honestly, i think you should do it for free.
why?
well, if you are still in the "building a portfolio stage", you may or may not have the equipment and experience necessary to deliver what they need.
this is commercial work that is a lot more involved than just showing up with a camera. in addition to shooting, it will involve at least one face-to-face meeting to scope out a shot list. it will should involve at least one scouting trip to see exactly where and what you will be shooting and what type of conditions you will face when shooting. it will involve scheduling and logistics, some of which all you can do is make recommendations and then have to flex your schedule in order to meet theirs. it *may* take more than one calendar day to do the shoot, depending on the number of people involved and their schedules. it may require a meeting with the client's PR people. and you have got to be prepared for things to change once you start shooting.
as to the shoot itself, it will mean getting things almost completely correct in-camera because typical commercial deliveries do not involve any post-production.
as to the imagery, it should reflect an understanding of marketing and photojournalism.
i'm not putting this out there to rain on your parade. if i was going to pay someone to provide me with commercial photographic services, these are the things i would expect. at the end of the day, i would want an inventory of images that i could use in almost any media (web, print, broadcast), images that can serve both marketing and editorial needs, images that can be used for a number of years. i would be looking for someone who could get the job done with the least disruption to my day-to-day operations. i would want someone who could either act as an art director or work with my art director. i would want someone who could comfortably direct my people so as to get the shots i need. i would want someone who is going to show up early and stay as late as necessary. i would want someone who is going to show up with the equipment necessary to get the job done and know how to use it. at least, that is what i would want if i was paying for it. if i wasn't paying, i wouldn't really care and i'd take whatever i could get.
now, if you feel that you can do these things, you should be charging a minimum of $2000-$3000 for a project like this. if the client, though, is looking to cut corners and really only wants someone who can show up and do headshots and a group photo and grab some "action" shots on the fly, then you might be wary, because in the end, regardless of what they tell you, they are looking to drive a cadillac for the price of a vw. if you give them the vw because that's what they told you they wanted, they won't be happy, especially if their competition is driving a cadillac. if you can give them the cadillac, great! otherwise, sooner or later, they will end up paying someone to deliver them a better ride.
the bottom line is that for a project to be successful, everyone has to be on the same page in terms of expectations. if you are honest with them about what you can deliver (compared to other professional commercial photographers) and if they are honest with you about what they need and expect, maybe you can come to reasonable terms. it might just work out that their demands are not over-the-top and you can knock it out of the park. at least that's the hope. just be careful to examine all possible requirements and outcomes, though, before you commit. |
