should I shoot for a per photo basis?

As for a website, I have smugmug, and I like it. I know it's not the most fancy, but I kind of like the simplicity of it. Not fancy or distracting. Just my photos.

I do need to get some cards made though, that much is sure.

jonh68

If it's worth it to you. I would just make sure that includes the post processing as well as travel time.

Personally, I like getting paid by the photo. I get to keep everything I don't send in. I would think if they pay by the hour, they would want everything you shoot during that time.

ccpickre

Yeah, I'd like to get paid by the photo, but weighing the cost means I may not get that many photos in (depending on how many photographers they have). And as a college student, 25 bucks an hour is a big deal.

I'm more worried about the licensing issue though. Because I recently was asked if I'd be willing to help another person with some projects they have this year. And he had the stereotypical "We'd like to buy your photos" question. And I am not an expert but I've read enough to know the difference between licensed and sold. But again, I don't won't to develop a reputation as being difficult.