Working as associate photographer - can I promote myself?

I am currently working very closely as "associate photographer" for a more

established photographer. When he gets requests for days that he is booked he

calls me and I meet the bride with him, book under his company, shoot the

wedding and do all post myself and he takes it from there. I get paid a good

hourly rate. We both make a profit from the arrangement.

 

On my own I am working on building my own company. He knows all about it, is

very supportive and even helping me along with it. He's fantastic and I am so

happy he has taken me under his wing. Currently about 2/3 of my weddings come

from him and the remaining 1/3 come from my own company.

 

When I am shooting the weddings I book through him I get asked for cards from

guests and vendors. I also have people from these weddings who have found my

personal company online and are starting to make requests to me directly. What

do you think is appropriate in regards to giving out cards (I keep both his

cards and my own on me at weddings) and how should I deal with requests that I

receive from weddings that I shot under his business? Do you think I should

direct all inquiries straight back to him? Or maybe if I book anything I give

him a handsome kickback? My gut tells me that the most appropriate thing to do

is refer directly to him, but I am interested in finding out what you all think

about it...

A lot of times people like you as a person at the events and I also think there are different situations warranting a different response. As a second shooter or assistant I would always refer to the established photographer. When I am subcontracted out I tell the person who is interested the truth and give them both cards. The studio I sub out for is more video oriented and they offer limited albums and basically give a proof book and that's it no online proofing or anything. I tell them I received a referal and go over details and they will usually say take it. Your guy is giving you most of your weddings to you should talk with him.

 

The best thing is honesty with everyone. Your instinct seems right. Some situations will call for full disclosure and sometimes you will know when it is ok to take a job. If in doubt be straight with everyone, if you never lie you never have to worry. Your future reputation and future jobs depend on this.

I would strongly urge you to talk openly about this with the photographer whom you work with/for. In the end, everyone elses opinions (especially most of them from here) don't mean a whole lot.<p>

If it were me that hired (or sub-contracted) you, then I would drop you in an instant if I heard you were giving out your own business cards and promoting your own wedding business at a wedding you were shooting for me. Now if you were trying to sell some other type of photography that you do (product, fine-art, or something else unrelated to my own) then I'd be totally fine with it.

What Ian said. You basically should never give out your own cards at an event booked through your principal. If the client wants you specifically (no reason why they shouldn't) they can ask for you, but your principal deserves a slice of the action in that situation. If he's *extremely* generous then he can always refer the client to your own business. But that's his call.

michelle - sounds like you have a good setup. most of the time if you aren't working for yourself, you aren't getting enough.

 

trust your gut. IMHO, it would be inappropriate to hand out your cards at a wedding booked through someone else unless that person approves.

 

OTOH, I'm surprised that your friend didn't make that clear from the get go.

 

So, ask your friend and see what he says.

 

A lot of companies will ask that you sign non-compete contracts for this reason.

Talk to your mentor. Ask him if it's appropriate; as if it's ok to do this at his wedding when a guest requests it ... only when a guest request is the important part.

 

I'll not hesitate to photograph as a second at a weddings and I've always asked the lead photographer if it is ok to give out my card ONLY if asked for it.

 

I do no self promotion; I do not initiate or hint.

 

If lead photographer is ok with it then ... I hand them a card and I let them know that I hand them the card with the approval of the lead photographer so they can recognize the generosity of the lead photographer. I want the requesting guest to see that I'm respectful of the lead photographer and they will see that I'll deal in the same manner with all my clients.

 

This process is "touchy" and it can be just as much about respect as it is about promoting self. It's easy to ask and get permission; this is not the time to ask for the forgiveness after the fact.

Well it sounds like there is a good relationship between you and the other photographer. You really should ask him what he thinks. Sound to me that he?s already booking a lot of weddings and take them all, that why he has you. I think he would understand, and you both can come to an agreement. Finding jobs can be few a far between when starting out, I wouldn?t want to mess up a good thing with him if I were you.