Pricing an assistant

mercphoto

There's a local sports photographer who wants to hire me as a second camera for an event too large for him to handle. We worked once already, and I did it for free, so both of us could get a feel for it. I impressed him enough that he had me handle a gig he had a contract for but could not fit in his schedule, and wants me to do another event with him. This will be a paid assignment. I'm new to being a paid assistant, he is new to hiring an assistant.

Most his sales will be after the event. He is able to track sales of my pics versus his. Would a flat fee be appropriate? A small percent of total sales? A bigger percent of my sales? The monkey wrench in this are collages involving multiple images.

Thanks.

Gator

Have you given any thought to a flat fee, based on your time? If nothing else, that may be the way to go. Good luck!:D

BridgeCity

I don't know anything about the industry, but I would negotiate some sort of percentage based on your work. That way, if you are good, you make money, and if you are not, he will have nothing to lose

Lessens the risk to both parties. Now if you are doubting your skill..... then maybe a flat fee is good

mercphoto

BridgeCity wrote:

I don't know anything about the industry, but I would negotiate some sort of percentage based on your work. That way, if you are good, you make money, and if you are not, he will have nothing to lose

Lessens the risk to both parties. Now if you are doubting your skill..... then maybe a flat fee is good

! I have considered the flat fee route, but had no idea what fee to charge. $50 per hour? The benefit to the percent of sales is, of course, that if I do bad its no hurt to him, if I do good then we both do good. Maybe 25% of the gross net of sales of my images only?

BridgeCity

Gross sales or net sales?

Gross would be good, but I doubt he would go for it.. hrm... Any way of finding out what he charges? How many pics does he sell? Take whatever he suggests and double it!

DoctorIt

I started down this route last summer... shooting some games with another photographer who had already established a smaller biz. We tracked photos seperately and I ended up making nothing because they are all fairly similar, and as bum luck would have it, the games I got sent to weren't the greatest. Apparently, all the shots people wanted of the teams I covered were from better games at better fields.

Did I feel stiffed? Nah, not really, I wanted experience, but I did spend the equivalent of 2 weekends working with nothing to show for it, not to mention all the post processing. I'd try to at least get something for each event. Going rate around here was $80 per game, then 85% of sales on all of your prints.

Just my .02

mercphoto

All good points. Fortunately for me with this particular bike race coming up, he will be at the finish line, I will be down course, so we will get very different shots. The likelihood of him and I have the same shot is zero, hence he can't peddle his shot over mine. But, I had not thought of that possibility before. I'll also keep your compensation numbers in my mind as well. Thanks again.

GerryDavid

Are you using your own equipment or his? Will you be doing any post processing?

Perhaps try to get a per hour pay and then a % of the profits of your pictures.

mercphoto

GerryDavid wrote:

Are you using your own equipment or his? Will you be doing any post processing?

My equipment, but his post-processing. And his sorting, and his tagging, and his uploading... All I do is shot and hand over in-camera JPG's.

Creativesifu

Money Up Front
I've seen your photos, man they are kung fu kick good! If he's making enough to hire an assistant, he's making good dough! You are using your equipment, so go with a day rate of $150 1/2 day or $300 full day, and let him sort out the rest. Get your money up front. That way you don't have to worry about percentages, gross, net, honesty, etc.

That way you won't be waiting for residual checks two months later.

if you shoot 150 or more images that's only $2.00 per image.

if you shoot 300 or more images that's only $1.00 per image.

Creativesifu

Remember this
You are being hired as a photographer, not as the person who holds the flash and carries the water bottle. I know somebody who shoots NFL games, I am willing to assist for them at a cheaper rate or even free because I know I won't be shooting.

Your kung-fu is good!