Do you charge vendors for images when you are new in a region?

[fuccisphotos]

<p>I just moved up to Boston recently, so I am building back my word of mouth marketing from the ground up. The makeup artist from my latest wedding was very sweet and liked the images and is asking about 3 of them. The day of she asked if she would be able to purchase images, I said of course, through my website and gave her my card. Then today I received the following email:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I did ______'s makeup for her wedding. Is it possible to get a couple pictures. You did a great job with her pics! I liked # 42, 44 and 63.I will add them to my portfolio with your credits.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>So do you think I should charge her for the images, give her a small discount on the images, or just let her use them for free since she says she will list them with my credits? She has a tiny gallery of images on her website, so I'm unsure whether she meant prints for her book or digital images, or both. The images in her online gallery currently don't have any listing of the photographers who took the images. What would you do in this situation? If it is images for a wedding location that I would like to become a preferred vendor at, I would assume it is best to just give them the images for free, but I'm not sure. <br>

Also, I had digitally enhanced the skin of the bride for the close up make up shots since she was self-conscious about the appearance of acne that day, even post the make-up. Do you think it's ethical for me to give the make up artist these altered shots to use in her portfolio when I used the clone tool and sometimes skin softening in lightroom and PS?<br>

Any suggestions are much appreciated.</p>

 

<br />

[john_h.1]

<p>Does the make up artist give away her services for free? Maybe this deserves some more promotional effort than some small photo credit. Can she help your business and vice versa?</p>

<p>Did you tell her that the images are altered?</p>

[senor_crocodrillo]

<p>Obviously, you're hoping that she will refer you. If she knows that you'll make her look good, she'll want to work with you. Judging by your wording, "sweet", I'd say you've got the beginnings of a relationship. Hair and/or makeup people are good to know- they often have a close relationship to their clients, which will lead to a strong referral. <br>

Give them to her at cost or for free. She obviously values them and giving them to her is a great way to start a relationship. Make sure she knows that you are giving her a discount and that part of the deal is a photo credit. Make sure that you keep in touch.<br />I don't see any ethical issues here at all about the retouching. You work together to make the bride look great, not one or the other.</p>

 

[taylor_jackson2]

<p>Free. Grab cards from every vendor you can during the wedding day, hit them with a .zip file of best images after the wedding (watermarked // web res)</p>

<p>All vendors need photos, so they might as well be advertising for you. Especially if you're new to the area.</p>

[art_tatum]

<p>You are over thinking this one, it is an easy decision given what you wrote,</p>

<p><em>'I am building back my word of mouth marketing from the ground up'</em></p>

<p>I see this as an opportunity. No discount (petty) or charging for your 3 images. Send her the images she requested (no charge of course) with your watermark in place. Let her know that she can use the images only if your watermark remains intact and visible.</p>

[david_schilling___chicago_]

<p>My suggestion: Take Taylor's advice above, then click on his website for the information for photograhers, especially the three tips for breaking into wedding photography. Then come back to the thread and thank him :-)</p>

[mark_t5]

<p>no point charging them for a couple pics and make them feel like ur jacking them up...</p>

<p>the amount of money you make out of those couple prints is nothing compared to the potential of future referrals if you treat them nicely and make them your friends.</p>

[William Michael]

<p>No, I would not send the pics to her simply because she asked for them – this is the first time you have met this woman, no?</p>

<p>I'd ask to meet her for coffee. At that meeting I would arrange for a more long term relationship. I would buy the coffee and also give her the prints - but I would not tell her that until I was at the meeting.</p>

<p>Her <strong><em>willingness to engage </em></strong>and the <strong><em>time she invests in that meeting</em></strong> adds to her credibility and long term intent and also her obligation to keep a quid pro quo arrangement.</p>

<p>If she is sharp, she will know what you are doing and she will appreciate it all the more. If she is just out to feather her own nest – then you will know, because you are sharp enough to get the gist and flow early on.</p>

<p>Either way still give her the pics – it is just that by investing a bit of time at the outset, you might develop something more worthwhile long-term, than otherwise you might if you just send her the pics.</p>

<p>WW<br>

(My comments are specific to the question you ask and in no way disagree with Taylor's more general ideas)</p>

[taylor_jackson2]

<p>Hmm that gets me thinking.<br>

I'm always curious through what vendors the most referrals come in through (going to start a thread asking this in a second so I don't sidetrack this)<br>

I've found that I get very few (if any..ever?) inquires referred from makeup artists/hair stylists. I have some great friends in that industry as well. I think it just comes down to, people that value photography are typically booking photographers 2nd or 3rd on their list (venue and/or dress first) - the other details fall into place later. <br>

I personally think there's way more value in the business friendship for her.<br>

Might be wise to start getting photos in the hands of venues too.<br>

That said, every little bit does help - and a strong network really goes a long ways. 100% worth an hour of your time for coffee (great idea William)</p>

[david_schilling___chicago_]

<p>WW points out that the real value lies in developing a personal relationship with other vendors and not just making contact or providing prints......sage.</p>

[William Michael]

<p>Thanks Taylor, thank you David . . .<br>

Taylor: it is not so much that “every little bit counts”, it is more that the strength of the foundation and the core of each relationship counts - which David noted and mentioned. </p>

<p>There might well be more in it for the makeup artist - I don't know and that doesn't matter. Your analysis of how Brides make bookings sequentially and in a usual order seems to have credence. <br>

Brides might book makeup artists after 7 other vendors (including the Photographer) . . . but if the relationship is strong, even if the opportunity only comes up once a year for the Make Up Artist to recommend a Photographer - the odds 10 to 1 on that it will be the one who bought her the coffee. . . that’s “the every little bit counts” bit . . .</p>

<p>BUT . . . (there’s more!)</p>

<p>On the other hand, let’s say the recommendations are biased extremely and for example, <em>after that coffee meeting</em>, we recommend that particular makeup artist (if she is solid and honest and has a standard of work commensurate to what we deem professional) . . . 20 times a year and 10 Brides visit her and use her . . . ON the DAY of their Wedding: let’s think through the scenario . . .<br>

I'll bet London to a brick-odds-on: that those ten Brides we'll have so much POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT that their choice of Photographer was absolutely correct . . .<br>

Can we guarantee that solid re-enforcement, by other service providers who simply have a stack of our business cards to "hand out"?</p>

<p>WW </p>

<p> </p>

[david_schilling___chicago_]

<p>Yes...........</p>

[thesaltypeanut]

<p>I would give them for free. I'm very active on a forum that is specific to the wedding industry and although it's not expected, it is very appreciated when a photographer does this. Vail, if you don't give her the photos, she'll get them from the next photograper that she works with... and where is her referrals going to go? It won't be you.</p>

<p>I respect William's suggestion about the coffee meeting, but in reality, a lot of photographers might not have the time to meet with every single vendor that they come in contact with at each wedding - especially during wedding season! A suggestion I would give would be to maybe hit them up during the off season to meet. "Remember me from so and so's wedding... I gave you those images... was wondering if you would like to meet up for coffee..."</p>

<p>Just my .02 :)</p>

[ted_suss]

<p>Do you have a more economical way of marketing your work other than providing a few dollars worth of prints?</p>

[daniel_mcgarrity1]

<p>Okay, free.<br>

Will you get a referral? Nope, probably never.<br>

What you will get, if you also take WW's plan to heart is a contact.<br>

A person with whom a friendly relationship is built, AND more importantly a location in which to display your absolute best work, the MUA shop is a place where women (I suppose men as well) will come prior to engagements, lay out some really nice brochures all themed around your very best prints, and relevant to the area. Boston-big Catholic community, any Big Catholic churches in your Portfolio by chance???</p>

<p>I don't even wait for vendors to ask for pics, they get the best that I have within that first week, well before they ask. True, I'm not setting up meetings instantly afterward, but I do think I should as a follow up. I'll never charge a vendor for my pictures, there's just no real return on it. I would however, limit certain vendors to a certain number of pics.<br>

In the DC Metro region, possibly more than most others, but I would wager a guess that any high turn over area for jobs would share in common a very high working hour to free time ratio, add to that mix that these clients are planning a wedding in a city where friends and family aren't there to help plan things out.<br>

So the first place the client goes is<br>

1. Wedding/Event planner-first place to start making coffee talk meetings.<br>

2. Church/Sanctuary (though this is most often a #1 in many places)<br>

3. Reception Venue<br>

4. Media (photo/video)<br>

5. Entertainment<br>

After this all the rest falls into line, whatever that line holds. These 5 things are all completely date specific, everything else from flowers to dresses, to limos are certainly date specific, but the vendor isn't at the event for an appreciable time.<br>

So the 4 out of 5 on this list are the first tier of referrals you want to be associated with. Building up the recognition? find 3 planners every month and take them out to coffee. Do this every month with 3 new planners/Venue planners/DJ's/Videographers/Priests/Ministers, always stay in contact with the others, and boom! Your network is beginning. I would however try to be discerning in who you put in the mix, it's as easy to say you're a wedding planner as it is to say your a wedding photographer. I find out the best planners by going to the best venues and see who they work with the most.<br>

Lots and lots of legwork here, though it is very exciting!</p>