7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
1/15
7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
2/15
TABLEofCONTENTS
2013 PhotoShelter, IncNo part o this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any orm or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, withoutthe prior written consent o PhotoShelter, Inc. Te logos o the companies described are the trademarks o their respective owners. No endorsement is implied.
PhotoShelter, Inc. makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness o the contents o this work and specically disclaim all warranties, including without limitationwarranties o tness or a particular purpose. Te advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable or every situation.
4
6
7
9
10
11
12
13
Introduction
Breaking Down Contract Language
Types O Assignments And Their Relative Value
The Value o Motion Shoots
FAQs, Resources, & Additional Tips
Finding Clients
Conclusion
About Bill Cramer and Wonderul Machine
http://rocks/Design/Marketing/Guides/2013-05-08_Guide_University_MU/guide/mockups/2013-05-20_GUIDE_ProductTour_MU.pdfhttp://rocks/Design/Marketing/Guides/2013-05-08_Guide_University_MU/guide/mockups/2013-05-20_GUIDE_ProductTour_MU.pdfhttp://rocks/Design/Marketing/Guides/2013-05-08_Guide_University_MU/guide/mockups/2013-05-20_GUIDE_ProductTour_MU.pdfhttp://rocks/Design/Marketing/Guides/2013-05-08_Guide_University_MU/guide/mockups/2013-05-20_GUIDE_ProductTour_MU.pdfhttp://rocks/Design/Marketing/Guides/2013-05-08_Guide_University_MU/guide/mockups/2013-05-20_GUIDE_ProductTour_MU.pdfhttp://rocks/Design/Marketing/Guides/2013-05-08_Guide_University_MU/guide/mockups/2013-05-20_GUIDE_ProductTour_MU.pdf7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
3/15
3| PRICING YOUR WORK: CORPORate & INdUstRIal PhOtOGRaPhY
Try PhotoShelterFREE for 30 days!Build a stronger photo business with a
PhotoShelter website.With PhotoShelter, you also get powerful features and resources to
market your photos, such as SEO and social sharing capabilities, in
addition to the most options for licensing photography, selling prints
online and pro-strength le delivery tools to please your clients.
Get StartedLearn more &join PhotoSheltertoday!
Or, visit photoshelter.com/signup and enter
Questions? Contact us anytime at
212-206-0808 or [email protected].
Offer only valid for new PhotoShelter users.
2013COrPOrate
SPeCIaL OFFer
https://www.photoshelter.com/signup/subscriber?CPN_CODE=2013CORPORATEhttps://www.photoshelter.com/signup/subscriber?CPN_CODE=2013CORPORATEhttps://www.photoshelter.com/signup/subscriber?CPN_CODE=2013CORPORATEmailto:support%40photoshelter.com?subject=mailto:support%40photoshelter.com?subject=https://www.photoshelter.com/signup/subscriber?CPN_CODE=2013CORPORATEhttps://www.photoshelter.com/signup/subscriber?CPN_CODE=2013CORPORATEmailto:support%40photoshelter.com?subject=https://www.photoshelter.com/signup/subscriber?CPN_CODE=2013CORPORATEhttps://www.photoshelter.com/signup/subscriber?CPN_CODE=2013CORPORATEhttp://www.photoshelter.com/tour/7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
4/15
4| PRICING YOUR WORK: CORPORate & INdUstRIal PhOtOGRaPhY
Welcome to the second installment o our series o guides about pricing your work. In this
one, we'll cover corporate and industrial assignment photography. (Well be considering cli-
ents based in the Unites States, as pricing and terms may vary elsewhere.)
It seems there was a golden age o corporate photography in the 80s and early 90s when
corporations were ush with cash and photographers like Jay Maisel and Gregory Heisler
were ying around the world shooting splashy annual reports ull o big beautiul pictures.
While those days may be gone (or now at least), there continues to be a steady need for
corporate photography in spite of a sluggish economy. And in some ways, demand hasgrown as companies nd more and more channels to get their message out. Te explosion
o digital platorms has made pricing photography trickier or photographers and it's made
clients more demanding. At the same time, advances in camera technology have made it
easier or still photographers to capture sound and motion too, which can create lots o new
creative and business opportunities or them.
In this guide, well look at what rates photographers typically command or this type
o photography and how usage actors into that value so you can make the most o
those opportunities.
W pp "p" "" pp?Partly, corporate and industrial photography reers to the subject matter. Corporate pictures
tend to depict executives posed or in action in oce environments. Industrial pictures might
show workers, processes or products at construction sites, arms, actories, oil rigs, reneries
or labs. Tese terms can also reer to the type o clienttypically big companies, as opposed
to newspapers, magazines, record companies, schools, hospitals or individuals. Finally, the au-
dience or corporate photography tends to be employees, shareholders and existing custom-
ersas opposed to reaching new customers, which is oten achieved with paid advertising.
(Corporations do plenty o advertising, but we'll consider that in a uture guide.)
Introduction As it turns out, pricing industrial photography is not so diferent rom pricing corporate as-signments. For that reason, well simply reer to them both as corporate rom here on out.
But the actual experience o an industrial shoot sure can be diferent. While most corporate
shoots take place in the comort o a climate-controlled oce building, industrial shoots
can take place anywhereinside a greasy actory, in a rerigerated box car, hanging out o a
helicopter in gale-orce winds, or on a container ship or oil rig in the middle o the ocean.
Its denitely not or the aint o heart. In act, you may need to jump through some seri-
ous hoops even to be considered or certain projects. For example, i you work in the airline
industry, you might need aransportation Worker Identiication Credential (WIC). I youwork on big ships, you may need to take Basic Oshore Saety Induction and Emergency
raining (BOSIE). I you're working in the Gul o Mexico, you may need SaeGultrain-
ing. So be prepared!
You can nd lots o good examples o corporate and industrial photographs on the United
echnologieswebsite, including their annual reports or 2011 and 2012.
W f p ?Tere are our main actors that inuence the value o assignment photography: time, usage,
expertise and competition: a photographer's time (including pre-production, shoot time, and
post-production time) sets the minimum value o an assignment (the value to the photogra-
pher). Te way the client is going to use the pictures (and the size o the company) sets the
maximum value o an assignment (the value to the client). Where along that continuum you
should position yoursel is a unction o your expertise (which i very good, will apply upward
pressure to your price) vs. competition (which i equally good, will apply downward pressure).
How special are your skills and how many other photographers could do that job? Te more
unique you are, the closer you'll be able to push your price up towards the maximum value.
Its important to understand that commercial photographers dont sellclients' pictures, they
licensethem or a specied use. Te value o the pictures is proportional to that use. A pic-
http://www.tsa.gov/stakeholders/transportation-worker-identification-credential-twic%C2%AEhttp://mstc.louisiana.edu/courses/BOSIET.shtmlhttp://mstc.louisiana.edu/courses/BOSIET.shtmlhttp://www.safegulfweb.com/http://www.utc.com/Homehttp://www.utc.com/Homehttp://2011ar.utc.com/http://2012ar.utc.com/http://2012ar.utc.com/http://2011ar.utc.com/http://www.utc.com/Homehttp://www.utc.com/Homehttp://www.safegulfweb.com/http://mstc.louisiana.edu/courses/BOSIET.shtmlhttp://mstc.louisiana.edu/courses/BOSIET.shtmlhttp://www.tsa.gov/stakeholders/transportation-worker-identification-credential-twic%C2%AE7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
5/15
5| PRICING YOUR WORK: CORPORate & INdUstRIal PhOtOGRaPhY
ture used on a billboard is worth more than that same picture when used in a newsletter.
Sometimes clients will want to license broad rights upront. Other times, it will be more cost
efective to license narrow rights initially or a lower price and then license additional use o
the pictures as the need arises. Tere are many honorable clients out there, but there are also
some who will try to convince you that they are paying or your time and they are thereore
entitled to use the pictures any way they want. Dont be intimidated by them. Learning howto discuss usage with clients is crucial to any individual photographer's success, and or the
success o photographers in general. I you ever nd yoursel complaining about the low rates
or rights grabs that photographers have to endure, rst ask yoursel i you're contributing
to that problem.
"I you ever fnd your-
sel complaining about
the low rates or rights
grabs that photogra-
phers have to endure,
frst ask yoursel i
you're contributing to
that problem."
Credit:Jason Grow
http://www.jasongrow.com/http://www.jasongrow.com/http://www.jasongrow.com/7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
6/15
6| PRICING YOUR WORK: CORPORate & INdUstRIal PhOtOGRaPhY
Your ability to negotiate a good deal is going to hinge largely on your ability to express
yoursel in the orm o a contract. Youll need to structure your contracts in a way that
will meet the needs o your client while also protecting your interests. It's reasonable or
clients to want to be able to use the pictures without worrying about inringing on your
copyright or negotiating every single use. But its not reasonable to get a national ad
campaign or $150/hour.
Tere are times when a client has a very specic use in mind and it will be appropriate to
license the photographs or just that use. But with so many options at their ngertips, likewebsites and social media in addition to printed material, clients will oten want broader
use o the pictures. At one extreme, you can license a client one-time use in a particular
publication. At the other extreme, you could let them use it any way they want. But in
most cases, something in the middle i s going to be more appropriate.
Te ollowing terms are useul in describing diferent types o use:
Publicity use is when the client submits photographs to an outside publication (oten in
the orm o a press kit) or editorial use and the client (or their client) is not paying or
that use. Tis tends to be the least valuable o the uses.
internal collateral use is when the photographs appear in a publication that the client
produces, such as a newsletter, brochure, pamphlet, poster or (internal) website, and whose
audience is limited to the corporation's employees. Tis is also o modest value because o
the limited audience (though there are some corporations with hundreds o thousands o
employees) and the purpose is more inormational rather than to generate revenue.
external collateral use is when the photographs appear in a publication the client
produces and distributes, such as an annual report, corporate magazine, brochure or web-
site, and whose audience is customers, shareholders or the general public. Tis is more
Breaking Down Contract Languagevaluable than internal use because o the larger audience and it's more about building abrand to generate revenue.
advertising use is when a corporation is paying or the placement o a photograph in
whatever media it appears, such as in a newspaper, magazine, billboard, or website. Tis is
the most valuable usage because o its large audience and its ability to generate revenue
or the company. In addition, the media budget will make it very clear how important
the photography is to the client. Its unusual or advertising licensing to be included in
corporate assignments. Instead, its common to quote corporate photography by the day(or a specied use) and ofer an option to use pictures in advertising on a per-picture
basis (or a specied use). You can get a sense o what advertising photos are worth by
consulting pricing guides like Blinkbid or FotoQuote.
By using these terms in your contracts, you'll be able to give your client moderate use o
the pictures or a moderate price. For clients who want "unlimited use" on a limited bud-
get, we nd it efective to send them two estimates to choose romone with their budget
and limited use and one with a higher ee and unlimited use. Some clients will ask or a
buyout. Tis is a term that a lot o clients and photographers use, but it means something
diferent to everyone, so I recommend avoiding it. Instead, i you want to allow your client
to use the pictures any way they want, orever, just grant them publicity, collateral and
advertising use orever.
Another way you can limit the use o your images is by speciying the duration o use or
the number o pictures. Some photographers routinely speciy two or three years' use or
any given project. Other photographers license their pictures or a specic type o use
orever, guring that the value o most pictures declines rapidly ater a ew years. A more
useul negotiating tool is limiting the number o images or a certain price. Tis is almost
always the case or advertising photography. But in cases where a client insists on very
broad use, limiting the number o pictures is a reasonable way to limit the "unlimited."
http://www.blinkbid.com/http://www.cradocfotosoftware.com/fotoQuote-Pro/http://www.cradocfotosoftware.com/fotoQuote-Pro/http://www.blinkbid.com/7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
7/15
7| PRICING YOUR WORK: CORPORate & INdUstRIal PhOtOGRaPhY
Lets break down the major types o corporate assignments, what they entail, and why
each are important to clients.
event PhotograPhy: Event photography usually entails simply documenting meetings,
speakers, ground-breaking ceremonies and other photo opportunities. Tis probably oc-
cupies the lowest rung on the pricing ood chain because not only does it require the
least amount o skill, but it requires very little equipment and the pictures tend to be
used only or internal (or other modest) purposes. Tese events usually do not to lend
themselves to making interesting or important pictures that might otherwise be morevaluable to the client. A typical ee can land around $100 - $200/hour (or shoot time
and post-processing time) plus incidental expenses like mileage, parking, tolls and meals.
Some photographers charge hal their shooting rate or travel time to and rom the shoot.
From a licensing standpoint, most companies will want publicity and internal collateral
use (plus social media) orever. Its not unusual to exclude print collateral and advertising
use and negotiate an additional ee when the need arises.
headshots:Corporate headshots are typically lit head-and-shoulders pictures on a seam-
less paper background or against a simple out-o-ocus background. Mostly, these come
with a low to moderate budget when the pictures are or press kits, websites and other
general use, since these shoots are not very demanding and there are many photographers
who can handle them. However, i they're specically being shot or an annual report or
some other high-prole publication, a higher level o quality will be expected and bigger
budget will normally be available. A photographer can typically charge $150 - $300/hour
or shoot time and $100 - $150/hour or post-processing time plus assistant, seamless
paper, mileage, parking, tolls, and meals. Again, some photographers charge hal their
shooting rate or travel time. Charging separately or photographic equipment is not un-
common or many assignments, but somewhat unusual or headshots. I you have estab-
lished a regular rate or a particular client, it may make sense to stick to that or headshots
too. But i it's a rst time client, charging by the head shot will probably make more sense
Types O Assignments And Their Relative Valueor both the photographer and the client. (A typical rate might be around $500 or therst headshot and $100 - $200 or each additional inc luding post processing.) Tat way,
the photographer is getting paid in proportion to their productivity and the client is being
charged in proportion to the value they're getting. Charging or headshots by the hour
or by the day can set up a situation where the more productive the photographer is, the
less they're getting paid per picture. At the lower end o the pricing spectrum, we would
normally include publicity and collateral use orever, excluding annual report use, which
along with advertising use will be negotiated separately. Some clients will want to include
annual report use, but be sure to actor that into the ee i that s the case. Its almost un-heard o to include advertising use unless youre shooting the pictures or that purpose in
the rst place (and or much higher ees).
corPorate rePortage:Tese images normally depict people in real working situations,
but with more sophistication than event photography. Te pictures usually do not require
much in the way o equipment or crew, but they demand a lot o nesse, awareness and a
keen eye. Tese assignments come with at least moderate budgets as they require a decent
level o expertise, and the pictures could have a wider variety o applications. Photog-
raphers can oten charge around $1500 - $3000/day plus mileage, parking, tolls, meals
and $100 - $150/hour or post processing time. Since the pictures tend to be shot in a
photojournalistic style, assistants, strobe lighting and hair and make-up are rarely used.
Te licensing is typically publicity and collateral use orever, excluding annual report
use, which along with advertising use will be negotiated separately. Photographers dont
normally charge separately or local travel.
environmental Portraits: Environmental portraits are oten lit, always controlled, por-
traits o people ull-body or cropped to the waist, sometimes multiple people, in a setting
that helps tell their story. Tese shoots have moderate to high budgets due to the level
o skill required, the moderate amount o equipment and crew necessary and the wide
variety o uses that clients will nd or them. Rates oten all between $2000 - $3000/
7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
8/15
8| PRICING YOUR WORK: CORPORate & INdUstRIal PhOtOGRaPhY
day plus $100 - $150/hour or post processing time, assistant ($250 - $350/day), mileage,
parking, tolls, and meals. Some photographers charge separately or their photographic
equipment. Depending on how important the picture is, it's not unusual to bring along
someone to handle hair/make-up, especially or emale subjects. For male subjects, Ill
bring my own powder, sponges and an apron (to keep the powder of the subjects cloth-
ing). Te licensing is typically publicity and collateral use orever, excluding annual reportuse, which along with advertising use will be negotiated separately. Photographers dont
normally charge separately or local travel.
corPorate liestyle: Tese shoots can be executed with a reportage or portraiture
approach (or ashion or landscape, or that matter), but always employ a photogra-
pher with a specic style and who brings a high degree o production value to the
shoot. Tis will o ten include strobe lighting, hair & make-up, sometimes wardrobe,
location scouting in advance o the shoot, as well as careul selection and directing o
subjects. Te production values o these pictures are such that ewer photographers
can make them and theyre valuable to the client because they tend to be used tobuild a corporate brand. In addition to showing people at work, the pictures can
sometimes strike a more symbolic or inspirational tone, like a hand-shake, someone
looking out the window dreaming o the uture. At its best, a good corporate lie-
style photographer can create pictures that can help dene the image o the whole
company. A typical ee can be $3000 - $6000/day plus $100 - $150/hour or post
processing time, assistant, (sometimes digital tech, hair/makeup, wardrobe, casting,
talent, location scouting), mileage, parking, tolls, and meals. Te licensing is typically
publicity and collateral use orever, excluding annual report use (at the lower end
o the price range), which along with advertising use will be negotiated separately.
Photographers dont normally charge separately or local travel.
You can nd examples o corporate liestyle photos on the MetLie website. Click on the
Insurance, Investments, Planning, Retirement, Employee Benets and Lie Advice tabs.
library shoots: Tese shoots tend to sit at the top o the corporate photography ood
chain in terms o skill needed to pull them of properly and value to the client. Te ex-
pectations production-wise are the same as corporate liestyle, but instead o shooting
a particular subject or a particular publication, library shoots are about creating a wide
variety o images that could be used or all sorts o purposes across diferent divisions o
a big company. As a result, photographers can charge $5000 - $7500/day plus expenses.
Te licensing is typically publicity and collateral use orever, including annual report but
excluding advertising use as that will be negotiated separately. Its not uncommon to limit
the number o images or a particular ee and ofer an option to license additional images
at a predetermined price per picture.
As good as that might sound, we have also seen some highly sought-ater photographerscommand as much as $15,000/day or corporate liestyle and library shoots.
Credit:Audra Melton
https://www.metlife.com/individual/life-advice/index.html?WT.ac=GN_individual_life-advicehttp://www.audramelton.com/http://www.audramelton.com/http://www.audramelton.com/https://www.metlife.com/individual/life-advice/index.html?WT.ac=GN_individual_life-advice7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
9/15
9| PRICING YOUR WORK: CORPORate & INdUstRIal PhOtOGRaPhY
The Value o Motion ShootsMore and more, clients are asking photographers to shoot motion in addition to, orinstead o, stills. For lots o projects, the creative ees will be about the same as or still
photos (or non-broadcast use), but the production costs will tend to be higher. While
still shoots can be relatively spontaneous, a motion shoot will require more planning,
more crew and more post-production time.
Historically, directors and videographers have charged or their time but not usage. Tats
because they tend to be one link in a long creative chain that can include producers,
writers, art directors, DPs, camera operators, sound technicians, grips, gafers, editors,colorists, musicians and more. But advances in technology are allowing photographers to
handle so much o the creative process themselves such that they now have the leverage
to license their moving images in the same way as their stills.
Tere are diferent roles you can play in a motion project depending on your interests,
skills, your relationship to the client and the size o the project. You might have an oppor-
tunity to be executive producer, director, line producer, director o photography, camera
operatoror any combination o those. Te bigger the project, the more people you need
to get the job done and the more specialized the roles become. As it oten works, the
higher up on the totem pole you are, the more youll get paid. I you have the relationship
with the client and youre willing to take on the challenge, youll want to play the role o
executive producer, where youll be supervising the whole project. Ten, you can decide
whether youre going to handle the actual camera work yoursel, or hire someone to help
you. Te most important thing to understand about motion work is that its a much more
collaborative process than still photography. But i you can make that mental leap, a lot
o possibilities can open up to you.
Here are some o the crew members youll need and what they typically charge:
Line producer (to manage the shoot logistics): $750/day
Director o photography: $600 - $2500/day
Camera opperator: $500 - $1000/day
Camera assistant: $350 - $500/day
Audio technician: $650/day
Gafer: $600 - $750/day
Grip: $400/day
Motion picture editors: $1000/day
And o course, youll also need camera, lighting and grip equipment which you can
price locally.
As executive producer, the bigger the project is, the more likely youll be to charge a
project ee rather than a daily ee.
Customer testimonials are one example o how corporations use motion pictures. You
can nd some good examples o this on the Caterpillar website.
http://www.catresourcecenter.com/stories/roy.asp?SRC=CATBC56&utm_source=catdotcom&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=CATBC56-Videohttp://www.catresourcecenter.com/stories/roy.asp?SRC=CATBC56&utm_source=catdotcom&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=CATBC56-Video7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
10/15
10| PRICING YOUR WORK: CORPORate & INdUstRIal PhOtOGRaPhY
FAQs, Resources, & Additional TipsWhat kinds of questions should I ask when a cor porate client calls about a shoot?Tere are three types o questions you'll need to ask (some o them you'll ask your
client, others you'll just ask yoursel).
creativewhat kind o pictures do we need to make? Who are the subjects? How
much time do we have with the subjects? How much time will we have to set up? Is
there a shot list? Who is the audience?
Productionwhat do we have to do to make those pictures? Do I need assistants,digital techs, props, wardrobe? Do I need to scout locations ahead o time? What is
the deadline?
usagehow will the pictures be used? For how long? In what publications will
it be distributed and how many copies? In what geographic area? Is there a pre-
determined budget?
What should my estimate look like?
I recommend a simple two-page document combined into a single PDF. Te rst
page will be your estimate that briey describes the pictures you're going to make, the
licensing the client is going to get, and the ee. Under that will be a list o production
expenses and a total. Te second page will list your boilerplate terms & conditions.
You'll attach that two-page document to an email (delivery memo) that says, "Dear
, thank you or considering me or your shoot! I'm attach-
ing a cost estimate and terms & conditions or your consideration. Please let me know
i you have any questions. Otherwise, i you'd like to move orward with the shoot,
kindly sign and date both pages and return to me at or ."
We happen to use Quickbooks to create our estimates and we write our terms & con-
ditions orm in Microsot Word.
You can download a basic sample estimate here.
You can download an editable Microsot Word version o our terms & conditions here.
We think it's a good idea to get a signature on your estimate (especially rom new
clients). Tat way, it's clear which revision o your contract they ve settled on and that
they have agreed to your terms.
Tere are times when you develop a regular relationship with a corporate client and itwill make sense to create an ongoing contract rather than sending them an estimate
or each shoot. Here's a contract that we created or a university client that you could
adapt or corporate use.
You can nd explanations o all kinds o contracts on theWonderul Machine blog.
Here are a ew corporate and industrial estimates:
Executive Portrait Shoot or Fortune 500 Company
Industrial Shoot or Annual Report
Low Budget Annual Report
Image Library Shoot
Group Portraits or Publicity and Internal Collateral Use
Article Reprints or Corporate Use
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.billcramer.com%2Festimate_sample.jpg.zip&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHsFcWNMPxlEe7pjnRrcC-PuWid4Qhttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.billcramer.com%2Fterms_%26_conditions_041913.doc.zip&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHAL_7AlH-QNKJaQF-S3ICmvAXcKQhttp://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2010/08/exclusive-contracts-with-university-clients/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/?s=%22pricing+%26+negotiating%3A+%22&x=31&y=7http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2010/10/corporate-portraits/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2011/11/pricing-negotiating-industrial-shoot-for-annual-report/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2013/02/pricing-negotiating-low-budget-annual-report-shoot/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2010/07/pricing-image-libraries/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2010/06/publicity-pricing-and-the-value-of-subject-follow-up/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2011/08/pricing-negotiating-magazine-article-reprints/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2011/08/pricing-negotiating-magazine-article-reprints/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2010/06/publicity-pricing-and-the-value-of-subject-follow-up/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2010/07/pricing-image-libraries/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2013/02/pricing-negotiating-low-budget-annual-report-shoot/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2011/11/pricing-negotiating-industrial-shoot-for-annual-report/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2010/10/corporate-portraits/http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/?s=%22pricing+%26+negotiating%3A+%22&x=31&y=7http://blog.wonderfulmachine.com/2010/08/exclusive-contracts-with-university-clients/http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.billcramer.com%2Fterms_%26_conditions_041913.doc.zip&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHAL_7AlH-QNKJaQF-S3ICmvAXcKQhttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.billcramer.com%2Festimate_sample.jpg.zip&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHsFcWNMPxlEe7pjnRrcC-PuWid4Q7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
11/15
11| PRICING YOUR WORK: CORPORate & INdUstRIal PhOtOGRaPhY
Finding Clients
Credit:Audra Melton
Most experienced photographers will tell you that word o mouth is the best advertising,
and it's no diferent or corporate and industrial photography. Early in my career, as I was
transitioning rom photojournalism to commercial photography, I decided to contact all
the biggest companies in the Philadelphia area. I didn't have many corporate-looking
photos in my portolio, but I had lots o portraiture and reportage. I had shot enough
newspaper assignments in corporate settings that I was able to put together a portolio
that those olks could relate to. I had heard that the Philadelphia Business Journal pub-
lished a Book o Lists , which turned out to be a great resource or me. In act, their parent
company publishes lists or 60 cities around the U.S.
I went through the list, rom the biggest company on down. I got 11 rejections beore I
got someone rom ARCO Chemical Company to meet with me. Tey happened to need
a photographer, and they gave me a chance. I shot an assignment or them. Ten another.
Te design rm that they worked with liked my pictures, so they reerred me to an-
other o their clients, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer. And then another called McNeil Consumer
Products. What started with a ew phone calls ended up resulting in well over a hundred
thousand dollars worth o work or me over the next couple o years.
Another useul source o client inormation isAgency Access, which tracks client contact
inormation or prospects at corporations, magazines, ad agencies and other types o clients.
And o course, theres the Fortune 500 list and the Global 500 list, published by CNNMoney.
I youre doing your own research, you'll also need to nd the right person within each
company who's in a position to hire photographers. At some companies, it's the corporate
communications director. For others it's someone in the investor relations department or
public afairs or graphic design (or at some larger companies, all o the above). Sometimes
the receptionist answering the phone will be able to guide you. Other times, they won't re-
ally know and you'll have to take a stab at one o those departments.
Corporations will tend to work directly with photographers on smaller projects and
through graphic design rms or ad agencies on bigger ones. You'll simply have to do
some detective work to learn who the right people are to connect with, whether theyre
inside or outside the corporation.
Shooting or business publications can also be a bridge toward corporate work. I once
shot a portrait o a Morgan Stanley executive or Business Week and Morgan Stanley
subsequently hired me to photograph their key people in New York, London, Singapore,
okyo and Conshohocken or a capabilities brochure. And there were many other valu-able connections I was able to make over the years working or business magazines. For
more on that, check out Pricing Your Work: Magazine Photography.
http://www.bizjournals.com/commerce/?ana=bsh_bol?source=gooaw&gclid=CMv56ZLD17YCFUJx4Aod6mAA-Qhttp://agencyaccess.com/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2012/full_list/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2012/full_list/http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/pricing-your-work-magazine-photographyhttp://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/pricing-your-work-magazine-photographyhttp://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2012/full_list/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2012/full_list/http://agencyaccess.com/http://www.bizjournals.com/commerce/?ana=bsh_bol?source=gooaw&gclid=CMv56ZLD17YCFUJx4Aod6mAA-Q7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
12/15
12| PRICING YOUR WORK: CORPORate & INdUstRIal PhOtOGRaPhY
Te rst step in learning how to price your work and negotiate efectively is to actively
engage in the process. I you simply take what you're given each time, you'll always be
working too cheap. Just as you will spend your whole career learning how to make great
pictures, i youre smart, youll spend your career learning how to judge your worth and
negotiate air compensation or it.
I'd like to thankom Maday, Marc Morrison, Edward Carren, Roger Mastroianni,
Jason Lindsey, Lou Bopp, David Vincent Wol,Audra Melton,Mike Roemer,Joshua
Drake and Raymond Patrickor their valuable assistance in writing this article.
Wonderul Machine is available to help all photographers with estimates and shoot pro-
duction. Call Craig Oppenheimer at (610) 260-0200 or more inormation.
Conclusion
I you simply take what
you're given each time,
you'll always be work-
ing too cheap.
Credit:Jason Grow
http://www.tommaday.com/http://marcmorrison.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=9770&Akey=7S457WDJhttp://www.carreonphotography.com/http://rogermastroianni.com/http://jasonlindsey.com/http://www.loubopp.com/http://davidvincentwolf.com/http://audramelton.com/http://audramelton.com/http://www.roemerphoto.com/http://www.roemerphoto.com/http://joshuadrakephotography.com/#/Corporate/Industrial/5/http://joshuadrakephotography.com/#/Corporate/Industrial/5/http://raymondpatrick.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=38692&Akey=4T347T8Lhttp://raymondpatrick.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=38692&Akey=4T347T8Lhttp://joshuadrakephotography.com/#/Corporate/Industrial/5/http://joshuadrakephotography.com/#/Corporate/Industrial/5/http://www.roemerphoto.com/http://audramelton.com/http://davidvincentwolf.com/http://www.loubopp.com/http://jasonlindsey.com/http://rogermastroianni.com/http://www.carreonphotography.com/http://marcmorrison.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=9770&Akey=7S457WDJhttp://www.tommaday.com/7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
13/15
13| PRICING YOUR WORK: CORPORate & INdUstRIal PhOtOGRaPhY
About Bill Cramer and Wonderul MachineBill Cramer is ounder and CEO oWonderul Machine, a curated directory o high-quality photographers, serving commercial and edito-rial clients worldwide. He is also a photographer in his own right, specializing in environmental portraiture or a wide range o corporate,
editorial and advertising clients including Forbes, BBDO, Comcast and Accenture.
Graduating rom Penn State in 1985, Bill began his career as a photojournalist, stringing or theAssociated Pressand Te New York imes. He
assisted many prominent photographers, including a year with ashion photographer Steven Meisel. Over time, his interests grew to include
portraiture, where he now concentrates his eforts. He has received a number o industry awards and has been included in Communication
Arts Photography Annualthree times.
In 2007, seeing an opportunity to build a better mousetrap, Bill created Wonderul Machine as a "source book on steroids." In addition
to providing creatives with an eclectic selection o photographers rom around the world, Wonderul Machine aggressively promotes
those photographers using email campaigns, print mailers, web ads, social media, publicity, phone calls and portolio events.
Wonderul Machine also ofers member and non-member photographers a host o consulting services including help with estimates,
production, web design, photo editing and more. Teir staf members requently participate in industry events and contribute a popular
monthly column on pricing and negotiating to aphotoeditor.com. Wonderul Machine currently works with more than 600 photogra-
phers in 50 countries around the world.Website:
.
w.
http://www.wonderfulmachine.com/search/any/Tallebudgera+Valley%2C+Australia/mi/-28.135514/153.406288/1/http://www.aphotoeditor.com/http://www.billcramer.com/singles.htmlhttp://www.wonderfulmachine.com/search/any/Grosse+Pointe%2C+Michigan/mi/42.402327/-82.915412/1/http://www.wonderfulmachine.com/search/any/Grosse+Pointe%2C+Michigan/mi/42.402327/-82.915412/1/http://www.billcramer.com/singles.htmlhttp://www.aphotoeditor.com/http://www.wonderfulmachine.com/search/any/Tallebudgera+Valley%2C+Australia/mi/-28.135514/153.406288/1/7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
14/15
check outPhotoshelter'slibrary of free photo businessand marketing guides
Get them all: www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research
http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/2013-photographers-outlookhttp://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/selling-fine-art-photographyhttp://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/2012-photo-buyers-surveyhttp://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/email-marketing-for-photographershttp://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/photo-assistant-handbookhttp://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/seo-for-photographers7/27/2019 Pricing Your Work Corporate and Industrial Photography
15/15
Ps
facebook.com/PhotoShelter
@photoshelter
vimeo.com/photoshelter
plus.google.com/+photoshelter/posts
photoshelter.com
http://www.facebook.com/PhotoShelterhttp://twitter.com/#!/photoshelterhttp://vimeo.com/photoshelterhttps://plus.google.com/+photoshelter/postshttp://vimeo.com/photoshelterhttp://twitter.com/#!/photoshelterhttp://www.facebook.com/PhotoShelterhttp://www.photoshelter.com/https://plus.google.com/+photoshelter/postshttp://vimeo.com/photoshelterhttp://twitter.com/#!/photoshelterhttp://www.facebook.com/PhotoShelterTop Related