Today while doing research for a blog article, I pulled down a book of my shelf, shoved the dust bunnies to the side and quickly re-read, The Real Business of Photography by Richard Weisgrau, former ASMP National Director. The book was published in 2004 and reflects changes in photography business practices and gives great negotiating examples on how to sell yourself to your clients and get the price that you need to stay in business AND make a profit.
Despite the date published the information is still very fresh and applicable to photographers who want to learn better negotiating skills.
I enjoyed this book the first time I read it, fresh after seeing Dick speak about business practices. I use many of his suggestions on a day to day basis to help me when negotiating and to keep the goal of staying in business and making a profit in front of me at all times.
One very important point to acknowledge...Many photographers in trade organizations often have an inflated view of their worth by thinking that belonging automatically makes them better photographers or more professional. It doesn't. Weisgrau correctly points out that in the end the value of a photograph is how much a client is willing to pay. Nothing more or less.
Part of this value comes from a tiered level that all photographers work at. It isn't anything that is black and white, but rather determined by your experience, client expectations, client purse strings, and your creative and business talent. He goes into great depth using a pyramid as his business model and shows how most shooters start at level "D" and work their way up the ladder where the rewards are higher, but the jobs are fewer and the competition is tougher.
Dick's book, full of practical advice is available here: Allworth Press. I highly recommend reading this book!
