Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/01/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Tom, Me too. I did a 50 pop once many years ago when learning to deal with 4x5 and a product shot of electronic gear that tilt could only get one plane and I only had a small Novatron pack and heads. Monday night was doing a close up in clean room chip manufacturing plant and did a few multipops (multipopes, I call it for my Venezuelan born assistant, which always cracks him up) just to get depth of field shooting at the far end of a 105 macro. Here's something you'll appreciate: I picked up latest copy of Trailer Boats magazine, open the front cover and find a photo of mine used full page on a two page ad for Regal Boats. It was a photo I had shot for the magazine's cover some months ago. It was a difficult shot, done with all the 10K watt seconds I have, like a car shoot. I called editor, groaning. Publisher called back saying they had checked my invoice and realized that they had only bought one time rights. A mistake, he said, caused by now sacked editor, because they always do work for hire with photographers so there is not these problems. Especially, he said, because he had paid a $500 + expenses day rate, and given that high payment, would expect to own everthing. As it turned out he had sold the photo to the boat manufacturer for $175. Oh god. Sometimes I really get tired of fighting. They did promise to make it right because they love my work and want to continue working together, but it still means I have lost a client because I won't do work for hire. Then yesterday I had a client call for a small product shot (with variations to choose from) that would be an 3:1 closeup to run as a poster size point of purchase display. A candy store chain. I quoted $600 plus materials. She says that the separation house, which has put in a digital studio, offered to do it for $600 total including the photograph, color corrections, photoshop work, separations, proofs and final output. I spoke to another photographer friend who has a digital photo catalogue business and he said the color houses are using the photography as a loss leader to get the graphics work. He is being hit hard, since he actually needs to make a profit! Then another client called having gotten my bill for a product shot of advertising specialties. I had bid about $850 for three shots of pens, key fobs, etc. We ended up doing it in one shot with a lot of work figuring out how, I have about 6-7 hours into the job with set up, strike, and three hours on set with the client. He thought my $650 bill was excessive. Said he had called two other photographers and they told him I had overcharged him. So he said he would pay the bill, but never use me a again, depite saying the work was absolutely stunning, perfect in every detail (and he is a micromanger and fanatical about "perfection"). I think I've just lost another client. I don't like doing products much anyway, but it is difficult to see money go away. I keep hearing that the recession is over, especially in California, but few photographers I have talked to in the area feel it is over for us. Sailing off into sunset and eating pineapples is looking better and better. donal - -- Donal Philby San Diego http://www.donalphilby.com