Fruit of your Labor

by Stanley LearyPhotography

We displayed the fruits of our labor at the county fair. What have you accomplished? Where is the fruit of your labors?

Anonymous

Like most, you also measure your self-worth from what you do. When you do this, comparing what you produce to others is the next most likely thing done.

The Citadel’s Lacrosse team competed against Reinhardt during the tournament at Northview High School in John’s Creek, Georgia, on April 23, 2016. [NIKON D5, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 Sport, TC-2001, ISO 560, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000, Focal Length = 440]
Georgia Tech’s #2 Isma’il Muhammad slams one early over NC State’s #11 Gavin Grant during play at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia, February 13, 2005. [NIKON D100, 24-120mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 , ISO 400, ƒ/6.7, 1/180, Focal Length = 67]

How good is your game? That seems to be what drives many photographers. They compare their work to other photographers.

Oxnard Chick-fil-A soccer team. Oxnard, CA [NIKON D5, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, ISO 50, Ä/11, 1/200, Focal Length = 14]

Once I started to do freelance full-time, I shifted my focus to observing successful photographers. I began to watch those busy and not basing that decision on how their photos looked.

Island Breeze was founded in Samoa and had multiple locations around the world. Our team’s main focus is sharing the true essence of Aloha to the ends of the earth. [NIKON D3S, 14-24mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 400, ƒ/3.2, 1/500, Focal Length = 14]

About eleven years ago, I started to hire photographers for my clients. That is when I got to see really why certain photographers were busy.

Photo Skills

First, for a person to get hired to shoot for a client, their work must meet some bare minimums for that client. Let me explain that the skill level is much lower than many photographers think it should be, but that is reality.

To be considered, the photographer must produce photos that are well exposed and in focus. Now the fascinating thing about hiring photographers was all the other stuff that made me either want to hire them again or never use them again.

Naomi Ouattara plays with her older sister Anne in Soubakamedougou, Burkina Faso, West Africa

Negotiating Skills

When I would call, photographers asked them to do some work on how they handled that first phone call; negotiating our contract determined the rest of the relationship.

I need to know the price, the terms and when I will get the photos. It was a two-way street on this. The photographer also needed to know this from their perspective.

If a photographer wanted to negotiate more after we agreed on everything, this was a clear indication of someone who would take too much of my time. I need the photographer to shoot and deliver with as little problem as possible.

Mark Adams enjoys coffee with David Velázquez, Just Coffee Cooperative farmer. [NIKON D4, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, ISO 9000, ƒ/2.8, 1/100, Focal Length = 14]

People Skills

I was shocked that many photographers can get some great photos of people’s expressions but have poor people skills.

However, I must say that those photographers with good expressions in their photos of people tended to have better people skills than most.

Most of my clients are concerned with how the photographer did with the people when they were shooting more than just how their photos were. You see, the photographers are representing them when they show up. This is why many clients will put a staff person on set to go between the photographers and the subjects because they don’t want problems later.

I hired many photographers once that I would not hire again because the word came back that they were challenging to work with. Then other photographers make the client look better than if they were there.

Final Product – The Photos

I am surprised how many photographers take way too long to get the photos to the client. When hiring photographers, I need them to rename the images with a particular file naming nomenclature so that the photos will work with the database they are put into for the client.

In addition to the file naming, I need the metadata filled out. This is all part of the negotiating I have done with the photographer when first hiring them for the job.

You would be surprised as to how many do not follow through. So, I get the photos numbered the way they came from the camera with no metadata. This creates a problem because I have to contact the photographer and ask them to fix the images and upload them again. This delays now the client from seeing the photos.

I have had a few photographers get the photos to me after the deadline, and we couldn’t use them for the initial purpose.

Final tips to increase the fruits of your labor

  • Negotiating – Keep it simple. Don’t use industry jargon unless necessary. Be realistic and do not over-promise.
  • People Skills – Listen, communicate & relate on a personal/professional level. Good people skills include problem-solving abilities, empathy for others, and a willingness to work together toward the common good. Reply to your emails promptly. Value your client’s point of view.
  • Photos – Deliver to the client photos in the way you negotiated. WOW, clients by underpromising and over-delivering.
  • Be clear and transparent –Customer loyalty increases based on how mistakes are handled. Studies show that up to 70 percent of unhappy customers transform into loyal customers if the error has been fixed, exceeding their expectations.