Working Pro The
Issue 228 • January/February 2015
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PR OUDLY S UPPORT I NG THE AIPP TOGETHER WE CAN BE STRONGER
LOOK FOR THE LOGO
TRADE PARTNER Proud supporter of the AIPP
Working Pro The
Co n te n t s #228 Cover
Peter Rossi G.M.Photog. 2014 aipp PROFESSIONAL PORTRAIT photographer of the year
w w w.highlights.com.au
The Working Pro is the official newsletter of The Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP). Editor Peter Eastway G.M Photog., FNZIPP, Hon. FAIPP, Hon. FNZIPP, FAIPP Disclaimer The information provided in The Working Pro and associated publications is made in good faith, but is general in nature. Neither the editor, the publisher or the AIPP accept responsibility for or will be under any liability for any recommendations, representations or information provided herein. The Working Pro presents information, opinions and suggestions for subscribers to evaluate in coming to their own decisions in the light of their own individual circumstances. The information should not be relied upon without readers first obtaining independent advice from their own financial and legal advisers. Unless otherwise noted, all articles are written by Peter Eastway. Publication The newsletter is published 10 times a year – monthly with November/ December and January/February being combined. The Working Pro newsletter is published by Pt 78 Pty Ltd, ABN 75 003 152 136, PO Box 351, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097, Australia. Phone: (02) 9971 6857; Fax (02) 9971 6641. E-mail eastway@betterphotography.com Copyright © 2015
AIPP Membership Contacts Suite G.02, 171 Union Road, Surrey Hills, Victoria 3127 Phone: 03 9888 4111 E-mail: enquiries99@aipp.com.au
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J an/ Feb
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Ross’s Ramblings
Ross Eason M.Photog., Hon.LM, National President
AIPP New Accredited Members New APPs up to January 2015
Reflections
Honouring Our WWII Veterans by John de Rooy
Around The States
Local information for AIPP members
2014 Moran Prize Winner
AIPP’s Suzanne McCorkell’s Stunning B&W Portrait
The New AIPP Website!
Visit it now and check it out - www.aipp.com.au
Legal Accreditation
What it means to be a professional photographer
Ballarat Fringe Program
Are you interested in being a part in 2015?
Peter Rossi
The AIPP’s most decorated photographer reveals his approach.
Pricing For A Commercial Shoot
The 3 basic approaches for working out your price.
What is my competition charging?
We need to know if they are charging more or less.
What are my client’s expectations?
Don’t assume your clients know what they want!
What is usage and should I charge it? And do our clients know what usage is anyway?
How much do I need to charge?
There is a minimum you need to make a living
Is my photography quality better? And are my clients really interested?
Do I educate my clients?
Good quality photography is incredibly valuable.
New Toys From Wacom
Wacom Cintiq 27QHD & Companion 2
Ross’s Ramblings
Ross Eason M.Photog., Hon.LM, National President
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Welcome to 2015! It’s going to be a big year for
the AIPP and our members.
every member, whether you are a Grand Master
Accreditation- Raising the Bar
or newly accredited, and its overall success
We mentioned last year a review of the
will depend on support from the largest cross
accreditation process.
section of members possible.
New Website
Stage one was a meeting or ‘think tank’
The Veteran’s project requires the support of
held in Melbourne with some experienced
You will have received an email regarding
members as well as the active members in
the new AIPP website. The upgrade is part of
the Accreditation SIG. The net result is a new
a larger initiative to resolve long term issues
accreditation standard for those applying for
with the technology that sits behind the AIPP
AIPP accreditation.
database. It has been directly responsible for
many of the frustrations we have all had with
It is a significant change and will be fully
integrated as technology and time allows. In
communications.
the short term, the bar is now higher and will
require applicants to demonstrate a required
the national office has been frustrated by the
professionalism. Details of this proposed policy
limitations of our old system. Over the past 5
change will be emailed to members soon.
months, including Christmas and the New Year,
Veterans Project
they have worked with an Australian company
The Veterans Project will be one of the
to custom design a system that would suit our
most significant ventures the AIPP has ever
specific needs.
undertaken. It follows the lead of NZIPP who
has had tremendous feedback, both from
of all their hard work and in coming months as
members and the community. The NZIPP’s
more of the technology is refined, you will see
experience demonstrates what a professional
more benefits unfold.
body can do when it acts in unison for a worthy
project.
and implementation is the National Office
You will find all the details further on in this
team did this as a cost neutral initiative. It’s
issue of The Working Pro and members will
absolutely amazing and a great outcome,
receive a detailed email early in February.
but to make it fully effective, every member
For the past 5 years, our fantastic team in
The new website is the first demonstration
The truly amazing aspect of the build
AIPP New Accredited Members
New APPs up to January 2015 Accredited
Gary Wilson
Virginia Hager
Michael Dooley
Professional
SA
Marie Hardman
Kira Taylor
Photographers
Amy Dahlenburg
Gary Matodes
NQ
VIC
Hannah Spackman
Gerald Steding
Robert Hiette
Pam McLure
NSW
ACT
NT
Qing Zhang
Lyn McCarthy
Frederic Courbet
Katrina Rope
Richard Wong
Michael Cooper
QLD
Accredited
Lyton Crabb
Lorna van Hilst
Andy Graves
Professional Video
WA
Katie Thurlby
Lauren Toth
Producers
Tim Campbel
Mark Bradley
Andre Brown
NSW
Mel Cieslik
Justine Curran
Lynette Rees
Richard Sossen
is strongly encouraged to follow the special
to ensure that consistent standards applies
website ‘Launcher’ instructions provided in the
from state awards to the national awards, and
email already sent. Look it out and set up your
most importantly that entrants get beneficial
account on the new website now.
feedback to advance their careers and refine
National Awards Judges Training
their images.
As we are now operating under a National
Awards structure, it is important to establish
to access recorded critiques during the judging
a judging standard that is as consistent as
and it is important to ensure that judges, even
possible, whether in the States or at National.
the experienced ones, can articulate their views
constructively and in terms the entrant can
To achieve this, we plan to introduce a
national judges training program. This will apply
It is hoped that awards entrants will be able
relate to.
to existing judges as well as those members who have achieved the required standard and are emerging as judges. The training sessions will be run in each state later this year.
ross.eason@aipp.com.au
So why are we doing this ?
0412 108 362
As our judging system matures, we need
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Reflections
Honouring Our WWII Veterans by John de Rooy We need your help with one of the most
than 10,000 portraits!
ambitious photographic projects ever undertaken in Australia.
Why are we suggesting this project?
We realise the ANZAC veterans from World War
- Honouring our WWII Veterans as a community
I are no longer with us, but many of their sons
service to commemorate the centenary of
and daughters, and those who served in World
the ANZAC legend in 2015. The project will
War II, are still in the community and immensely
photograph the remaining veterans of WWII
proud of their service.
and provide a unique pictorial record of these
returned servicemen and women for the
their elderly years, knowing that in future years
national archives.
our WWII veterans will no longer be with us,
we hope to create a sensitive portrayal of their
If you’ve been wondering what you can
By documenting our veteran population in
do to improve your standing in the market
lives that will provide a pictorial comparison
place as a professional photographer, this is
to wartime footage of young, active men and
the best opportunity in years. However, it will
women.
only be achievable with the support of as many
members as possible.
of work, produced pro-bono by suitable AIPP
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In a nutshell, the AIPP proposes Reflections
If you want to improve your standing in the
The result will be a comprehensive body
members in 2015, and gifted to the nation
community, give something back. We’re asking
via the RSL and hopefully the Australian War
members to donate their time and talent to
Memorial.
create this visual legacy. And we’re talking more
Importantly, this is a project we can all play
7 This photograph is from the NZIPP’s Veterans project which they undertook last year.
an active role in and be proud of.
which is why we are using the entire month of
April as the window of opportunity.
We believe that the professionally crafted
photograph has a permanent and relevant
place in our society and this project is a
photographers wishing to participate in a given
powerful way to demonstrate that in the face of
area, it is expected and will be conditional that
increasing amateurism.
they work as a team, in the spirit of the venture,
to deliver the best outcome for the veterans
Whether you’re a portrait photographer,
Where there are more than two AIPP
a wedding photographer or you work in
and the project.
advertising, industry or the landscape, this is an
opportunity to make a mark for our profession
a photographer to travel some distance for an
as a whole.
appointment with a veteran.
Some remote areas in Australia may require
There will also be a strict protocol and a
How will it work?
strict photographic style that will be supplied to
In the lead up to April 2015 and with the
participating photographers. As the final images
support of the RSL, we will be asking qualifying
will be compiled into one publication, it is vital
veterans to register to have their portrait taken.
that the lighting, background and posing have a
We will also be asking AIPP members to register
common and professional style.
to work as part of the photographic teams,
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who during the month of April will run studio
What do the veterans receive?
sessions at their local RSL, their own studio or
Each veteran will receive one 5x7� colour print in
another suitable venue.
a presentation folder, delivered to an address of
their choosing.
We expect that it will require multiple
days in some locations because of the limited
availability of both photographers and veterans
photographs for a minimal cost and any
Veterans and their families can order more
9 This photograph is from the NZIPP’s Veterans project which they undertook last year.
ancillary income (from these re-orders) will be
project. It is restricted to photographing the
donated to Legacy and the RSL Foundation for
veterans within the style guide and there will be
the welfare of veterans and their families.
no opportunity for additional posing or sales.
A presentation book of images as an historical
If we want the broader community to
record will be presented to the RSL and, it is
understand the importance of a professional
hoped, also to the Australian War Memorial.
photographer and the difference in quality we
At this stage we have sponsorship from Kodak can bring, then we need to assert this role in the
Alaris and their key pro labs around the country
community. In the face of increasing amateurism
to produce the prints. The printing overhead
in photography, we have to do something
covered by this generous support will allow us to to demonstrate our professionalism to the make a sizable donation.
community.
This is that chance.
Who can participate?
And we need the support of all members,
At each location, AIPP Accredited Professional
from Grand Masters to new students. This is the
Photographers will undertake the photography
biggest project the AIPP has undertaken. It needs
and lead the teams. We need the support of AIPP you to participate. Student and Emerging members to work in those teams and assist the Accredited photographers.
Last year over in New Zealand, the NZIPP
ran this project and they have had tremendous
The rewards for them from this experience extend feedback both from members and the beyond merely learning photographic skills
community. It is one of the most successful
because the interaction with the veterans alone
initiatives they have run.
could be a life experience not easily forgotten.
participate, visit the project web site at www.
This is a community service project. No
participating photographer can profit from the
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To find out how you can help or register to
aippveterans.com.
‘Last Man Standing’ by AIPP Grand Master of Photography was an award winner at APPA a couple of years ago. In many ways, his photograph exemplifies the need for us to act quickly to capture our WWII veterans before it is too late.
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Click Here
FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS
VIC
© Kristen Cook
A R OUND THE STAT E S BRINGING VICTORIAN AIPP MEMBERS FANTASTIC EVENT S AND HAVING A GREAT TIME TOGETHER!
2015 IS G O I N G T O B E A B I G Y E A R !!
UP COMING E V E NT S
Wow what a jam packed year 2014 was! Finishing the year with a bang we celebrated Christmas with our many members and sponsors at The Darkroom Restaurant.
20th Jan - These girls mean business 22nd Jan - Decathlon 2nd Feb - 1st VPPY Vppy Speed Crtitique 11th Feb - Plugged in with Preface Films 25th Feb - Mark Rossetto presentation 11th March - Bruce Postle presentation 17th March - ‘Panel Chat’ for Video 30th March - Monsalvat Shoot Out 9th April - 2nd VPPY Vppy speed critique 18th April - ‘Starry Starry Night’ with Andrew Campbell 5th-6th May - Vic Epson State Awards 7th May - Presentation dinner 12th May –Video Critique 29th June - 1st July - The Nikon AIPP Event June - APPA critique night 16th-18th Oct - CANON AIPP APPA Judging 19th Oct - Canon AIPP APPA Presentation Dinner
There were many laughs, a great vibe and general warm feeling of camaraderie between us all. 2015 is shaping up to be an even bigger year for The Victorian AIPP Aipp Division. We have a great many exciting events coming your way shortly. The year kicked off with “These girls mean business” and our very popular “Decathlon.” In the near future we are very excited to bring you some fabulous events such as the Vppy VPPY Speed Critique’s, Video presentations, Photographer presentations and the not to be missed Montsalvat Shootout!! Dates may change slightly so keep your eyes peeled for updates on our newsletters and of course our Victorian Facebook page.
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© Dean Mansbridge
TASMANIA
A R OUND THE STAT E S S O C I A L E V E N T - FA M I LY D AY AT M O N TA G U B AY PA R K Date: Sunday, 25th January 2015. Time: 12:00 midday onwards. A free and fun social event. BYO food, drinks, games, and sports equipment.
ONE THE LOUNGE MINI - WORKSHOP Date: Friday, 20th March 2015. Time: 7:00pm start in New Town, Hobart. Hosted by Conor Richardson of http://www.justconorphotography.com
PRINT CRITIQUE NIGHTS Date: 24th April 2015, 22nd May 2015 & 19th June 2015. Venues to be advised on Facebook page when confirmed.
S A V E T H E D A T E - 12 T H J U L Y 2 015 - E P S O N S T A T E A W A R D S & P R E S E N T A T I O N D I N N E R
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Click Here FOR MORE INFO
ACT
© Melissa Ellis
A R OUND THE STAT E S COUNCIL M E E TI N G AT H I L A RY S
P R INT AWA R D S CR IT I Q U E N I GH T
Date: 19th February - 11.00am all welcome
Date: 9th April Location: Hughes Community Centre
PRIN T AWA R D S C R I TI Q U E N I G HT
Cost: TBA Print critique night for entries for 2015 ACT print awards. Followed by an ‘ACT APPA Master Class’.
Date: 12th March Location: Hughes Community Centre Cost: TBA Print critique night for entries for 2015 ACT print awards. Followed by an ‘ACT APPA Master Class’. The concept of the ACT APPA Master Class is to have photographers who have scored well in previous APPAs, talk about the making of their award winning print. It could be a talk about the concept, the print, a demonstration of the process to create the print or a combination of these topics. Each photographer would speak for about 5 – 10 minutes on their print.
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COUNCIL ME E T ING AT H I L ARY S Date: 23rd April - 11.00am all welcome
UP COMING E V E NT S IN M AY. . . ACT Print Awards Sydney, date and venue TBA ACT Print Awards Dinner Canberra, date and venue TBA
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NSW
© Jessica Ross
A R OUND THE STAT E S
Happy new year to all our NSW members! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and managed to take a well deserved break after a successful 2014! We ended the year with an awesome Christmas party at the 3 Weeds in Rozelle and the final Soup Kitchen ever, hosted by David and his wonderful team at Society Photography. While the name Soup Kitchen has been retired, you’ll be happy to hear that the format hasn’t. For 2015 we are introducing a structured programme of events addressing the areas of core skills, inspiration and networking, and as part of this programme we have rebranded Soup Kitchens to “An Evening With”. We are very excited that the first speaker to host an evening at their studio in 2015 will be James Day and it was little surprise that all 20 tickets to hear from this hugely popular wedding photographer sold out within the first hour! We are building a roster of speakers across the year catering for photographers from different genres so if you would like to host an evening at your studio just drop us a line at aippnsw@aipp.com.au, we’d love to hear from you. We will be also be introducing a range of seminars, workshops and events to ensure that the core skills for working photographers such as lighting, workflow, printing and marketing are regularly addressed. This will include a series of talks and tours at Momento Pro aimed at wedding, portrait and fine art photographers.
Our focus on social and networking events will remain as high as ever so look out for new breakfast clubs launching and more opportunities to take a break and go Off The Grid, kicking off with a summer barefoot bowls edition in February! We’re very excited for all the events coming up in 2015 and hope you are too, so keep an eye on your inbox, the events calendar on the new AIPP website and, of course, TWP!
NSW EVENTS January 29th: Inspiration - An Evening With James Day February 5th: Social - Sydney Central Breakfast Club February 11th: Social - Off The Grid Barefoot Bowls Edition February 12th: Social - Newcastle/Hunter Breakfast Club February 24th: Inspiration - An Evening With Milk & Honey Photography March 3rd: Inspiration - An Evening With Linnet Foto March 5th: Social - Sydney Central Breakfast Club March 17th (TBC): Core Skills - Print Critique Evening March 23rd-25th: Special Event - The Sauce March 26th: Inspiration - An Evening With Morris Images
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WA
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© Kingsley Burton
A R OUND THE STAT E S
HAPPY NEW YEAR! The WA Council are already hard at work planning out 2015, even while the festivities of Christmas are still ringing in our ears… And chief amongst those holiday festivities was our wrap-up event for 2014 - The President’s Cocktail Party, which pulled in record numbers that included some of our most distinguished industry peers, along with brand new members attending their very first AIPP event. New connections were made, ideas were sparked, names were put to faces, and faces were put in a photobooth. There were epic door prizes, and enough dancing for the venue staff to declare our little shindig to be the best event they’ve ever hosted. An excellent finish to the year! Our first official 2015 event was a lunchtime catchup down in Bunbury. Clearly it’s not enough to be working from the most isolated capital city on Earth, we now have a group of incredible and passionate AIPP members three hours even further away, kickstarting events for the whole of WA’s South West region. So look forward to more community, speakers, and events down south in 2015! We’re also really looking forward to our third WA Decathlon, happening this week at the Oxford Hotel.. Ten speakers with ten minutes each to share their secrets, with a Q&A session, dinner, and a plethora of beautiful imagery. It’s just about the best-value seminar series of the year. (That is, aside from the NIKON AIPP EVENT happening from June 29, but you’ll
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be hearing more about that over the next few months..) All of us on Council are looking forward to serving our members for another year, and working together to lift the industry to new heights and strengths. And as always, we appreciate all the time and wisdom that the membership invests back into this community. Here’s to a spectacular 2015.
UPCOMING EVENTS 22nd Jan - Decathlon 2015. 10th Feb - Breakfast Meeting. 10th March - Portrait Seminar. 19th April - AIPP WA Family Day, Lawn bowls & sundowner. 12th May - Breakfast Meeting. 17th May - WAEPPA Critique Session. 2nd June - WAEPPA Critique Session. 25th-26 June - WA Epson State Awards. 28th June - Presentation dinner. 29th June - 1st July - The Nikon AIPP Event. 11th Aug - Breakfast Meeting. 16th-18th Oct - Canon AIPP APPA Judging. 19th Oct - Canon AIPP APPA Presentation Dinner. 10th Nov - Breakfast Meeting.
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QLD
© Mark Duffus
A R OUND THE STAT E S HAIR OF THE DOG IS ALMOST HERE 7th - 9th February 2015 Hair of the Dog is shining brightly on the horizon, only weeks away. Now is the time to secure your ticket and places in your preferred presentations and workshops. Speakers include international Benjamin Von Wong with his incredible photographic productions, Australian Photographer of the Year James Simmons and 2013 winner Tony Hewitt, and a broad range of experts covering everything from social media, videography, fashion, portraiture, retouching, and even what it's like photographing people beating the heck out of each other (they hug afterwards). There's also heaps of opportunity to mingle with your fav photographers and make new friends at the Saturday and Sunday night social events. Tickets for these and places in workshops are limited, so get on it and we'll see you there!
December was an exciting month with Queensland Members offered a rare audience with motion picture stills photographer Jasin Boland (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Matrix, The Bourne Supremacy), an awesome AIPP Christmas Party (Thanks to Deb and Alyda for all your work!), and the APPA Gold show which had a fantastic turnout. The show couldn't have happened without the support from Kayell, Maud Gallery and a huge amount of work from those working to produce the amazing gold award prints in time. Next month we will be talking about how amazing Hair Of The Dog was, we'd love you to join us. If you don't know anyone just introduce yourself to a friendly volunteer and we'll start the friendship wagon rolling!
ALSO UPCOMING 28-30th March 2015 - 2015 Epson QPPA
HAIR OF THE DOG 7-9 FEBRUARY 2015
2015 EPSON STATE AWARDS
SAVE THE DATE QUEENSLAND
IONA PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE BRISBANE
28TH - 29TH MARCH
AIPP QUEENSLAND DIVISION CONFERENCE
30TH MARCH - PRESENTATION
© IMAGE BY KELLY BROWN
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FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS Image by © David Evans
A R OUND THE STAT E S M O N T H LY B R E A K FA S T
UPCOMING EVENTS
If there’s something we love here is SA, it’s breakfast and it was ‘most’ hands on deck for the very first brekky of 2015.
27th January - TAFE visit for orientation week at TTG 3rd February - Monthly Breakfast at Alfonso’s (First Tuesday of every month) 11th February - Image Feedback evening 17th February - Understanding Pricing for Profit 2nd March - Commercial Photography Group Conversation 30th March - New Member evening 15th April - SAPPA Image critique 29th April - Q&A Session - Birth & New Born Photography 17th May - A Fireside Chat with Hilary Hann 9th June - Stick With It - Business Seminar with Duncan Redman
A great turn-out and a great start to the year. Oh, and what do you get when you pass around the compact camera to a crazed bunch of hungry photographers? See for yourself.
NEW MEMBER EVENING Becoming a new member of the AIPP can, for some, be a daunting prospect and making the initial contact is sometimes all it takes to instill a little confidence with a welcoming smile and handshake.
SA Council hosts two New Member evenings each year and
they are becoming a popular event amongst our community. Not only do we all get a chance to meet our newest members, but we also take the opportunity to celebrate the successes and achievements of our friends in SA.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS GROW TH We all know that the act of taking photographs is such a small part of what we actually do. Staying up to date with the running of our business and maintaining our business strength is a huge part of what keeps us ticking. SA Council was pleased to present two very significant yet completely different business seminars during the latter half of 2014. Duncan Redman of AltusQ Experiential Coaching talked us through the ‘Importance of Remaining Relevant’ while Mel Neumann gave us the facts on a subject close to all our hearts and yet most unfamiliar to many on ‘Pricing for Profit’. We look forward to providing our members with more seminars through out 2015 to tickle their business funny-bone.
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
“ L O O K I N G F O R W A R D T O 2 015 ”
We think the SA photographic community is our stand out asset, and we will be putting more effort into encouraging members getting together and sharing knowledge to build on these relationships. One of the growing successes in getting people together are the image critique evenings. We are finding that these are not only to help members prepare for there APPAs and SAPPAs, but the simple act of discussing images before an audience is incredibly educational. We have even found, if time permits, hearing opinions from anyone in the audience, and editing the image in front of them produces great results, and lively discussions. This is what we want more of, learning through shared experience.” Images from left: Xmas BBQ 2014, New member evening Oct, Monthly breakfast.
Photograph by Mark Zed
M E M B E R S H I P R E N E WA L S N O W AVA I L A B L E If your AIPP membership is due for renewal, you will have received an email from the AIPP explaining how to renew your membership using the payment centre in the all new AIPP website. Please help us all by renewing your membership promptly. If you need any help with your membership renewal, call any of us in the National Office. www.aipp.com.au 19
2014 Moran Prize Winner
A I P P ’s S u z a n n e M c C o r k e l l ’s S t u n n i n g B & W Po r t ra i t AIPP member Suzanne McCorkell is the winner
noted, “many people have commented to me
of the 2014 Moran Contemporary Photographic
that they didn’t even notice the amputations -
Prize and a cash purse of $50,000. Her intimate
they just looked at the couple.”
portrait of Chris Bond and Bridie Kean came
about through her work with Jasmine Gailer,
APPA last year. “I think I got 78 and I wasn’t very
the founder of Scar Stories, an organisation that
happy”, Suzanne laughs, “but I took some advice
‘uses creative initiatives to help young adult
and darkened the rug they were lying on to
cancer survivors see their scars in a new light -
create more intensity in the photograph.
one that is empowering and beautiful’.
at the end of APPA, madly editing the image
“In fact, I was in the hotel down in Sydney
would photograph Bridie and Chris, so I spoke
so I could enter it into the Moran prize by the
to them and gave them an indication of what I
deadline.” And just as well she did!
had in mind.”
nearly eight years. “I have found the camaraderie
Suzanne loves natural light and
Suzanne has been an AIPP member for
photographed the couple in her garage. “My
very inspiring”, she explains. “I love going
son helped me rig the camera up on the top
to the AIPP events and think it is a brilliant
of the garage door and I shot using a remote
organisation for emerging photographers. There
shutter release. It wasn’t the easiest camera
are so many opportunities to network.
position, but I needed the height for the angle
directly above them.
Queensland. Everyone is really friendly and it’s
a great jump start for the year. People are so
“Chris and Bridie are a naturally affectionate
“I love the Hair of the Dog weekend in
couple, so it was just a case of tweaking their
sharing and open, especially considering there
posing. We tried a lot of different positions and
is so much competition, but I guess the reason
this is the one I choose for a book that Scar
we share is to encourage us all to do everything
Story was publishing as a money raiser.”
professionally.”
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“I was contacted by Jasmine and asked if I
Suzanne also entered the photograph into
The purpose was to show the subjects as
a normal couple, without focusing on their
Visit Suzanne’s website at www.soulphotographics.
amputations. “Interestingly enough”, Suzanne
com.au/
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The New AIPP Website!
Visit it now and check it out - www.aipp.com.au Have you seen the new AIPP website? It’s been
and focus very firmly on those three target
up since early January and it has some great
audiences.”
new functionality.
sections, the public view and the members’
“This website launch is more than just a
The website is effectively divided into two
simple website refresh”, said AIPP EO, Peter
view. The first two target audiences are
Myers. “We have migrated the entire AIPP
addressed in the public section of the website,
membership system from the costly and clunky
and the members are addressed in the new
IMIS system we have been using for the last four
Members Dashboard area of the website.
years to a new, less expensive and more flexible
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membership management system, AMS. It is
Update Your Profile
this system which drives and manages the new
“We have put a lot of emphasis on the new
website.”
Search For A Pro (SAP) tool and on the why and
how of being an Accredited member.”
The new website has three main target
audiences:
1. Members of the public looking to find a
to search for an accredited professional
professional photographer and wanting to
photographer or video producer, by name,
understand about Accredited Professional
by location or by category (genre). This initial
Photographers.
search can be further refined by a keyword
2. Practising professional photographers
search. The whole point of this is to allow the
who are not members of the AIPP, but may be
public to be very specific and very granular
interested in becoming members.
about their searches.
3. Existing members looking for information
about their ongoing involvement with the AIPP.
its full capacity unless our members do their bit
and create profiles, upload profile images and
“The thing about the AIPP website is that
Search For A Pro now enables the public
“Of course, Search For A Pro won’t work to
we often have too much information and it
include appropriate keywords, to give the SAP
can be confusing. With the flexibility the new
tool content to work on. The new system allows
system offers, we were able to take the advice
our members to not only create a generic
of external consultants to design the new site
profile, but also to create profiles for specific
photographic categories (Genres).
system. The renewals and joining process did
not go live on the new site until late January,
“We wanted to make sure that if a member
of the public is searching for a portrait
and the new AIPP Events module, part of the
photographer, for example, they are only given
new AMS system, will not go live until February.
information from SAP which is specific to
However, in general we have been very pleased
portrait photography, allowing the public to
and the feedback from our members to date
focus their search on their needs.
has also been very positive.”
“We still have a lot of work to do ‘under the
If you have any comments or suggestions
hood’”, continued Peter Myers, “integrating the
on the new AIPP website, send your feedback
new website and members dashboard area
to the usual feedback address: feedback@aipp.
with the awards system and the assessment
com.au.
23
Legal Accreditation
What it means to be a professional photographer AIPP Professional photographers will soon be
asking for: recognition by a third party that
able to be certified.
there is a standard required for professional
photographers.
Explained AIPP Executive Office Peter
Myers, this is a game changer for the
profession because the Accredited Professional
going to be with the AIPP as an Accredited
Photographer logos (including the new
Professional Photographer (APP).
Licentiate variant) will now have true legal
status and be recognised by the ACCC
professional photographers and we talk about
(Australian Competition and Consumer
being the photography profession, but in
Commission).
order to be consistent with the way the term is
“We started this process over five years ago.
generally used in the wider world, we need the
“We were told we couldn’t get a trademark
wider world to recognise our status.
“And in Australia, the only standard is
“This is the key point. We call ourselves
certified unless we could demonstrate to the
ACCC that we had the processes and systems
as a trade because there were no recognised
in place that established the qualifications of a
prerequisites for being a professional
professional photographer.
photographer.
“We were also told this process normally
“Now there will be!”
takes around four to seven years before the
It’s a similar process for doctors, accountants
ACCC is confident that a qualification process is
and lawyers.
stringent enough.”
to establish themselves with a professional
Although the AIPP’s accreditation process
“Up until now, we have really just been seen
Once their training is finished, they still need
has changed over the years, in recent times the
body. For photographers, that professional body
changes brought in by the AIPP Board were
is now the AIPP.
with full certification in mind.
“In fact, it will be illegal for anyone to
call themselves an Accredited Professional
24
Legal Recognition
Photographer unless they have met and passed
“What this means is that professional
our requirements. It will be a breach of the law.
photographers now have what they have been
“And It’s a huge marketing opportunity for
us and something the Board is keen to capitalise
that. Every APP must maintain their skills, just
on for all our members.”
as doctors and accountants need to keep up to date in their profession. For photographers,
Three Parts
this could be achieved by attending workshops
The accreditation process to become a APP has
and seminars, and entering the photography
three parts.
awards.
1. The applicant must fulfil prequalification
The AIPP has around 3200 members, of
standards, such as completing tertiary
which some 1700 are APPs. Of these, just 213
qualifications or having a number of years
are APP Licentiates with 15 years or more
practical experience.
experience.
2. The applicant must pass an ‘entrance
“The AIPP’s investment, with the support
exam’, for want of a better description. Currently
of its major sponsors and especially Nikon, has
we have a portfolio submission, for instance,
been massive.
but the submission process is to be beefed up
shortly.
received in the first half of the year, but in the
meantime, all APPs should definitely be using
3. And there is an ongoing CPD (Continuing
Professional Development) component. In other
“Formal accreditation is expected to be
their logo!”
words, you don’t become an APP and that’s
25
Ballarat Fringe Program
Are you interested in being a par t in 2015?
26
The Ballarat International Foto Biennale Inc
program and photographic competitions and
(BIFB) is a not for profit organisation presenting
prizes.
a month‐long biennial festival of contemporary
photography in the historical city of Ballarat, in
August to 20 September. It’s now in it’s 12th
regional Victoria.
year and the organisers are interested in
hearing from photographers who would like to
It comprises two major exhibition
The 2015 Festival will be staged from 22
programs, including the Core Program, a
participate in the Fringe Program.
curated exhibition of 20 leading Australian and
international photographic artists presented in
org/2015-fringe-program-information/
If you are interested, visit www.ballaratfoto.
eight heritage
Then read
buildings in
through the
central Ballarat.
Fringe Artist
Manual to
The Core
Program is
familiarise
complimented
yourself with the
by an open entry
requirements,
Fringe Program,
useful tips and
a city‐wide
information.
presentation of
If you wish to
over 200 artists
proceed, you will
staged in more than 80 venues including cafes
need to first find a venue - there’s a link listing
and galleries, throughout project spaces, and
all the different venues.
across public sites.
you will need to complete the artist / BIFB
The two exhibitions are complemented by
Once you have confirmed a venue, then
an extensive events program for photographers
agreement and pay your registration fee.
at all levels through workshops, seminars,
audio‐visual projections, master classes, artist
Verwey, the Fringe Program Coordinator on
floor‐talks, portfolio reviews, an education
0414 745 473 or pam@ballaratfoto.org.
If you have any queries, please contact Pam
How To Master Photoshop Layers “The secret to photographic technique is layers, and that’s whether you use Photoshop or Lightroom.” How To Master Layers is a series of video/article presentations by Peter Eastway. To purchase and view on your computer, visit: www.betterphotography.com $6.49 each or $19.95 for all four titles
27 If you download the files from the website, they will not play properly on the iPad.
P E T E R
ROSSI Grand Master of Photography
I am pretty sure Peter Rossi is the most decorated Canon APPA entrant (although Tim Griffith must be a close second). Peter is an AIPP Grand Master of Photography, has won the Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photographer of the Year and has also won many APPA category prizes. Yet despite his success and obvious talent, he is modest and quietly spoken, an achiever who is consumed by his photography. I asked Peter to provide a dozen images that defined his style and he responded with an amazing mini-retrospective, beginning in 2001.
28
2001
feeling right, so I worked on
selected pieces of fabric from
(Opposite) Our client was after
creating a heavier mood by
the chair to create a border
‘an artistic painting look’ of her
darkening the background and
for this image. I think now the
daughter with her violin. At
toning her clothing, by using
border was more decorative
that stage we were scanning
Levels and Hue/Saturation
than really an integral part of
our own 35mm negatives and
adjustments. At APPA 2000, I
the composition. I overlaid an
working them with Photoshop
was impressed with a border
image of some concrete mould
5. I had originally visualised a
I saw around one of Giorgio
from under our clothesline to
high key version, but it wasn’t
Karayianis’s images. So I
give the image some tooth.
29
P E T E R
ROSSI Grand Master of Photography
30
2002 - Way Out West
photographing Herbie for
We worked on strong intense
I’m always searching for
another purpose, I asked him
body language that would
interesting backgrounds,
would he be interested in
help tell the story of the early
patterns and textures to
posing for me as an outback
pioneer preachers dealing
use in my multi-layered
preacher. He was very
with the harsh conditions. I
compositions. On one such
obliging as he had an interest
applied a sepia colour Curve
road trip, I stumbled across
in old buildings and I would
to a black and white version
this abandoned church in
give him a free print of the
of the image and adjusted
south east Queensland. To
shot. Armed with bible and
anything that competed with
tell its story, I felt it needed
necktie, we timed the shoot
Herbie for initial attention.
a human element. After
for soft, late afternoon light.
pre-portrait meeting). We talked about his life piloting ships in the Suez Canal in war time. His account of his colourful past was so interesting, I felt I had to make a strong image. I positioned Ron near a large doorway, with family photos 2003 – Past Present Future
and memories behind him – Ron was ‘stuck’ in
We were photographing for our ‘Sweet Child
the present, looking into the future. I selected
of Mine’ exhibition to take to NZ and we
some highlights that were too bright and
had placed an advertisement in the local
darkened them to direct all the focus onto
newspaper searching for interesting parent/
Ron’s glare first. These shots were taken with
child stories. While photographing this Mother/
our brand new 6-megapixel Nikon D100 (which
Son story at their home, I met Ron (a father/
cost $4235 for the body, one spare battery and
son story that hadn’t been mentioned at the
a 512 MB CompactFlash card).
31
material possessions. I photographed him lying on his clothes, looking over his life through his photographs, knowing he can only take the emotions and ‘lessons’ learnt with him. The photo was shot from a ladder onto an old piece of truck canvas to give an overview of his situation. I used Clarence’s photos, magnifying glass and cane, my old childhood teddy bear and old shoes from an op shop. The shot was lit
P E T E R
ROSSI Grand Master of Photography
32
2004 – Life’s Precious Gifts
from a low angle into his face with the biggest
I had known Clarence since my amateur photo
soft light I had at the time, just out of the shot,
club days. Clarence was a nudist and at 84
skimming over his body to two large reflectors
years old, he was the perfect subject to help
on the right. To me the light represents where
me illustrate a concept I had: that at the end
the energy for the moment is coming from – his
of our life, as with the beginning, we lie naked
pictures, his memories. Taken with studio flash,
and in the foetal position, leaving with no
1/125 second @ f8, 28mm lens.
light (a gap in an underpass) would show her 2005 – Hope
hopeful attitude with light coming from above,
Liane was such a great advocate for life
as I wanted to focus on her inner beauty and
after Luekaemia. She was lucky to have
conviction, rather than her condition and
survived treatment at age four and when
crutches. To help the mood and message of
we photographed her two weeks before her
the image, I made a selection around Liane in
21st birthday, she was finishing her university
Photoshop and warmed the tones with a little
degree. One of her major objectives was to walk
red and yellow in Levels, and with the inverse
unaided. At our pre-portrait interview, I simply
selection (the background), I cooled the tones
wrote ‘Hope’. I wanted to portray this strong
with blue and cyan in Levels. Nikon D2X, I/30
attribute in imagery. I found a spot where the
second @ f4.5, 35mm lens.
33
their home. The two light sources served the
P E T E R
ROSSI Grand Master of Photography
34
2006 – Eternal Love
picture well. One was in my old bedroom which
Sometimes you get an idea or a concept
I controlled with the curtains and the other in
you would like to illustrate. It may not be
the hallway where I opened up all the doors to
documenting something you’ve actually seen,
give an overexposed area for Dad to walk into.
but something you have felt or thought up –
With a little furniture shifting and some dodging
so therefore you have to create the characters,
and burning in Photoshop CS, the shot was
location and lighting yourself. I needed two
done. I enjoy an image that can be interpreted
actors, so who better than Mum and Dad in
on many levels.
a couple of months earlier we had spent a weekend in their area shooting landscapes which became handy backgrounds, including their main street bathed in fog. Wouldn’t it be great to merge the two shots and show her in 2007
her home town? I layered the fog with one of
We had been hired to photograph Selena
the studio shots. I then selected her outline and,
and her family, both in the studio and on
using Select > Modify, contracted the selection
their property outside Dimbulah. When
by 1 pixel and then feathered the selection at
photographing a family, the more info you
0.5 pixels. In a mask of the fog image, I filled
have about them, the more you can develop
the selection with 100% black to hide the
a storyline about them by including props,
background to complete the illusion of her as
backgrounds and clothing. Coincidentally,
the champion rider of her little town.
35
36
P E T E R
ROSSI Grand Master of Photography
2008 – Hurt
Some may say leave the picture as you captured
(Opposite) Kevin had a major event early in his
it, but I like to tell stories. With this style of
life that left him with a form of dementia. With
storytelling, it’s surprising how big a library of
his carers present, we photographed him in his
secondary images you accumulate.
kitchen beside the available light of an open
2009 – Hedgings
door and a large reflector just out of frame. He
(Above) Too cold and windy on a late NZ winter
had an affinity with the sea and had worked on
afternoon to put up a tripod, I quickly handheld
a barge as a young man, doing the Cairns to
this shot to get back into the warm car. I shot
Thursday Island run and still wore his sea hat all
at ISO 200, I/320 second @ f5.6. Working on the
the time. We wanted to give the audience more
raw file in Adobe Bridge and then Photoshop,
information about his past as well as his present
I recovered detail in the dark hedge and the
state of mind. Very important aspects to me are:
bright sky. With a warming Curve in Photoshop,
his captain’s hat, the disconnecting barbed wire
the shot was complete. Some trees were
and the hospital background. In Photoshop,
removed to emphasise the message in the
I added the last two layers at a lower opacity.
poem.
37
38
P E T E R
ROSSI Grand Master of Photography
2011 – Bless This House T’was a rainy afternoon and we had just been driven around a cattle property. As we parked near the front door of the farmhouse, I noticed Veris gazing out the front door at the rain. Luckily I had a camera with a 70-200mm lens on my lap. I took three shots, all at different focal lengths, before she spotted the camera and raced back into the house. With contract in hand, I explained about our collection of interesting characters and her image possibly appearing in our book if she gave her permission. 2010 – The Shooter
taken in a farm shed where the roof
She was happy to and we arranged
(Opposite) The concept was to
blocked out the down light,
to send her an Art Print of the image.
depict the struggle of the ‘man
which just left lovely low portrait
With selective colouring, I wanted
on the land’ in a timeless style. It
light to turn his body into. I added
to emphasise the warmth inside
needed strong body language,
in the rural background for more
her safe home, contrasted against
an intense expression and a low
information and clouds for drama
the cold wet atmosphere outside. I
camera angle to give the subject his
and anticipation. He had the gun,
added the picture of Jesus with the
authority. As illustrated in the small
we found an old coat and told him
children and the cross to show the
pic (opposite, below), the photo was
not to shave.
viewer how she lives her religion.
39
P E T E R
ROSSI Grand Master of Photography
40
2012 - Judging Mini Me
up the 19 layers in Photoshop. Each background
With the camera locked firmly on a tripod and
actor and his shadow were roughly selected
the focus fixed on the front guy, I dimmed the
and brought to the top of the layer stack. For
lighting in the theatre, so that the audience
me, this is a statement about self-judgment.
lighting was two stops darker than the stage
Some triggers to ponder include Mini Me, the
lighting. I used a video light to the side to help
bottle of whisky and the panel of self-judges.
light the main subject. The actor posed 19 times
Nikon D3X, 28mm lens, ISO 250, I/30 second @
with different body languages. I then stacked
f5.6 for all 19 exposures.
a good briefing about the purpose of the images, and a rough idea of the budget we were working with, we planned a studio facet in the morning and an afternoon session at the beach. As a ‘commercial’ client, she paid half of the estimated price for the shoot and 12 hi res files. We brainstormed and researched 2013 – Finding Calm Amongst the Chaos
a beach setting that had some privacy and a
Leah came to us after seeing our ongoing
few background options. With the concepts
display in a local coffee shop which we change
of vitality, health, peace, flexibility and heart-
every six weeks. She had been having coffee
mind-spirit in our sights, we ‘played’ with lots
there over the last year and had come to know
of clothing, lighting, and background options
our style quite well. When she needed images
(knowing there was a budget for some post
for her yoga school opening, she came to
production artwork). Half of the hard work is
us saying we were the people for her. With
isolating the messages you want to illustrate.
41
Explained Peter Rossi, “I have tried to give a little background to each image, that collectively will give you an idea of my “how, when, where and why” I photograph.
“With some pictures, it’s fine not to have an exact plan or treatment to follow. We shoot for the
strongest emotional capture, leaving some room to add the story or dress-up later. Knowing exactly what you are going to do, can act as a block to creative flow, which may come easier when you are in your own comfort zone away from the shoot.
“On some pages, I included a ‘before art worked’ shot or another shot taken on the same shoot to
show you how I work. My partner Charmaine Heyer and I work together on most shoots.”
Peter has also included a few poems which will be part of a new book he and Charmaine are
working on.
“We have 167 poems written by a dear friend, Peter Erbe, and we are currently matching our
images to these poems, shooting for the gaps and searching for a publishing company.”
To see more of Peter and Charmaine’s work, visit their Highlights Photography website at www.
highlights.com.au.
And if you’d like to touch base with Peter or Charmaine, or ask some questions, they’d be
delighted to chat via email: info@highlights.com.au.
2014 - Birds Will Fly The seed for some pictures can originate with a feeling you would like to share with the world. This healthy family who did the ‘Leukaemia Shave for a Cure’ were supporting their mother/grandmother. They helped me draw attention to the effect on a family when someone is very ill. Hopefully this type
P E T E R
ROSSI Grand Master of Photography
42
of image, which goes beyond decoration, will make us more understanding about others. I chose this tone to emphasise the quiet mood. The family were shot against a canvas backdrop that we set up at the event, in a location that had soft ambient light with a hint of direction.
43
Pricing For A Commercial Shoot
The 3 basic approaches for working out your price.
44
Everyone is a photographer and many new
them or sell them to other people as they
people are entering the profession without
wish. This approach is taken by the majority of
understanding how to profitably price the work
photographers, most of whom do not charge
they do.
extra for usage.
Experienced photographers complain that
Photographers may also charge by the hour
a job they used to charge $3000 to shoot is
or by the day, and the client has unlimited
now being done for $500. Newcomers to the
usage.
profession say that if you work efficiently you
Usage Only
can make great money at $500 a job, you just
Photographers may licence their photographs
have to do more of them.
for a specific use - they get a usage fee only.
They are not paid to take the photographs
However, the profession has gone through
massive changes and perhaps the best
because usually the photographs already exist.
approach for all of us is to wipe the slate clean
This is how stock photographers work, but with
and start again. What are our options for pricing
so much cheap stock photography available,
a commercial shoot?
this side of the market is contracting.
Shoot Plus Usage
Photographers may charge for the shoot, plus
thousands of variations.
a usage fee depending on how extensively the
resulting photographs are used. In other words,
better your knowledge of the market, your
they are paid for their time and then they are
competition and what you need to charge to
paid for the usage. You’ll find this approach
survive, the better able you will be to determine
taken by high end photographers in Sydney
your price.
and Melbourne, especially those working with
advertising agencies.
to pay you any more than they have to, but
Shoot But No Usage
some clients are prepared to pay a higher price
Photographers may charge per photograph,
for what they perceive to be a better outcome.
and include unlimited usage. Once the client
Our challenge is to change their thinking from
owns the photograph, the client can use
price-only to value for money.
Within these three basic models are When working out your own prices, the
One thing is for sure: Your clients won’t want
What is my competition charging?
What are the client’s expectations?
How does usage affect my income and how my clients perceive me?
How much do I need to charge to earn a living?
Is my photography better than the rest and can my client see it?
Do I bother to educate my clients about usage and quality?
45
What Is My Competition Charging?
We need to know if they are charging more or less. We live in a capitalist society,
there’s no point spending
a free market where people
more than necessary.
are entitled to charge as
What is my competition charging?
What are the client’s expectations?
much or as little for their
answer, it’s important for us
products and services as they
to have an idea what our
like.
Similarly, clients or
customers can choose how
How does usage affect my income and how my clients perceive me?
How much do I need to charge to earn a living?
these services. If they think the price is too high, they
competition is charging. Charging More If our competition is charging
much they want to pay for
$500 and we are quoting Is my photography better than the rest and can my client see it?
Do I bother to
educate my clients about usage and quality?
$3000, we are very unlikely to win the job unless we also
don’t need to buy at all.
give our client good reasons
for spending the extra. And
With commercial
photography, our clients are buying a product
unless we know our competition is charging
unseen. They don’t yet know what we are going
less than us, we won’t know to explain the price
to produce for them, so unlike a car or a loaf
difference in the first place.
of bread, it can be very difficult for them to
Charging Less
compare one photographer with another.
Similarly, if you’re charging $500 for a job and
46
When we give them an
In fact, often they don’t compare and just
everyone else is charging around $3000, you’d
assume that we all produce the same standard
have to feel like a bit of a mug for doing it so
of photography.
cheaply!
Or, they might not even be aware of quality
Undercharging the rest of the market
differences. As long as they can recognise their
may mean you’re undervaluing the work you
product or employee, that’s all they want.
do, that you’re not providing the same level
A Loaf of Bread
of quality or service, or that you won’t be in
This is one reason why the first question many
business for too much longer because there’s
clients ask is, ‘How much?’. For them, it’s very
no profit. Or you could be a brilliant marketer
much like buying a car or a loaf of bread and
and $500 is all you need because you’re so busy.
What Are My Client’s Expectations? D on’t assume your clients k now what the y want! A successful photographer
a large advertising program,
will always ask as many
it indicates that the quality
questions as possible before
What is my competition charging?
What are the client’s expectations?
of the photography is very
providing a quote for a
important and that they may
commercial job.
be more open to a more
The reason is very simple:
we may have the wrong idea of what the client wants.
How does usage affect my income and how my clients perceive me?
How much do I need to charge to earn a living?
client, rather you’re showing
treatment. Where Are The Photos Being Used?
By asking lots of questions,
you’re not imposing on your
involved and expensive
Is my photography better than the rest and can my client see it?
Do I bother to
educate my clients about usage and quality?
If the photographs are required for a website, then
an interest and very often this
the technical expectations
can help secure the job. Of
may be lower than an
course, you need to consider every inquiry on
image required for a billboard or magazine
its merits - there can also be some clients who
reproduction.
just want a price and sometimes they are not
the right clients to have anyway.
the photographs may be used, and some would
What Are The Photos For?
argue it doesn’t matter since as professionals we
Gathering information about how the clients
should always provide top quality work.
want to use the photographs can give you a
good idea of the type of images you need to
information can help you work out your clients
create and their expectations.
expectations. It also gives you important
intelligence that can be useful for negotiating
A couple of small head shots of junior
Of course, often a client doesn’t know where
This is quite true, but knowing this
employees may be handled very differently to a
usage if this applies.
lifestyle photograph of the managing director.
This information can also help you
Some clients value good photography, for
others it is something they don’t really relate
understand where photography fits into their
to. Normally we want clients who have high
bigger picture. If the photographs are part of
expectations and value quality above price.
47
What Is Usage And Should I Charge It? And do our clients know what usage is anyway? To hire a model for a job,
stock photographs from a
you pay modelling fees plus
library, you would need to
usage fees. The ‘usage’ fees
What is my competition charging?
What are the client’s expectations?
increase depending on how
before the library could give
and where the photographs
you a price for ‘usage’.
are used. The usage fee would be lower for a small, limited run brochure, but would
How does usage affect my income and how my clients perceive me?
How much do I need to charge to earn a living?
internet use which went worldwide.
Advertising and commercial photographers negotiated the same deal.
be much higher for broad
However, explaining usage Is my photography better than the rest and can my client see it?
Do I bother to
educate my clients about usage and quality?
to many clients can be problematic.
Some advertising and
Usage In Other Markets
commerical photographers
Explaining usage to a local
48
answer all these questions
also charge this way. When you take a
builder who just wants a few photographs for
photograph for a commercial client, you own
his website is not going to work easily! Many
the copyright (unless you agree otherwise). As
people have an expectation that if they hire a
the copyright owner, you then licence the client
photographer to take some images, then they
to use the photograph.
own those images and can do what they like
Usage In Some Markets
with them. Charging them usage may cause
For high end advertising jobs, this was quite
them to think you are ripping them off.
accepted practice. The more the photographs
were used, the greater the value to the client
photographey are completely unaware that
and the more they should pay for ‘usage’.
usage exists in some markets, and fewer
photographers today charge it.
Usage was charged using a formula that
Many newcomers to professional
took in how it was used (media and size of
the reproduction), where it was used (what
or not charge usage, but it is an aspect that we
geographical area), and for how long it was
should consider for every job, whether we end
used (time). If you purchased rights-managed
up charging it or not.
There is no rule that says you must charge
How Much Do I Need To Charge? There is a minimum you need to make a living What our competition
Step 2
charges and what our clients
How many jobs will you do
are prepared to pay are
What is my competition charging?
What are the client’s expectations?
fundamental issues. But so
each week? For example: 3 jobs.
is earning enough to make
Step 3
a decent living and you can only do this by charging enough in the first place.
How does usage affect my income and how my clients perceive me?
How much do I need to charge to earn a living?
with prices your clients are
multiply your average charge by the number of jobs, times
It may not always be
possible for you to compete
Assuming 50 weeks a year,
Is my photography better than the rest and can my client see it?
Do I bother to
educate my clients about usage and quality?
50 weeks. For example: $1000 x 3 x 50 = $150,000
prepared to pay. You may not
This is your gross income.
survive within the current
From this you will have to
market, meaning you may need to change
take away your costs. if you’re
where you work or who you work for. This is
not sure what these might be, let’s assume 40%.
an uncomfortable fact, but better than slowly
Step 4
going broke and out of business.
Calculate your costs at 40%. For example: $150,000 x 40% = $60,000.
How do you work out what you need to
earn? Here’s one way. Start with what you’re
Step 5
currently earning or planning to earn. Then,
Calculate your net income or wages by
when you see the result, you can re-do the
deducting your costs from your gross income For example: $150,000 - $60,000 = $90,000.
calculations with different numbers until you get the result you want. Step 1 How much do you charge on average for each job or shoot? Remember, this is just an average, not for every job. For example: $1000.
Assumptions
If this calculation gives you a result under
$50,000 for a full time job, then you either increase your prices, or increase the number of jobs you do each week. In reality, it will probably be a bit of both.
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Is My Photography Quality Better? And are my clients really interested? Most readers are in love with
professional photographers
the idea of photography - and
and our job is to produce
working as a photographer.
What is my competition charging?
What are the client’s expectations?
Most of us enjoy spending
Can it be dissatisfying
time to refine our lighting,
producing average work?
our camera angle or our postproduction in the interests of achieving a better quality
How does usage affect my income and how my clients perceive me?
How much do I need to charge to earn a living?
Our clients are also
interested in a high quality
Well, that depends on how you approach the job. I always aim to create the best
outcome.
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photographs our clients love.
I can, but I will shoot strictly Is my photography better than the rest and can my client see it?
Do I bother to
educate my clients about usage and quality?
to my client’s brief as well. Then they can choose what
result, just as they’re
they like - and hopefully it is
interested in a high quality
my best work!
car or a high quality meal. However, what’s
But if it’s not, that’s not the end of the world.
good for one person may be below average for
If we are particular about the quality of what
another.
we produce, we may choose not to work for
Whose Taste Is Right?
some clients who are on a different wavelength.
And then there is a matter of taste. All through
Am I Better?
my career, clients have picked images from my
Whether you produce a better quality of
shoots that were not in my top ten. Oh, the
photography than another photographer can
shots they chose were good enough - correctly
be really hard to qualify. Technically, you may,
exposed, nice composition, appropriate lighting
but not all our clients will be sophisticated
- but they didn’t have the photographic sizzle
enough to see or even notice the difference.
that set my heart racing.
more for your work, you possibly need to
However, who is to say that my taste or
So, when you’re convincing them to pay
preferences are more valid than those of my
concentrate on better service, bigger file sizes
clients? They paid me, so should I be happy?
or more images etc., as this can be easier for
I think the answer is generally yes. We are
them to understand and quantify.
Do I Educate My Clients?
Good quality photography is incredibly valuable. A lot of clients are only
where they are coming
interested in price, not
from.
because they can’t afford to
What is my competition charging?
What are the client’s expectations?
Assuming they appear
pay more, but because they
interested in photography,
don’t know enough about
what do you tell them?
photography or the processes involved. Bigger Fee?
How does usage affect my income and how my clients perceive me?
How much do I need to charge to earn a living?
working through the options
Whether you’re dealing with an individual or
In some cases, spending time with your clients and
Involve Them
a large corporation, Is my photography better than the rest and can my client see it?
Do I bother to
educate my clients about usage and quality?
professional photography is all about relationships
they have can result in a
and negotiations. By asking
much bigger fee. Once they
questions of your potential
understand what is involved, or you can show
client, you’re showing an interest in them and
them the differences in approaches, they may
what they want. This is a good starting point.
be prepared to increase their budget.
Or Time Waster?
about what you can offer them. For instance, if
However, educating potential clients can also
they want you to photograph room interiors,
be a huge waste of time. Some clients are not
you could show them examples taken with and
focused on photography, just as some people
without additional lighting, pointing out the
don’t follow cricket or football. It probably won’t
differences and explaining how good quality
matter what you say or what arguments you
photographs will help them sell their product or
present, they are not going to become avid
service.
lovers of photography and for them, a cheap
price is a good price.
clients like advertising agencies can be very
The trick is to pick the clients you wish
This information will also give you ideas
In commerical photography, some
sophisticated, but there is a trend towards
to educate. Usually after asking them a few
working with clients directly and this can be an
questions about the job you’ll understand
opportunity for education - and hopefully sales.
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New Toys From Wacom
Wacom Cintiq 27QHD & Companion 2 Cintiq 27QHD (Above)
the screen itself or on the desk as you choose.
Wacom has announced two new Cintiq
It offers similar functionality to other Cintiq and
models, the Cintiq 27QHD and the 27QHD
Wacom products, with a few improvements of
Touch. Featuring a large 27 inch screen (the
course.
previous model was 24 inches), the 27QHD
Cintiq Companion 2 (Below)
offers 2560x1440 pixel resolution and displays
Wacom has also announced an upgraded
up to 97% of the Adobe RGB colour space. This,
Cintiq Companion 2. The most sensible design
according to Wacom, equates to 1.07 billion
change is that instead of two types or models
displayable colours, on the assumption you’re
of Companion, now the one unit serves both
using the DisplayPort connection and a video
purposes. So, Apple users can attach the
card that supports 10-bit colour. (HDMI output
Companion 2 as a pen and screen pointing
is also available.)
system, or turn off their Mac and use the
Companion 2 as a Windows computer if they
which is good for displaying (or not displaying!)
want to.
deep shadows and black. Viewing angle is 178°
which is possibly more important in a work
only software, there’s really no reason to have
environment where several people are viewing
a separate computer. The Companion 2 does
the screen at the one time.
it all as long as you can handle the Windows
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The screen has a contrast ratio of 970:1,
This is not a small unit. Sold without a stand,
Of course, unless you’re wedded to Apple-
8 interface. The new unit is thinner and more
it weighs around 9 kg. With a stand, add another
powerful and is expected to be available in five
$400 and 16 kg.
different configurations. Good news for power
users is that one of the configurations includes
Cintiq displays have a number of
customisable ‘Express Keys’ or buttons which
16 GB DDR memory and the 512 GB solid state
you can program to do whatever you wish. They
drive will keep most mobile workers more than
are a useful alternative to a keyboard (although
happy.
most users still keep a keyboard nearby). On the
new Cintiq 27QHD, the express keys come as
1.7 kg and is expected to be available around
a separate remote panel which you can sit on
March or April.
The unit measures 374x248x15 mm, weighs www.wacom.com/en-au
53
How much will you earn in the next 12 months? Use Peter Eastway’s free online Photo Income Estimator to find out. It’s easy to use. Visit www.betterphotography.com Click on the link to the Photo Income Estimator page
Enter your information and see the results immediately.
Don’t spend the next 12 months fluffing around. Have a look and set yourself some goals! www.betterphotography.com 54