Photographer job offer, but im not sure... please help (a tad long).

Hello everybody, I was wondering if you all could lend me some advice. This

past week I was contacted by a large national wedding photography and

videography company for a job. I haven't actually been offered the position

yet, but they seem pretty impressed and are ready to move foward. They sent me

a copy of the contract that everybody signs, as well as the company's

requirements when I shoot. Basically, I would be a contracted photographer.

The company gets all the work, then assigns different shoots to different

photographers that work for them.

 

Well, I am a very part time photographer and everything I have done has been

via word of mouth, so I only do a handfull a year. I thought to my self, that

this could be a decent opportunity to gain even more experience, and of course

a few extra bucks on some weekends.

 

But I have some reservations about the terms, and I was hoping I could generate

a converstation about it:

 

1.) it states that it would absolutely be required that I shoot a very minimum

of 1000 images, and would be required to present between 500 and 525 final

pics, no more, no less, for an 8 hour wedding. I don't know about all of you,

but I am not the kind of photographer that just shoots anything in front of me

non-stop in hopes of "Getting" something that is a keeper. I prefer the

quality over quantity method. When I normally shoot a wedding, I usually

capture about 600 images, and end up with about 200 that are really good, after

getting rid of the duplicates, blinks, goofy faces, etc. 200 has in the past

been just plenty. Am I crazy in thinking that "requiring" 1000 images to be

taken is crazy? I think I would end up with 500-600 shots at the end of the

night, and would find myself in a panic trying to get 400 shots of people

dancing on the dance floor as the party died down. Seems crazy.

 

2.) it only pays 600$ per wedding. This is for 8 hours of shooting, all the

editing (500-1000 images!) uploading, mailing the master copies via snail mail,

AND possibly meeting with the bride and groom two weeks before the ceremony. I

am very good and effecient in photoshop, but still.. editing 500 images to be

the best they can be, is still a LOT of work. I did the math, and if you

include drive times to and from the wedding and pre-wedding get-to-gether, gas,

misc... it doesn't come out to very much money considering I have to shoot with

all my own gear, pay for my own insurance, everything. What do you think?

 

3.) it is "required" that I have a 70-200mm zoom lens, and it HAS to be of

nikon or canon brand. Now... I do have a 70-200, but I use a sigma EX HSM 70-

200mm f/2.8, which I find to be a FANTASTIC lens, very fast, and completely

silent. I don't yet know if this would be ok in place of their specific lens

requirements, but i thought i would it in.

 

I am trying to figure out if all the work, and the little money, would be worth

the experience.

 

Any thoughts? Should I pursue this, or spend my 8 hours every weekend looking

for my OWN work, which would generate more money, with less goofy restrictions.

 

Thanks for your time, and sorry for the length!

<i><blockquote> I did the math, and ... it doesn't come out to very much money ...

What do you think?

</blockquote> </i><p>

 

Is it worth the experience and low pay combined? If so, try one. Otherwise, not.

Honestly, it sounds like a scam to me. Then again, I've never had any experience with any large "studios" and such.

 

I would do some digging around. Find out what the MO of this company is. I'm betting they are brand new or a scam.

 

My instinct tells me it's a scam.

 

Aaron

They contacted you???? Hmmmm.....that sounds a little fishy. I would suggest that you look at some of your local reputable studios and see if you can get a gig with them. Pay your dues, get some more experience while shooting under someone else's name and on their dime. Then, focus on developing your own studio.

So you're doing this part-time, for fun and a few extra bucks? Then maybe. Think about what they pay doesn't cover. Equipment (in business? think depreciation). Like you said, mileage, insurance. YOu have backups of everything? If not, more outlay up front. I'd guesstimate, with that many images, you'd be making ~35-45/hr? Is there a non-compete clause? What happens if you want out of the contract? Seems more down than up to me.

Well i originally found them through an ad, looking for photographers in the san diego area, and they contacted me BACK... they didn't find me on their own. They are apparently one of the largest wedding photographer and videography companies in the US, operating in over a dozen different cities... definitly not a scam!

 

... it just seems to me like the pay is the BARE minimum, RIGHT on the line of being worth it, and not worth it, which is why my post is here.

It sounds like you are talking about Bella...

 

You have to decide if all of those rules are worth it to you...However, I will say that I would never work for a company that I did not feel comfortable with (and you obviously are not, or you would not be here), and that did not want me to shoot in the style that I wanted to (ie, more PJ then what you like)...

 

To do anything else would not just be a disservice to yourself, but also to the clients...

 

YMMV...

 

~brooks

so do one.

Do you want to be self employed or an employee? There are advantages to both and disadvantages to both.

If they think you are good enough to shoot for them, and you have done weddings on your

own before, why shoot for them @ $600. for 8 hours?

 

How many weddings would you book if you advertised on the Knot and offered a

guaranteed 8 hours coverage and 500 keeper images for $1,000. ??? There is a market for

that price range, not everyone is rolling in the dough these days. If your work is decent,

bet you you could book a ton of work if you wanted.

 

Providing 500 from a 1000 shots isn't hard BTW. Just include the duplicates ... especially

of formals and groups.

If you really want the work, go for it. After you feel you have enough experience with them, quit.

 

OTOH, the more they get suckers doing this for them, the faster brides will come to expect Mickey D's photo sanwiches, if you take my meaning.

 

Best, D.

Personally, I think the offer devalues you and as Brooks said, might force you into compromises that aren't in your best interest. So what do you get out of shooting a wedding at slave wages. Will you be shooting with an outstanding wedding photog who's going to teach you a lot and make it worth while, in which case it might be worth doing for free? Or are you just slave labor?

"it only pays 600$ per wedding. This is for 8 hours of shooting, all the editing (500-1000 images!) uploading, mailing the master copies via snail mail, AND possibly meeting with the bride and groom two weeks before the ceremony."

 

They gotta be kidding! I'm an inexpensive wedding photographer in an inexpensive market, and I wouldn't work for this.

You contacted them first.....big difference.

 

$600 is some serious money, are you worth more? Maybe,....maybe not. Be sure that you add the value of the experience and training/guidance that the national studio supplies into your cost/benifit analysis. Remember the "golden rule":....."he who has the gold, rules."

I encourage you to be extremely cautious before signing on as a contract photographer

with ANYONE.

 

When I was first breaking into the industry, I did some work with a local company who was

building a new brand for lower-budget weddings ($2000 average, versus the owners'

usual $7000 average).

 

They were WONDERFUL people to work with, but I got really frustrated not having

complete control over the entire process from start to finish. It was also difficult to do so

much work that I couldn't really attach my name to, or use to promote my own business.

 

Unless you're truly desparate for the work, I really encourage you to think twice before

signing away your time and talent.

 

Good luck!

I am a photography student, so I have little experience "in the business" but I have a few thoughts on this offer. Take them for what they are worth.

 

$600/8 hours=$75 per hour.

 

This would be a pretty good deal if they provided you with all of the equipment you needed, paid your expenses, and at the end of the wedding, all you had to do was turn over your memory cards to the boss. That might be a fun way to earn an extra $30k a year by working one day per week.

 

But it sure doesn't sound like that is what they're offering you. Really, what this company is doing is taking care of all of the marketing, sales and billing and putting you in charge of all of the shooting and editing. Worst of all, THEY become the owner of the images.

 

This doesn't sound like such a good deal to me.

Doesn't sound like a good thing to me.

 

Spend the money you'd use buying the required lens on marketing and do more weddings yourself. ;)

Bo has the right of it. If they're talking 8 hours of shooting and are gonna do all editing and photo selection for you (ie, you're going to shoot then just hand over the film or files and get your money at the end of the day) then you're getting $75 per hour. If you're also going to put in hours and hours of photoshop and printing and all the other stuff associated with doing a wedding job, the deal doesn't look nearly so good. I've done the contracted shooting stuff before (not like this or weddings though) where all I did WAS turn over the film and files at the end of the day (didn't get paid anything like $75 an hour though!) and it's a good way to get some experience, but honestly at this point, I wouldn't do it again.

 

Even with just being paid literally to shoot, you don't have control over editing and selection - if you get a customer who's unhappy with your work because the editor and printer did a lousy job, it reflects bad on you.

 

There's lots of books and information out there if you wanted to shoot weddings and events on your own, and compared to your deal there, I think you'd be better served going that way, charging a reasonable amount and having total control over the process. Another way to go to get experience is to check into local wedding photographers in your area and see if you can assist them on a wedding or two. This can give you a good idea of what's involved specifically with shooting a wedding if you've never done one before.

Thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it. And just to clarify, I DO shoot weddings all on my own, but only a handfull a year via word of mouth. The only reason I am/was considering this, is because it would bring in even more experience. But honestly I think if I took those 8 hours and spent them marketing myself, I thinkg I could generate just as much work as they would provide me, in which I would be able to make all the money being charged.

 

And it certainly isn't $75 an hour. The wedding is 8, probably and hour of driving total, and who KNOWS how many hours after the fact editing/uploading/mailing images. Also don't forget, they expect a meeting with the clients, which could take 2-3 more hours of my time if you include driving. Add gas, depreciation on my own gear, my own insurance, and it comes out to less than a third that.

 

Thanks for your time to reply, I really appreciate it.

LOL... tell them to call me! That would almost be my dream job. However, it looks like you won't be the one getting rich.

 

Are you forever limited to $600? Is there any chance to increase your earnings after 1 year, 2 years? Is there a defined territory? What about freelancing for portraits/sports? How many weddings do they expect you to shoot?

I would do it for the low pay on THEIR equipment, not mine, absolutely not. Stick to your gut feelings which are in your last couple of paragraphs, pursue your own work and charge alot more.

I personaly agree with what David said that there is something to be said for the experience and maybe training that could come from working for a large studio. As far as pay goes there are plenty of people in regular jobs working 5 days a week and having to drive to work to earn that money so I don't believe the deal is really that bad. If you believe that you coud do better by going it alone then go for it, but remember how much time you will put in finding work, meeting with potential clients and you could end up spending alot of time, so even though you charge more for shooting a wedding after taxes, business expenses, materials and time that you have to put in to get the next job your hourly rate could really end up the same or just a bit more for alot more work.