The Eyes of Portland Monk :: Official Blog of Photographer Benjamin Reed

So what happens when you’re the photographer for the job but the bid isn’t “exactly” what they’re looking for?

More likely than not, you’ll be asked to take a second look at the numbers that don’t seem right.

The important thing to remember during this phase of the process is to leave your creative fees alone. That’s your money, how you value your skills for the job at hand. The more you touch your fees, the more likely they’ll stay down in the future.

Many photographers will look at other line items: stylists, extra assitants, supplies when they need to cut for a particular job. And if you’ve done your bidding correctly, you will have padded these expenses up front just in case you were asked to cut in the future.

I’m not insinuating that you pay your crew cheaply, far from it. You should always pay your people well. You wouldn’t be where you are without them and they should be rewarded. But if you’re operating too heavily, look at streamlining your costs. Maybe there’s a stylist who knows hair and wardrobe. Maybe you can do the photoshop on this job.

There are many tricks of the trade, some I’ll keep to myself, but if you retain the concept to keep your fees untouched you’ll do fine.

The Monk

Note: All information provided here is protected by international copyright laws. Any violation will result in prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.