When Collaboration Becomes A Four Letter Word

Collaboration, TFP, exposure etc. Photography is filled with a lot of common words that can quickly turn into very offensive four letter words depending on the situation. It might sound silly to say, but words have meaning and these words are sometimes a sure fire way to offend a photographer. A photographer or model will often use these terms but It seems that everyone has their own definitions. After being behind the camera for about a year now, I’m still at a lost for how photographers and models use these terms. But I’ll give a crack at trying to explain what I’ve seen over the last year.

The average photographer spends a minimum of $5k on equipment starting out. After the first year, a photographer can expect to purchase another $2-4k in equipment. Countless hours of trial and error as well as self education are spent perfecting their craft. Each shoot takes an hour or more and an additional 5 or more hours of editing and that’s just for a basic shoot. Add in a wedding, and the time factor easily jumps to 24 hours minimum of planning, shooting, editing, and delivering the photos. After all that, factor in milage, gas cost, business insurance, taxes, and other overhead cost that are not listed. So when a photographer pours their heart, soul, and finances into running a photography business, it’s easy to understand why they see red when they hear

Hey, can you take my pictures for $free.99. 

But wait, there’s more to this that many photographers forget. 

Having done 100% free shoots for a year has given a different perspective than most client photographers. So why do some photographers carry a big chip on their shoulder as if a person asking for a collaboration, TFP, exposure (aka a free shoot) is the most offensive thing in the world? I truly understand and appreciate a person trying to run a business and having others belittle it with request of free services.

But where does the misunderstanding come from???

The simple answer is technology. Gone are the days of going to K-Mart and having a local college student working at Olan Mills take family photos. If you needed a wedding photographer, there were only a few local people who had the equipment, and they could charge just about whatever they wanted. Senior portraits….Most students just kept the pictures labeled “PROOF” and called it a day because ordering a complete set was just too expensive. 

But rewind to January 9, 2007 in San Jose, California. Steve Jobs introduced a device that easily will go down as one of the greatest inventions in human history. The smart phone took multiple different devices and crammed them into a single device the size of a wallet. But from the photography standpoint, it made everyone and their grandmother a photographer. It took  thousands of shoeboxes filled with photos and allowed you to upload them to a magical place in the sky called the cloud. Need family photos? Easy, pull out your phone. Want to capture the birth of your child, a graduation, a sports moment, first steps…easy, pull out your phone. Years ago, that required a clunky camcorder, VCR, and camera. But with the invention of the smart phone, the average person can create decent to high quality photos for the price of a cell phone bill. 

The market has become saturated with cell phone cameras and with each passing year, the cameras on those phones continue to get better and better. On this current trajectory the quality of current DSLR’s and Mirrorless cameras will be found in cell phones.

But what does all of that have to do with collaborations, TFP’s, and free shoots?

As a photographer, we have to place ourselves in the mind of the consumers. It easy to get offended by someone asking for free shoots. But I pose this question: How much does a router, scroll saw, band saw, corner jigs, table saw, and countless other basic woodworking equipment cost? Don’t know? Well I can tell you from experience that wood working is not a cheap profession just like photography. And this is the same for most people when it comes to not knowing the worth of a photographer. When they have a camera in their pocket that takes decent pictures, the high cost of photography equipment matters to them as much as the price of tea in China. 

So how do we define and deal with all of this?

Telling someone that you have rates is simple and doesn’t require an easily triggered meltdown. These can easily be turned into teachable moments where a photographer can educate the masses about the value of their craft. Words like collaborations and TFP do not have to be 4 letter words. I have come to learn that most consumers use these words as a means to soften the blow of asking for something free. But it’s a situation that can be easily resolved. Sitting on the high horse as if one has never used a coupon or asked for a discount to something usually doesn’t work out well. 

Collaborating with the “right” people can be rewarding. Taking a chance on a young and upcoming model is a way to give back. Someone took a chance on us so why not give back? Doing a “TFP” shoot every once in a while will not break the bank. I would even argue that occasionally giving goes a long way to furthering your brand. Spending the last 4 years in full time sales has taught me that a person buys into you, not so much the product. Cheap prices, mini sessions, and other popular trends will never bring fulfillment or consistent business. 

A good personality, being easy to work with, “collaborating” with the “right” people, and giving back, are lessons that should be learned and put into practice or a regular basis. 

Let me know what you think. What are your views on collaborations, TFP’s, and other four letter photography words.