Guest Post: When Asked for Photos

Photographer Peter Carey noodles on the question of writers who are asked to “throw in” photos as an afterthought to their commissions.

“I know we offered to pay you for your hard work, now how about you give us something extra for free because we’re cheap?”

No editor will ever state it in such plain English, but that’s what requests for photos from writers come down to in my mind. As the publishing world contracts, more and more freelance writers (and even some staff writers) are being asked to pull double duty as a photographer. After all, you were there researching the piece, so you have relevant photos, right?

It’s at that moment that Dennis Hopper’s line from Speed runs through my head, “What do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO?”

My suggestions:

Respond With Thanks

I’m not a confrontational person and that’s the reason for my first rule; be kind. Respond with kindness when asked for more because it means they liked your work in the first place. If they hated it, they wouldn’t ask for more.

It also sets a positive tone rather than a confrontational one, even if that is what you are feeling inside.

Educate, Again

Chances are you have had to educate editors, or those requesting your work, about the value of your written work. The same goes for your photography. Even if you don’t consider yourself a photographer (hint: if you take pictures, you’re a photographer), those images have value. You don’t have to be a full-time professional photographer to get paid for your photos.

Come Up With A Price

Pricing your work might leave you in a wonderland. You know how much to charge per word, but what happens when a photo is worth 1000 words? Or more?

I use Getty’s online tool for quotes. Getty is a leading stock photo agency and they have built a fine calculator to help place a ballpark figure on your work (they actually built it to give Getty clients a price for licensing Getty images). You can find it here. It’s fairly robust and will help you get started.

From there I take a look at my client and try to guess how much they would be willing to offer based on my number from Getty. Remember, the first price will be a start of negotiations, so start with a price you can work with.

Think About The Relationship

When pricing your photos, it’s important to think about your relationship with this client. Sometimes it pays to do something for free when you know it means future, paid work. This has worked well for me in the past when others were telling me to grab as much cash as I could and run. I decided to build a relationship with the client and it has borne (cash)fruit over many years. It may be worth your while to give a steep discount, or even work pro bono in this case.

On the other side of that coin, you might set yourself up for never getting paid in the future. Giving away too much, too soon, can lead to an expectation on your next assignment where they don’t ask if you have any photos after the fact, but tell you they need photos when offering the assignment. While not offering a premium for said photos. At which time negotiations are a little more difficult.

This is a gray, murky area you need to navigate with your wits. It’s like me explaining to you how to date. I can offer some general advice now and then, but you need to take a path that feels right for you.

Exposure

Perhaps you’ve read Pam’s thoughts on the exposure topic before (especially this post and the link to an awesome flowchart at the bottom). If not, read it and the flowchart.

I’ve done a few gigs for exposure when the time involved was slight and my CV enjoyed the boost. Or as a foot in the door when I knew I would not be asked for more free work in the future. But by and large, I avoid the exposure lure because it’s never as bountiful as advertised.

Again, this flowchart? It’s awesome.

You Are Licensing, Not Selling

An important note about photos and use; you’re selling a license to use your photos, not selling them outright. Please don’t sell them outright as you may want to use the photo again. You will want to provide your client with a license that spells out how and where they can use the photos, separate from any contract you have for the words (or in addition to, but it should be spelled out clearly in any contract). This is an important step that should not be handled with just a ‘hand shake’ agreement.

For a primer on licensing the American Society for Media Photographers has an excellent post covering what you need to know.

Tell Them To Credit Your Photos

Unless you are ghostwriting, you expect your name will appear with your work in some fashion. Don’t expect the same for your photos. Tell your client you wish credit where it is due. This can be stated in the licensing contract mentioned above simply as, “All images should be properly credited <your name here>”.

In The Future, Think Ahead

If you notice more and more of these requests coming your way, especially when writing travel pieces, it can be a lucrative opportunity. And if you’re writing for income, you should monetize your photos as often as possible.

Now consider who you’re competing against; just all the Creative Commons (Commercial Use Allowed) images on the Internet.

With that team batting against you, there are two things you can do to tilt the field in your favor and get paid for your photos.

First, create unique photos about the location or photos that tie in especially well to your subject. Maybe you include quotes from someone in your piece or you actually did find a hidden gem. Snap quality photos that only you can provide your client. Unique is the key. If you’re writing a broad piece about the museums of Paris, it’s easy for your client to find Creative Commons images. So write toward your photos and photograph toward your words. You were there, after all!

Second, make it easy for them. Editors and other folks looking for your words don’t enjoy their job being made more difficult by being sent 25 unedited images through which they need to troll. Select your best images and be ruthless. Make sure they have captions so your client doesn’t need to ask how they fit into the written narrative. Edit them but not too much, so the client can put their own look onto the images. If they need more images, they’ll ask. It’s better to send a small sample than too many.

This post is over 1000 words (one picture) long because there is no simple answer to the question: What do I do when someone asks for photos in addition to my words? My hope is you now have more tools and knowledge in order to approach the answer depending on your values. If you have a specific question, I’m freely available to give my own brand of opinion at peter@peterwestcarey.com.