Photographers are hired for brains and not gear

by Stanley LearyAugust 12, 2013September 1, 2025Photography

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Surprise

It is pretty standard for me to show up at a photo shoot and find out that the person hiring me is an amateur photographer with a lot of gear. Those amateur customers have great equipment, and we often talk shop.

I mention this because when I meet amateurs, they often talk to me about what they don’t have and what they have in equipment, as if when they get enough gear is when they can turn pro.

One of the groups that hire photographers pretty regularly is agencies. These agencies have camera gear and shoot many photos for their clients. However, when they hire a professional photographer, they rarely hire them because of their equipment; they have that gear just down the hall in their small studio.

They hire photographers for their experience. So here is the concept: now make it better while still accomplishing their intended goal for the photo.

Take this candid photo of a mobile phone. I just shot this a few weeks ago for a website. The creative director hired me for this photo shoot because they didn’t have the gear to take the photo; they hired me to light the phone, create the 3-D feel, and ensure the elements they needed to highlight were easy to see.

There was no glare on the screen, and then you needed details in all the black areas of the phone, which were primarily dark gray to almost black.

I saved them a lot of time lighting the phone and quickly getting what they needed.

I am often hired to photograph black objects. The client knows the black thing is one of the most complex subjects to light and reveal the object’s shape.

Often, once I have done this for clients, they will go out and duplicate the gear and no longer hire me again. As long as they repeat the setup, they are fine until they come up with something new, and then I get that phone call again.

Creativity

Clients contact me for science and technology shoots. Clients get me because of my track record of shooting research that has never been photographed. Research photography is quite different than doing a headshot that you have done many times before with clients. They need me to engage the audience with something often relatively stagnant.

The photo of the researcher holding up the micro-needles on his finger was my idea of communicating how tiny those needles were. When this first came out, the media picked up the photo worldwide. So many talked about the ouch-less needle.

I met the researcher for another assignment when all his gear had just been sent away. So, all we had was his laptop and a spare LCD. He told me his work entailed giving an audience flashlights that would wave in the air, and he had cameras that would pick up those lights, and his software would translate this into music played live by the orchestra on the stage.

I had a Mini MagLight in my camera bag and asked him to wave it around. Then, I converted the flashlight to candle mode, which helped tell the story in one shot.

I had to figure out the three different exposures for the photo and combine them into one image. The exposure of the computer screens, the flashlight, the strobes on the subject’s face, and then two more strobes add color to the photo.

Those are just a few examples where I used my brain to make the photo. Unfortunately, the camera gear didn’t put the picture in “P” mode.

Even if you know how to use the gear and make it work, this isn’t what they are hiring you to do. They are hiring you for your ideas, not just to execute their idea. They can do that without you.

What do you bring to the table besides your camera and lighting gear?

Advice to the Humanitarian Photographer on Getting Published

by Stanley LearyAugust 9, 2013September 1, 2025business

Reading Time: 5 minutes

A young boy in the village of Konadouga, Burkina Faso, whose native language is Senara and the formal language taught in French. This is just a mile from the Ivory Coast border where rebels had been fighting.

Photographers, for the most part, are some of the most compassionate people you will ever meet. They want to help organizations they encounter but often find most of their photos never seeing the light of day.

I am often getting emails from photographers returning from overseas and having a collection of photos they want to share. They want to get the stories in front of people.

A typical email will look something like this:

“I would like to ask for your advice. I want to send the photos to different magazines and newspapers with the hope that the photos will help generate interest and donations for the organizations I cover. How should I approach these media outlets?”

Here is my advice for anyone wanting to do humanitarian photography and want to help those organizations by getting their work published.

Remember throughout that your purpose is to connect the audience to the subjects. If you forget one of these, you will be unsuccessful at any time. Why should your audience care? Why do the issues need their story told?

Letzia stays at home, and her husband works in the fields in Akil in the Yucatan region of Mexico.

Before your go

For many reasons, the time to connect with media outlets is before you go and not after. The primary reason is that had the media outlet known you would be doing the coverage; they could have given you the valuable direction that would increase the chances of being published.

If you can write or do videos as well, then be sure and offer these skills as part of the package. I know many humanitarian photographers who provide some of these skills to their clients:

Twitter feeds while on the field
Blog posts when they return for the client
Multimedia package
Audio recordings for the web

An editor often directs you to cover a certain angle that would appeal to their audience. If you are interested in the organization, you do what you can to get the organization in front of the audience.

The story will change before you even go if you take the time to reach out to as many media outlets as possible. They may also have an account for you to cover while you are there.

These boys are enjoying the stream just outside the village of Konadouga, Burkina Faso. They were surprised to see the white man with the camera taking their photo. In just ten miles, we went through 30 languages spoken by the tribes in the area. (Photo By: Stanley Leary) [NIKON D2X, AF Zoom 18-50mm f/2.8G, ISO 100, ƒ/6.3, 1/90, Focal Length = 27]

While you are there

It is rare that I have ever been on an overseas trip that the story we thought we would do doesn’t change after arriving. In some form, they will tell you that you just missed it or it didn’t happen while you were here. This doesn’t matter if you did all your research to perfection. Often people heard something different than what you said, or they didn’t want to risk telling you the truth and you not coming to help them.

Be sure you get the names of people in the photos, the places you were when you took the images, and a good description of what is going on that isn’t always understood when looking at the picture.

Types of photos

Everyone smiling and looking at the camera are snapshots and memory joggers. For the most part, this is not what the media is looking for at all.

I have written about the three types of photos: 1) “Literal” Snapshots, 2) “Artistic” Snapshots, and 3) “Expressive” images that are taken for others and not yourself. For more about those three styles, you can read this earlier blog post:

Visual Storytelling: Three Stages of Composition

Feb 27, 2011

We all start with the literal snapshot and often revisit this stage of photography. These literal snapshots are primarily taken for the photographer. These photos are “memory joggers.” They help you remember the moment.

Here are some significant mistakes photographers make while doing “humanitarian photography.”

I wrote about them before, but I think this warrants repeating here again.

Street scenes in Tikul in the Yucatan, Mexico

Some clues that you have crossed the line into narcissism:

When asked why you are doing the photography, you are motivated to have a good experience.
When your conversation is all about the gear, you are using. This is an indication of self-indulgence.
When evaluating a trip, you have that country stamped on your passport.
When you cannot tell the stories of the people, you just met on the trip.
When you cannot explain how your photos are helping further the work of the people in the pictures.
When you are taking people’s pictures and rarely have ever asked permission or care to request permission.
When you ask people to look at your pictures.
When you evaluate the photos based on how artistic they are for your taste.
When you are pushing all the time to go with teams on trips.
Have a mentor and ask how well you are doing.

You need to pause and be sure the reasons you are doing the coverage are for the people that need the help. The more you serve them, the more rewarding it is than serving yourself.

The Mexican side of the border is Agua Prieta, Mexico, which borders Douglas, AZ.

How to keep a healthy ego

You know your purpose for photographing on a trip.
You know the subject well.
You have taken the time to get to know the people you photograph.
You are asking permission to photograph people.
You always have in mind your audience when taking photos.
You have people calling you to be involved in their projects.
You are concerned that the images you made are making a difference.
You are worried about exploiting people and their situation for your gain.
Have a mentor and ask what you can do to improve.
You know when someone else would do a better job, and you step aside for now.
You know you need to improve and feel the burden to improve for your client’s sake.

The fence is the barrier between Agua Prieta, Mexico, and Douglas, Arizona. [NIKON D3S, 24.0-120.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 12800, 1/60, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 120)]

When you get back

Contact those who were interested in running your work. Maybe a quick photo as a teaser and then a short message you just returned. You will be getting your job to them by a specific time.

Some editors will have given you a deadline before you go. Always try to meet the deadline and exceed it and get the material to them before they ask for it.

Be sure to explain if the coverage had to change and why. If they have traveled at all, they will understand. They may not know if it is not at all along the lines of what you talked to them about, and in this case, it might not run in their media.

You can always go back to all those editors who turned you down, which I highly recommend, and let them see what you have. They may change their mind.

Should a photographer list their prices on their website?

by Stanley LearyAugust 8, 2013September 1, 2025business / pricing

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Yes and No: It Depends

Listing your prices depends on what type of customer you have. For example, if you are shooting for public portraits and weddings, you should have your prices listed.

Another way to think of it is, are you doing B2B or B2C? B2B is contemporary shorthand for a longtime business-to-business sales practice, while B2C represents business-to-consumer. B2B deals primarily with other businesses, not the general public, and B2C provides products and services directly to the end user.

Having your price listed helps you and the customer.

It helps you by acting as a filter. Once the customer has gone to your website and seen your prices, they are already aware of your fees when they call.

When looking for a gas station, I use the GasBuddy App to help me locate a station and see the prices before I drive.

If you tell people to call you, you better be ready for phone calls during dinner, bedtime, or anytime.

Most of your portrait and wedding customers want to know if you are within their budget before conversing with you; frankly, most photographers want qualified leads.

Two ways to list pricing

First, you can post your full menu of prices. Posting what you charge for a sitting fee and your print prices is excellent.

If your greatest fear is the photographer down the street seeing your prices and undercutting you, you have many more problems. They can always get a friend to call and get your prices.

There will always be someone cheaper than you. Race to the bottom on pricing is an authentic experience once you have been in the industry for a few years. You must raise your rates sooner or later if you have kids at home to feed.

Second, you can indicate that your prices start at $300 with an average order of $500. But, again, be careful that you are truthful. Don’t try to get them in the door with a low price so insignificant that they must go up to get what most people need.

Be sure not to use a link to a pricing page, then give them a price starting quote.

You can also list your basic packages and what they include and then state that you would call for higher-end packages. Again, remember how you worded this, which can make those upper packages more desirable.

Sidebar about Prices

Some customers can go very high-end. They like to buy things like Rolex or a Lamborghini because they don’t want what they get to be what all their friends have. They want an exclusive package that is not easily attainable.

Some photographers list their prices, which are out of sight to go after this market. However, if you can pull off the high-end service necessary with this type of photography, you might be able to lure people with your prices.

Commercial, Advertising, and even Editorial photographers

Due to the nature of the clients and how they will use the photos, it is not boilerplate; you are best not to have any prices published. Not listing your prices is not because of your competition finding out, but the number of variables to figure a fee makes it almost impossible to have standard prices.

Many use portraits on a website to accompany a salesperson’s bio. The same type of photo could be used as their brand for a national ad campaign. You might charge $1,000 for one use, $5,000 for another service, and even $30,000 for another usage.

How do I find out the going rates?

You might be new to charging for your photography. I always get calls from beginners who want to know who they can trust.

First of all, there is no going rate. Photographers decide what they will charge for headshots in a market; if they get together, that would be illegal.

For comparison purposes, think if you were starting as a construction worker. It might take you a day to do a job that, after about five years of experience, you could do in a couple of hours. Also, the quality is better with all that experience. If you continuously charge a day laborer rate, then the person hiring you will most likely get ten times more work from you in five years than they would when you first started for the same day rate.

Remember, many factors affect what you can charge. Your experience, quality of work, and expenses can impact that price.

I advise those starting out to keep their overhead as low as possible. Don’t buy the most expensive gear, car, or house; always eat out when you are beginning. Do just the opposite. Cut out every luxury you can so you can charge a rate less than those with years of experience. Be sure your rates will cover all your living expenses and ability to run your business.

You will have to suck it up for the first few years until you have enough clout to charge higher rates and get them.

Warning About Other Pros

Too many seasoned pros try to tell those beginning to charge similar rates. Establishing your style will take time; getting reasonable rates will be challenging. You must also be sure you are charging enough to make a living. Building your clients takes time, so I recommend keeping your overhead as low as possible when starting.

Tips for contacting professional photographers for help

by Stanley LearyAugust 7, 2013September 1, 2025Mentor / workshops

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Ways to connect

You can contact photographers in many ways. But first, it is essential to know some basic etiquette for connecting.

Introduce yourself

Tell the person you are and why you want to connect. “hi, my name is—after reading about you, I noticed we have a few things in common” or “Hi, my name is—I have been following your blog and liked your post on …”

Give the person a reason they should want to connect with you!

Could you tell them about you? When you reach out to someone, and that person clicks on your LinkedIn profile, it needs to help them.

If you are on LinkedIn, I highly recommend a professional headshot. A headshot goes a long way to show you are a natural person rather than a blank avatar. The blank avatar makes you look like a creeper.

It would be great if your profile were updated and helpful to those you reach out to connect. Could you make it easy for people to see why they should respond positively to you?

The point of the about me section is to show yourself as an authentic person and an excellent way for people to want to connect with you. We are not interested in a sales pitch. Things about your hobbies and interests go a long way to help people want to join. For example, if you were an Eagle Scout, this helps others with this background connect on a different level with you.

The About section is about you and a great way to introduce yourself to others. Fill this out as best you can; otherwise, people will ignore many requests.

@ Email

If you choose to email a photographer, follow a similar protocol. Could you keep the letter short and to the point?

I think there are three simple questions you need to answer in the Email in some way:

First, who are you?
Second, why are you contacting me?
Third, what do you want me to do?

Please connect the dots for the recipient. Please don’t make them figure out what you are saying.

Be willing to pay

There are many places to go for someone to critique your work. There are camera clubs, workshops, and seminars where photographers will give you some of their time.

The expectation of a private consultation where you get career advice is something you should be willing to pay. On the other hand, free advice is often worth what you pay for.

Spending half an hour each week having free coffee with Malcolm Gladwell, Seth Godin, or Jeffery Gitomer would be great. You know this might happen to a couple of people, and they are likely already good friends with them.

Good mentors are hard to come by, and getting good advice to save you time and money in your career is worth every penny.

Unless the person you contact is on staff with a regular salary, they make their living through photography—shooting or consulting.

Good mentors have connections that can change your life forever. For example, a few years ago, I had a young college student about to graduate from school ask me for an internship. We talked for a while, and the next day, she sent me a thank-you note for taking the time to speak with her. She also thanked me for some particular points from our conversation.

I was impressed with her character. Unfortunately, I could not pay her then, and I let her know I would give her time to ask any questions each week. So she went with me everywhere for about two months.

My client Chick-fil-A was as impressed with her as I was and offered her a job as a writer.

She paid me for my time by helping me and landed an incredible job due to her investment.

Workshops

Early in my career, I attended numerous seminars with NPPA and ASMP. I spent about $5,000 weekly in two significant workshops to study with two of the industry’s icons.

I attended the Maine Workshop and studied with Steve McCurry from National Geographic. The cost of flying, hotel, food, and the workshop was just under $5,000. I learned a great deal that week, not just from Steve but also from others in the class with me.

A few years later, I took another class with Jeff Smith at the Maine Workshops, studying location lighting. Again, I learned so much from Jeff and their classmates.

I offer personal workshops for people interested in this profession. I charge $125 an hour with a two-hour minimum for whatever they want to learn from me. For example, I have taught people how to organize their images one-on-one, done personal workshops on using hot shoe flash off-camera for portraits, and taught people business practices and marketing.

If you know another professional photographer you want to learn from, approach them. If they don’t offer workshops, propose what they can do for you.

If you are not willing to invest in your career, why should anyone want to?

I am switching to USB Flash Drives from DVDs, and I advise you to do the same

by Stanley LearyAugust 5, 2013September 1, 2025Photography

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Apple kills Flash for websites.

I have a Love/Hate relationship with Apple. When they rolled out their iTouch, iPhones, and iPads, they refused to support Flash—killing it as a platform.

If your website used Flash, you either updated your website to html5 or just started over. You couldn’t afford to have people come to your website looking to hire you and not be able to see your work or maybe your contact information.

Apple may kill Optical Drives.

Apple may have similarly sealed the fate of the optical disc drives back in October 2010 by leaving out the optical drive in their Macbook computers. Soon, it will go the way of the floppy disk.

Today most people are connecting to the internet for software rather than buying CDs. Adobe even went so far as to move most of its software to the cloud. So there is less need for optical drives than a few years ago.

It’s a common misconception that burned digital media’s shelf-life is infinite. However, unlike pressed original DVDs and CDs, which are near invulnerable to degradation, burned media have a relatively short life span, typically between 2 to 5 years, depending on the quality of the media and the handling of the discs. Had this not been the case, there might not have been the move away from them.

USB Flash Drive as an alternative

What will you use going forward instead of the optical drive? For example, the USB Flash Drive or deliver your images through the cloud with online galleries or something like DropBox.

I ordered my USB Flash Drives from http://www.usbmemorydirect.com/ and had my logo on them. The more you order, the cost per unit goes down quite a bit.

Over a year ago, I was getting ready to do this and asked USB Memory Direct for a quote, and they sent this to me:

Below are additional pricing options for our classic styles.

I wrote back to them in late July this year and asked for a quote for 50 for the 4G drive. Unfortunately, the price went up a little.

I ordered my on July 31st, and they arrived at my house on August 5th. However, they didn’t promise them before August 12th, so I was pleasantly surprised by the quick turnaround.

While I will continue with some clients to deliver on DVDs, I see these slowly being phased out.

You don’t have to order in bulk.

While buying a couple hundred will save you on unit cost, USB Memory Direct will print in quantities as low as 20. I recommend purchasing the size; you will likely use the most in a more significant amount and then a few in larger capacities in smaller quantities. Hey, buy 100 2G, then maybe 50 4G, and then 20 8G sizes in order.

I recommend starting small and testing the supplier for turnaround time, quality and durability.

USB Flash Drive Benefits

There are a few benefits to using the USB over a DVD or CD. First, putting images on the USB is much faster than burning a disc.

Another benefit is that the USB is a much more stable platform than the DVD. I have gone back to earlier DVDs that worked a few years ago and today do not. I have never had this problem with a USB, but with all digital, if it isn’t in three places, it doesn’t exist.

Once the images have been taken off by the client and put on their computer or network, the USB can be used for other things. They may use this repeatedly and are reminded of me every time they do. It has a similar impact to a postcard I send them that they put up in the office.

USB Flash Drive as deliverable and not archival

I am sure the images are about as safe on a USB Flash Drive as on an SSD drive, for example. But the best archival solution is a system with pictures in three locations.

My use of the USB Flash Drive is to be able to give clients their images using this rather than DVD due to optical drives being less standard on computers.

Storyteller

Month: August 2013