Sexy models!

.. Railway Engines, that is. Last weekend I had a break with friends in the North of England, and we got to visit the National Railway Museum in York, where many old trains can be found. This may sound a bit boring, but once you get in there and see some of the engines, it really takes you back to childhood- if you're male, at least! There's plenty to see and also a large model railway track for the younger members of the family. I got plenty of photographs, and the rest of the weekend was spent in various pubs and restaurants around York, Huddersfield and Manchester. We joined the 'Real Ale Trail' which was extremely popular and great fun, then toured the streets of Manchester in the evening. A good break, and now back to the more serious business of photography!

Less work, more photography

I finally finished my degree course at Birkbeck College today, with an exam in 'Social Issues in Computing'. This is the culmination of four years hard toil - it takes that long when you're a part time student with a full time job. As well as being useful for my main job, many of the modules are also useful for a photography business, as included are accounts and presentation skills.

Now I'm finished, I have much more free time for photography and general laziness! I will get the results in August , and (unless I'm really unlucky) won't have to retake any exams, and will graduate around October/November time. Who will take the photographs I wonder?

Anyway, I'm having a weekend off soon to celebrate / take photos in York and Manchester, and will then try to concentrate on improving my fashion modelling portfolio by booking as many model photo shoots here in London as possible! Hopefully I will also get time at some point to shoot some landscapes - and also paint them, as I've just bought some oil paints. Wish me luck, i will post my efforts on this blog if they're any good..

Mark

Max & Louis's baptism

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to the baptism of these two youngsters over in Henley-on-Thames. If you don't know it, the Royal Regatta is held there every year on the River Thames, and attracts many people over the five days.

Henley itself is a very pretty town with several churches, including Sacred Heart in Vicarage Road where the baptism took place. After the event we were invited for tea and biscuits back at the proud parents' home.

Although no photographs are allowed during the actual ceremony, the vicar was only too pleased to pose with the family afterward.

The Business of Wedding Photography - part 1

Following on from my earlier article, this one is intended to stimulate some thought in those people who are thinking of entering the business of wedding photography. It may also be useful for clients who think photographers are charging too much- as you will see, many factors need to be considered in the equation.

As a photographer who also has the benefit of being a management accounting student at college, there is much more to it than first meets the eye.  Please bear in mind I am not an accountant, so this is a very simplified view with unrealistic figures! I have also made assumptions which are relevant to me personally but may not be for others. I have not mentioned actual figures as these will differ for everyone.

Firstly, take a package price, maybe one you have seen on a competitor's site, or Craigslist. This might be the first thing a new photographer thinks of excitedly. "Wow, I'm going to make 1000 dollars/pounds per wedding- If i shoot 30 wedding that's 30000 per year!" Ok this would be a very naive person. Also, in my view this is completely the wrong way to go about it. Start by considering what you want to offer- say a nice album by Splendid Wedding Albums (100); and the area of the market you want to serve.  Once you have worked out the cost to yourself of any materials such as prints and albums (the direct material costs), you need to consider all the work involved- preparation before the wedding, shooting the wedding and the time you will spend in post-production (PP), sorting, editing and optimizing the images. Then there is the time spent designing/creating the album, if you do this part yourself. This part can be much longer than the time spent actually shooting, at least until you get enough experience to cut down the workflow. Let's assume a total of  20 hours (although it can be much more), at 20 per hour that's 400.

With the total of the shooting and PP times, you can work out the direct labour costs. Take your hourly rate and multiply by number of hours worked, then add this to the material cost. If you can't think of an hourly rate, consider what you could be doing instead of shooting the wedding (eg the amount you are foregoing, perhaps you could be making £Y per hour by shooting portraits-this is called an opportunity cost in Economics. Make sure this rate is realistic and relevant of course). You now have a total figure for direct costs. In this example, we have 500 already!

On to indirect costs.. These can be quite difficult to calculate, so I simplified them for my own purposes. These will include everything that you cannot directly attribute to the cost of shooting the wedding. I started with a yearly total of equipment insurance (300), website costs (100), car tax (100), fuel, car MOT costs (100), vehicle insurance (500), studio/home rent (5000), electricity, heating, food etc. As you can appreciate, you can really break this down as you will also use some of the above costs for non-wedding purposes as well. There may be the additional costs of an accountant or staff if you have these. You should also remember that those 30 weddings you want won't just materialize- you will need to market yourself and this can mean advertisements, flyers, social networking, online ad campaigns...It all adds up. 

When you have the yearly indirect cost figure, estimate the number of weddings you want to shoot per year (in this example 30), and divide the total by this number. This will give an indirect unit cost per wedding, (Here, let's assume 6000/30 = 200 for this example) which you add to the direct costs to give the total product cost. Now you have a basis for your package price. Anything less than 700 per wedding and you will make a loss. You should also consider that you will need to pay tax on your profits. Therefore with a price of 1000 per wedding and tax at  (say) just 20%, you will only make 240 per wedding. Multiply this by your 30 weddings and you have just 14400 to live on! Of course, if you are self-employed, you may have insurance, healthcare and a pension to pay out of this, plus credit card bills, loans....

Hopefully the above will give some idea of the actual work and costs involved in running a business, and also help you ensure you aren't underselling yourself with your package prices. As I previously mentioned, this is still a very simplified view and a qualified accountant would probably add much more- this is just down to my limited experience in this area. If you want to learn more there are myriad books and Web articles on the subject, alternatively drop me an email and I will try to answer as best I can!

 

Mark

Go with the Pro

We've all heard the media doom and gloom about the credit crunch; how we should all save our pennies and be more frugal in general. This of course is always a good idea, even in the best of times- just in case the worst does happen and your employer has to make cutbacks (trust me, I know from personal experience here) or your personal circumstances change. In the current economic climate, the bridal websites and glossy magazines are full of money-saving tips for your wedding day. However, just as in a more 'normal' economic climate, this is not always the best idea when it comes to your wedding photography. Below I suggest some reasons not to make cutbacks on your professional photography budget...

1) The old cliche..but it's true! Other than your rings, dress and possibly a video, your wedding photos will be the only thing that you have to keep long after the big day. The cake, hangovers and maybe even the gifts will be gone, but a quality wedding album can last generations.

2) A professional can be trusted to turn up, and should have a contract to that effect. A friend is also trustworthy, but nothing short of the very worst should prevent a pro from being there. If they don't turn up, they will often have a network of experienced contacts who can fulfill the contract for them. The level of service you receive from a pro will also be better- you will usually have an initial consultation and at least one pre-wedding meeting, and the photographer may visit the venue beforehand if it is one they are unfamiliar with, in order to check out good locations. Having said this not all pros will meet you- with trusted 'big names' or if you are in a different geographical location, the entire process may be completed by phone or online.

3) If the worst does happen and the photographer or backup cannot make the date, he/she should be insured (professional indemnity insurance) so you can at least claim compensation. If somebody happens to injure themselves falling over equipment, a good pro will also be covered by liability insurance.

4) A pro will always have backup equipment- not just one but sometimes two or more backup cameras, flashes and lenses as well as a plentiful supply of film or memory cards. If your designated friend/relative's camera suddenly breaks, all you may end up with is a collection of  snapshots from other guests with poor lighting and composition.

5) Experience counts. A well-meaning relative or friend may have a shiny new camera or even one they've had for a while, but can they react to any situation (What if the sun goes in?  What if it's really bright? He used a flash so why are they all dark? Mum's skin isn't that shade of orange surely?) or know how to get the look you want in your wedding images? With a pro you are guaranteed consistent and better results than Mum or Uncle Fred can give (unless of course, they're also a pro!).

6) Cutting back on the prints and album by getting them developed at  the local 'QuickSnaps'  may seem like a good idea at the time, but professional photographic prints from a dedicated lab will last and last. They may have special coatings for water resistance and to prevent fading, which mass-market labs may not use. The paper used will be of better quality. The pro photographer will also have a colour-calibrated monitor so he/she knows what the prints will look like before they are printed- Guest shots can sometimes make your skin or dress look.. well,  a bit odd. Lastly, as mentioned above, professional album companies design their products to last a lifetime; cheaper options may well fall apart after repeated viewings..

7) Your friendly professional may be flexible when it comes to paying for your photography and album. This could help spread the cost over several months, so it is always worth asking if they offer this option. Of course they will have bills to pay as well, but it never hurts to ask! You may also find that the photographer can be flexible when it comes to your package- sometimes things can be removed or added to create more value. If you ask nicely enough and you're very lucky you may receive a small discount too, but do remember that even in a recession materials and albums rarely decrease in price. The photographer also has a business to run and has overheads such as studio rent, electricity and food to cover before profit is even considered!

So there you have it, several reasons to 'go with the pro'. I hope this short article helps persuade you that there are some things in life which it really is better to 'splash out' on - Please let me  know your own thoughts!

 

Mark

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