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Awesome, awesome post! I know this sounds bad, but it's encouraging to see creatives in USA having the same issues I'm having in Australia. Creatives here often work for free or nearly free because 'there's no market here.' It's good reinforcement for me to see that it doesn't matter how big the market is, people still undervalue and try to stiff creatives. Things I've learnt over the past year: ALWAYS have a contract, especially for smaller jobs; the less someone pays the less they respect you and value your work; if someone tries to talk you into lowering your price, immediately tell them to go elsewhere, as guaranteed they are going to be difficult, and value your abilities first!! If you're doing it well, you deserve payment. It's pretty simple, so don't let anyone undermine your confidence so that they can have an extra bit of cash to pocket for themselves.
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Jul 28, 2012 06:44
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Hi, I'm an aussie photographer working freelance, hope you don't mind me putting up a few things & ideas for Orstrayan photographers... some of this will apply to artists etc, and you may already know this but I've found a hell of a lot of my peers don't. Firstly: the legals. You MUST have an ABN unless you're an employee. If you're working under a name that isn't your name, you need to register the business name with ASIC. This means your full legal name is ok, anything added to that or different to that is not. 'Jane Doe' is ok, 'J Doe' is ok, but 'Jane Doe Photography' or 'Say Cheese' or whatever other corny name you use to pull clients will need to be registered. You can earn up to $18,000 now without needing to pay tax, and until your business turns over 50,000 (that's total incoming funds, not profit) you don't have to register for GST. Here are some links: ABN & GST registration; [http://www.business.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx] don't pay for anyone to do this, it's basic, and those companies are sharks. Business name registration; [http://www.asic.gov.au/asic/ASIC.NSF/byHeadline/Business%20names%20services] until this year it was state run and cost $125 annually, now it's federal and costs $30, so no excuses! Secondly: Copyright. Rule number one: You own everything you produce. No-one else (model, MUA, hairdresser) owns copyright of your images, although people do have rights over their own image, so get a proper model release and get it signed. A verbal agreement isn't enough; if your model's new boyfriend doesn't like her lingerie pics on your website, and she hasn't signed a MR, she can take you to court over it. Be careful of buildings and brand names; brand names is obvious but a lot of the new developments are copyrighted to the corporation/architect and you leave yourself open to legal nasties if you publish photos of them, even on your own website, without their written permission. More info on copyright here: [http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/get-the-right-ip/copyright/] Now, how to get work paid for!! A lot of the photographers/artists/writers etc I know in Brisbane say to me that there 'just isn't the work' here, and use that as the excuse for doing $30 photoshoots or free work. Clients continue to tell me this will be 'great exposure' or 'great for my portfolio.' Magazines continue to tell me they 'can't afford to pay me,' while demanding exclusive publication rights, even down to me displaying my image on my own website. This is all an absolute load of fragrant, rotting bullshit. All the reasons you use to explain why you don't deserve to get paid properly are bullshit. Start charging people properly, stop doing freelance work and your business will grow. There is work for competent, professional, easy to work with, flexible photographers everywhere, even in small boring country towns. People need and want photography. Especially if they go and buy an SLR and try to do it themselves. Those people very quickly realise the difference between a photographer and a person holding a camera. When you finally start charging people, expect these things to happen. The people who you've done free work for lots will get lovely at you for saying no. Keep saying no, and they will go away eventually. They don't value or appreciate your work, and are most likely bad mouthing it to others they know because NOBODY appreciates something that's worthless. And by working for free, you're telling them you are worth nothing. Then put your prices up more. Then, the people you've done cheap work for will get lovely at you. Who the hell do you think you are? Better than them or something? They'll take that $30 they were going to pay you and buy the family Maccas for dinner. Because that's all your work was worth to them. And again, they have probably been bitching about how you suck at photography to all their friends. So, after about six months where you kick yourself, because you could have really used that $30, you'll start to get Real Work. Because people who take photography seriously, will not waste a moment on $30 photographers. And your Real Work will keep coming in, and slowly growing, until you realise you are actually making this thing work. Happy Dance! Now, here's a few insider tips: Good websites are worth every dollar you put into them, [http://www.zenfolio.com] is worth every penny. Best business cards for artist/designers/photographers ever, basically a mini portfolio in your pocket: [http://www.moo.com] and go out and goon the internet. Screw google, make blogs, facebook pages, Pinterest, twitter, even if you only put a few things up on each thing, IF YOU TAG THEM correctly, they will add to your exposure immeasurably. The internet now has the importance print media used to have when it comes to finding a photographer to do a job. It's free, use it. And finally, ALWAYS have insurance, public liability at the very least. 5 million is sufficient for most things, but Government won't employ you unless you have 20mill; however this can be upgraded in 1 phone-call, so if you go for a job, lie and say you've got the 20, and when you land the job give your broker/agent a ring and upgrade it.
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Jan 26, 2013 08:41
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