Freebies to get Started as a Pro

It sounds so easy; "I have a good/decent DSLR with a few lenses and some good/decent lighting equipment and I know how to take good photos...I'm ready!" 

But are you? 

Do you have the paperwork for your clients such as model releases and contracts? 

How are you going to deliver your product? 

How are you going to keep track of your business finances? 

Here are 3 things worth looking into for some very important FREE material:

 

1.  Legalities

"The web’s only open collection of legal contracts and the best way to negotiate and sign documents online." (docracy)

Docracy.com has thousands of contracts that you can copy and edit for your own purpose, then you can print and copy and/or send to your clients to sign by hand or electronically.  While these are great guidelines and templates to follow for writing your own personal legal documents, it is still important to ask a lawyer to look over any photography contracts you will be using.  Spending a few hundred dollars on a lawyer now, to make sure your photography contracts will effectively protect you, will ultimately save you money and stress later, and possibly avoid a lawsuit if your initial drafted document was not carefully worded. 

There are 9 commonly suggested documents that most photographers will need to have on file and you can search for and upload them for free from Docracy.com. (Branch)  They include:

1.  Model Release (Adult) Contract
 For persons over the age of 18, signing this document grants rights to the model’s image as you specify on the document.

2.  Model Release (Minor) Contract
 This document is for persons under the age of 18 and needs to be signed by the model’s parent or guardian. Signing this document grants rights to the model’s image as you specify.

3.  Photo Session Agreement
 This legal document is a contract between the hired photography professional and the client.

4.  License of Rights for Photography
 This is a simple agreement in which a photography professional grants a legal license to a client for non-electronic rights for their photos.

5.  Property Release
 This document provides a property release between a photographer and property owners. This document gives a photographer the legal rights to take photographs of property (props and physical land) owned by the property owner because many times a photographer will use props such as cars and antiques, and even photograph on other people’s land/business, etc.  To avoid issues in the future, it is important to make sure you always have this, and the model releases, on hand.

6.  Portrait Photography Agreement
 This is a contract agreement for a portrait session between a hired photographer and a client during an event.

7.  Wedding Photography Services Photography Contract
 Brides and mothers-of-the-brides can often be hard to deal with.  This document is a simple agreement for wedding photography services provided by a hired photographer.

8.  Gallery Contract for Sale of Photography
 This contract is highly valuable to anyone selling prints of their work as fine art. This is an agreement between a photographer and a gallery in which the photographer consigns to the gallery certain works, and the gallery agrees to offer the works for sale.  Without a legal document such as this, there is a great potential for trouble ahead.

9.  Equipment Rental Agreement
 Because photographers will occasionally rent out their gear, this simple equipment rental contract agreement will help protect photographers from trouble before it happens.  

2.  Online Photo Delivery/Proofing Freebies



Now that you have your legal documents you can feel safer taking on clientele.  After the shoot you upload your photos, pick a selection of the best ones that you promised in your agreement, do your editing...then what?  Most people still put images on CDs, other professionals are upgrading to custom USB flash drives for their clients but then you have to package and mail it or coordinate a time for pickup or even delivery.  ShootProof is an easy way to deliver your images electronically, and best of all, you can do it for free!

Of course you can always upgrade to a bigger, better account once your business becomes more substantial, but in the mean time, this freebie will help you share and deliver high-quality images, right-click and watermark-protect your images so that your clients and viewers cannot steal any of your photos, sell digital downloads, and much more!  It is definitely worth checking in to for another, more professional, option of delivering your product.

Dropbox is another great way for clients to download their photos from your session and it is free too!  It is a fast and easy file transfer but it is certainly not as professional as ShootProof.

 

3.  Finance/Accounting Freebie



Now that you have the proper documents and happy clientele, how are you planning on managing these finances?  You may have a good plan, but if you are unsure, check out Wave Apps.  This free, online accounting software will help you with invoicing, accounting, and even payroll.  You can easily set up an account for your small business as an "Artist, Photographer, or Creative Type."  Want to be able to accept credit and debit cards like a professional?  "Add a 'Pay Now' link on your invoices and accept credit card payments instantly. With [their] simplified application process, you'll be running in a snap, with a super-low, easy-to-understand flat fee." (waveapps)

Works Cited

Branch, Allan. "9 Free Photography Contracts from Docracy." lessaccounting. LessAccounting, n.d. Web. 21 July 2014.

<https://lessaccounting.com/blog/free-photography-contracts/#>

 Businesswoman holding stack of paperwork. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 21 Jul 2014. <http://quest.eb.com/#/search/154_2877830/1/154_2877830/cite>

docracy. n.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2014. <http://www.docracy.com/ >
 

Mixed Race woman typing on laptop. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 21 Jul 2014. <http://quest.eb.com/#/search/154_2900854/1/154_2900854/cite>

 

Parcel wrapped with string. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 21 Jul 2014.
<http://quest.eb.com/#/search/118_802858/1/118_802858/cite>

 

shootproof. ShootProof, n.d. Web. 21 July 2014. <https://www.shootproof.com/ >

 

waveapps. Wave Accounting Inc., n.d. Web. 21 July 2014. <https://www.waveapps.com/ >

When Pro Bono Becomes a Problem

Hand-in-hand with the pricing puzzle ("what am I worth?") is the pro bono problem ("when should I shoot for free?"). When people find out you are studying photography, they will often volunteer their children, families, or even events to act as your subject matter. Early in your studies this can be a great boon, but eventually it may very well become a burden. As you gain knowledge and experience you need to charge for your work so you can make a living doing what you love. Of course, there will always be opportunities to share your skills with worthy causes and good friends.

Some professional photographers choose to offer big discounts for friends and family, others charge full price, and still others don't charge a thing. It's important to have an idea of where you need to fall in that spectrum in order to feel good about helping your friends while still making a living. In my case, my friends and family members get a much better rate but only a small number get my services for free. Make sure that when you start charging for your services, people are well aware. Someone whom you've photographed for school projects in the past may not realize that you've gotten to the point in your career that you need to start charging, and that can end up in an awkward situation for both of you.

Something I still find difficult is passing on shoots for non-profit organizations. I dedicate time to giving rescue dogs photo shoots to help them find homes and also shoot certain events for organizations I've built a relationship with over the past few years. If I agreed to provide my services for free every time I was asked, though, I would soon go bankrupt. If you face a similar situation and aren't sure how to say no, I find it best to be totally honest and state that you are honored to be asked but provide your services pro bono to select groups already and cannot afford to assist this time. I'll usually point the person asking in the direction of a local photography school where I know students are looking for event experience as well.

If you want to do what you love full-time, you will need to continually reassess your value and how much pro bono work you can commit to in your schedule. It also helps to have your break-even point in the back of your mind so you can charge a "friend rate" accordingly. Keep those Business worksheets handy!