PHOTO PRO TIPS

Coming up with a your creative fee for commercial photography can feel a little bit like voodoo magic. But, unlike stuffed dolls or shrimp gumbo which have material and labor costs built in, creativity is a service that’s value goes beyond time and cogs. By learning some things the hard way, I’ve come up with a few techniques that help me figure how much to charge. (more…)

It’s nice to get some perspective once in a while. The US Depart of Labor released new statistics about Photographers. It’s a great read to give you an idea of the market we’re in.

Here are some key points cited from the article: (more…)

Welcome to Photo Pro Tips. This is an outlet for pro photographers to share, learn, and contribute. I am the owner of this site and also a professional photographer based in Oregon. I got into blogging with my business website and quickly realized I had more to say than just what clients I shoot for.

For example, the list below is something I’ve wanted to share, but didn’t feel it was the right place for it on my business website.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my little blog and please feel free to post your comments.

44 Totally Random Photo Tips for Every Pro Photographer

1. Get it in camera whenever you can. Photoshop time is expensive and can cause a drain on your resources.
2. Digital is way more forgiving in color balance than film. It can also screw you up if you don’t have a grey card shot to judge from.
3. Ctrl-Alt-~ will select your ¼ tones in Photoshop.
4. Use a sturdy tripod with a head capable of supporting twice you camera’s weight.
5. Join ASMP

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One of the most challenging parts of being a commercial photographer is the estimate. It such an essential skill that has taken me years to get figured out (and I still make improvements every time I do one). One of my biggest stumbling blocks was the Usage Language. Usage is how you assign your creative fee. The more usage, the more it costs. But there are so many ways to describe the same types of usage. And so many different photographers and reps use different variations of Usage Language that I imagine it’s it’s hard for a buyer/client to compare one estimate from another. I think I’ve lost a couple jobs because of this discrepancy.

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