Running a Business (Pricing and Costing)

This week in lecture we looked at how we should work out pricing our photographs and the costing of things that we need to factor into this price.

We were told that once we worked out the costing that the service would be that we should sell our service for higher than this cost and then anything over the initial cost would cover unexpected issues and the remaining would become our profit.

We would need to work out the value that we think our service is worth this is done by combining our photography research with our quality of work and our distinctiveness and also our level of experience. Other factors include my geographical location and the price that other photographers are offering for the same service.

I do not have to be the cheapest photographer on the market however I must make my service good value for money.

Costs to factor into the price:

Travelling
Hours shooting
Hours in post production
Getting prints
Insurance
Equipment
Software
Assistants
Office / Studio space
Promotional outputs
Daily Life
Computer hire
Props
Stylists
Models

Overheads = general to all jobs
Direct = dependant on the specific job

How much do I want to earn?
How many days do I want to work?

Overheads + Desired profit
Divided by                                 = Day Rate
Number of days working

Losing Money?
- Change clients
- Present work differently
- Second Job
- Cut out unessentials



Some helpful tools from online:

a-n     The Artists Fees Toolkit
NUJ   Freelance Fees Guide



How to Price a Print

Cost to produce x4 = base sale
But keep in mind the client

Editioning Prints
- rarity = worth more as it is collectible
galleries tend to ask for editioned prints

Running a business (Copyright)

Using Photographs in my blog


Copyright information from gov.uk :

"Researchers and students were previously allowed to copy limited extracts of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works for non-commercial research and private study. They are now able to copy a limited amount of a sound recording, film or broadcast."  Here (gov.uk)

1. “Artistic works” are defined by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 as including a graphic work, photograph, sculpture or collage, with "graphic work" further defined to include paintings, drawings, diagrams, maps, charts, plans, engravings, etchings, lithographs, woodcuts or similar." Here (DeMontfort University Library)

I will also need to give acknowledgements to authors or artists, and state the name or description of the work. 

Similarly I could also password protect my blog so that only my tutors have access, this would mean my blog is an educational and private research blog, however I do not want to do this because I want my work getting viewed, no point being a photographer if nobody knows I am one. From my understanding of the term my blog is a "non-commercial research or private study" blog (but I am going to need some more classification on this) so the first quote will apply to my work, which I think gives me allowance to use photographs in my blog.



Taking Photographs

Copyright automatically belongs to me, it is automatically in place, this applies to both commercial and personal works.
It lasts for 70 years after my death
Can copyright photographs and work done however cannot copyright an idea


Exemptions

My employer will own my commercial photographs
critics and other reviewers can use the images
private study and research blogs can use images



I can License out my images which is the equivalent to 'renting' my photographs out (see previous post on 'License to Use' or below)
I can also Assign copyright which is 'giving away' the copyright.
False Attribution is when another persons work gets published under my name.
Privacy right is my right to stop the publication of my work.


Licensing

Exclusive
- one licensed client can use at a time
- I need permission for my portfolio use
- client can sue for infringement

Non Exclusive
- Any clients can use
- free to use in my portfolio
- clients can sue for infringement with written permission from photographer


Design and Artists Copyright Society
- this is a company who will work legally to get the copyright back to you

Running a Business (Contracts and Forms)

Self Employed vs Employed

Self

• decide on the course of the business
• decide own hours
• more than one client
• invoice: receive a fee for it
• no contract of employment
• no holiday or sick pay
• unsatisfactory work is my own fault
• must provide own equipment

Employed

• responsibility falls on the manager if unsatisfactory
• regular hours
• one company
• steady income plus overtime payments
• holiday and sick pay
• contract of employment

On the AOP website are many forms available to download, these include terms and conditions, model release forms for both adult and children and location permission forms.

Common Forms:

License to Use (contract of permission given to use images)

Media Use - Where they can use them

Territory - Where in the world they can use them

Period of Use - How long for

Exclusivity - How long until I can sell the photographs to others

Right to a credit - My names gets published with the photographs

Terms and Conditions 

Definitions - of photographs and clients

Copyright - remains mine, always

Exclusivity - sole theirs for a limited amount of time

Client Confidentiality - information about them wont be published

Indemnity - my insurance part (goes wrong, I'll pay)

Payment - I can sue if the client doesnt pay

Expenses

Rejection - no right to reject on style 

Liability - your business fails, it's not my fault

Model Release

(If working on a commercial shoot these forms are requirements)

Where the images are going

Fees

How long the images will be used for

Property Release

For locations

Insurance

For myself / Photography Gear / Assistants / Theft