Going Freelance: A Chronicle - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

06/15/2006 04:47:18 PM · #1

For the last two years, I have been doing sports photogrpahy for my local newspaper on a contract basis. They give me specific assignments and I go shoot them. I send them an invoice at the end of the month and they pay me. I get $40 per assignment and $25 for extra requests from assignments that I have already shot. The money isn't much, but I have enjoyed doing it quite a bit.

Whenever someone calls the newspaper and asks for a photo that has been run, the newspaper contacts me and I either email the photo or put it on a CD ROM so they can come pick it up. This happens very frequently. More frequently than that, I get approached by parents at the games I'm shooting asking how much it would cost for me to provide them with some photos. My contract with the newspaper doesn't give me the ability to sell anything I shoot while I'm on assignment for them.

I have also been shooting for MiLB.com, Minor League Baseball's website, free of charge since April. My contract with them DOES allow me to sell prints of the photos I make, as long as they aren't being used for commercial purposes.

I have decided to pursue the freelance opportunities and abandon the newspaper work. I haven't abaonded the newspaper work yet though. There are a couple stumbling blocks in my way that I need to clear before I do that.

My plans are (in the beginning) to focus on four local high schools. Three of these schools are part of the county school system and one is part of the city school system, so there are two groups of people I have to get approval from before I can start. I have made contact with the county system athletic director. The 'approval' I need is not for the photography itself, but to be able to hand out business cards at the sporting events. He told me that what I wanted to do sounds OK but that he would have to obtain permission from each of the school principals before I could get the green light. He's working on that for me now and will be back in touch when he has what I need. I have been unable to make that same contact for the one school in the city system at this point. My voice mail and email have not been responded to as of yet. I'm still pursuing it though. Once I obtain the permissions I need for these four local schools, I will alert my newspaper that I will not be available as a photo stringer when school starts back.

I have already started posting some baseball photos, but I haven't actually started marketing them to the public just yet. I ordered new business cards for this project last week and they should arrive tomorrow or Monday, then I can start handing them out to my prospective customers.

While I am still a stringer for the newspaper, I AM allowed to freelance photos from events I shoot that are NOT assigned to me by the newspaper. This is what I'm going to cotinue to do until I part ways with them.

In this thread, I intend to post my progress in the jump from contract to freelance work. I intend to stay in the sports arena and NOT move into other areas of photography at this point.

Message edited by author 2006-06-21 23:25:55.

I Enjoy Ham

Canon EOS-30D

06/15/2006 04:48:52 PM · #2

congrats John, hope it turns out well :)

-Dan

lentil

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 135mm f/2.0L USM

06/16/2006 12:40:11 AM · #3

All the best to you :) I will keep reading to follow your progress. Nothing like enjoying your work, gives you a reason to get up each day :)

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

06/16/2006 01:35:35 AM · #4

The new business cards did arrive today but not before I left for the baseball game. I used my old design and just changed the information on it. THIS is the new card design. I'm going to start handing them out at an American Legion baseball game tomorrow evening...

Faye Pekas

Canon EOS-20D

06/16/2006 01:43:25 AM · #5

I love the new card. This is exciting. Best of luck on your new venture.

Bosborne

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

06/16/2006 01:47:18 AM · #6

Man!!! You are so much better than the "guy that shoots for the newspaper"!
Freelance City, here you come!
Good Luck (But I really don't think you'll need it)
And I am STILL chuckling at the pink uniforms.

Edit to tell you that after viewing your website AGAIN, I don't see why you haven't pursued a spot with the NFL. You've got it for sure!! Go for it NOW!

Message edited by author 2006-06-16 01:55:42.

Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS

06/18/2006 12:38:38 AM · #7

As of Friday, I still don't have any 'approvals' from the high schools i'm planning to work. I did make a few phone calls though. I expect to get approval on three of my four schools this coming week if all goes well.

I hope all this ground work pays off :)

ursula

Fujifilm X-T2

06/18/2006 12:58:06 AM · #8

Hey John, I hope it all goes well for you, and that you really enjoy your freelance work.

PhantomEWO

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

06/18/2006 01:31:48 AM · #9

Great portfolio you have started. How did you work a deal to shoot these baseball shots and sell them commercially. No problem with team or players?

06/18/2006 02:41:46 AM · #10

Originally posted by PhantomEWO:

Great portfolio you have started. How did you work a deal to shoot these baseball shots and sell them commercially. No problem with team or players?

I have 2006 Minor League Baseball press credentials because I'm shooting for MiLB.com. This is Minor League Baseball's official website. My agreement with them gives me the opportunity to sell those photos back to the players and their families.

I'm not selling them 'comercially'... just for personal use only.

Message edited by author 2006-06-18 02:42:07.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/21/2006 09:56:39 AM · #11

Ten days into my chase for the approvals I need, I still have none. I'm mired up in a mess of shchool administration system red tape I guess. On Friday I will have to start making phone calls again to check the status of the approvals...

jenesis

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

06/21/2006 10:34:25 AM · #12

Thread watched. :) I'll enjoy checking out your progress in this venture. Best of luck to you! :)

jenesis

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

06/21/2006 11:29:37 AM · #13

BTW, was that a lensbaby you used on some of those photos or just some creative editing? That's an interesting look.

Edit: Forget it, just saw the lensbaby thread. :)

Message edited by author 2006-06-21 11:30:43.

jemison

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

06/21/2006 12:30:51 PM · #14

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Frustrating, eh? I have been thinking about doing something quite similar, and the question of how to get people to your site is key. My idea is to have most, if not all, of my advertising done on T-shirt, jacket or whatever clothing I will be wearing. I don't have a website yet, but would try to keep it as short a url as possible so as to maximize the size of the printing on the clothing. Rather than spend a lot of time handing out cards or other lit, I would spend time walking the isles and other places where I would be noticed. The right url would be one that can be remembered by those who might want to see the images.

There are things that I like and don't like about your website. I like the fast loading and simplicity of it. Easy to navigate for the most part as well. I don't particularly care for the green text on black - very hard on my eyes. Also I found it rather tedious scrolling the photos. Is it necessary to post the prices below each photo? Maybe there is a good business reason for doing it that way, but it seemed cumbersome to me.

Also, the lenbaby doesn't make it for me...just my $.02 worth (adjusted for inflation)

Good luck with your venture. I have admired your sports photography for some time now. Keep us posted!

Message edited by author 2006-06-21 12:32:38.

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

06/21/2006 12:33:41 PM · #15

Originally posted by jemison:

There are things that I like and don't like about your website. I like the fast loading and simplicity of it. Easy to navigate for the most part as well. I don't particularly care for the green text on black - very hard on my eyes. Also I found it rather tedious scrolling the photos. Is it necessary to post the prices below each photo? Maybe there is a good business reason for doing it that way, but it seemed cumbersome to me.

Good luck with your venture. I have admired your sports photography for some time now. Keep us posted!

There are a lot of better ways to do my shopping cart, but unfortunately, I'm not a web designer and I have to do what I know how to do. I don't use much green text, but I use it where I want something specific to be noticed.

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

06/21/2006 12:46:26 PM · #16

I was just talking to another geologist in the office who has kids who play soccer. He says that there's a truck that pulls near the fields during tournaments. Photographers pile out and shoot the kids and by the end of the game the photos are running in slide-shows on monitors for the public to see. The parents stampede the truck and order prints at $20 a pop like mad-hatters.

These tourneys can be multi-field events, and for days at a time.

I think ice rinks are a good possibility too.

If the bottom falls out of gold...

Good luck, Setzler!

Message edited by author 2006-06-21 12:46:50.

contestguru

Nikon D70s

06/21/2006 06:19:03 PM · #17

Good luck with your plans!! I look forward to seeing how you are doing from time to time.

I checked out your website ... and I'm not sure if it's my monitor or my eyes ... but I find the information is hard to read. It shows up for me as a light grey on a black bg.

Nice to see someone who doesn't expect to make millions in the next week!

Melanie

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/22/2006 11:54:03 PM · #18

I still haven't received any of the approvals I need yet. I just sent out a couple emails trying to check the status on my requests.

It's discouraging when I find myself waiting on someone else. I'm two weeks into my requests for approvals and don't have any yet.

Melethia

Canon EOS-80D

06/22/2006 11:59:16 PM · #19

Keep at it - go in person if you need to. (This from someone who's never even considered anything like this!)

Love LOVE the card by the way - very nice!

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

06/26/2006 10:22:38 AM · #20

Still no approvals... I sent an email to the county athletic director on Friday and he said he had gotten no responses either from the two schools he's helping me with. I asked if I should call them directly and he said that would probably be a good idea. I called both schools this morning and both principals are out of town until next Monday.

I have also had no response from the third or fourth schools I'm trying to contact.

This effort may be useless.

alanfreed

Nikon Z9

06/26/2006 10:31:54 AM · #21

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Still no approvals...

This is the first I noticed this thread, and when I read the first mention of needing approvals, I thought, "Well, THAT will take forever." Sorry to hear that my first impression was correct there.

The problem is that the school authorities have zero motivation to tend to your needs. In other words, there's nothing in it for them.

I was recently hired to do architectural shooting for a company, and I'll be traveling throughout the eastern part of the country to shoot various projects. Unfortunately, the responsibility of getting permission from building owners falls on the photographer. I've been running into the same kinds of problems getting permissions since the sales people for the company, the product distributors and building owners have no real incentive for cooperating with me.

In your case, you might offer to make a contribution of your sales to the athletic departments of the schools (perhaps slightly bumping your pricing to compensate for it). I know that's a pain in the neck to consider, but it might be the only way to get the wheels moving.

In any case, good luck with the project -- once you're in the door it should be quite profitable!

Mattel Barbie Photo Designer Digital Camera

06/26/2006 10:35:10 AM · #22

Originally posted by alanfreed:

In your case, you might offer to make a contribution of your sales to the athletic departments of the schools (perhaps slightly bumping your pricing to compensate for it). I know that's a pain in the neck to consider, but it might be the only way to get the wheels moving.

In any case, good luck with the project -- once you're in the door it should be quite profitable!

I have already done that. I have offered to provide photography to the schools free of charge for use in the school yearbooks and newspapers. I'll just have to keep plugging at it. My main problem is that I can't wait for school to start back to get these approvals. If I get the approvals, I plan to stop stringing for the newspaper, and I need to give them ample notice that I'm leaving.

digitalknight

06/26/2006 10:42:40 AM · #23

I teach beginning photography for a local school district (the continuing eductation part of it).

I have never seen beauracracy like this school district's organization. Hundreds of people that don't really care if education happens, as long as nobody encroaches on they're little domain. It took me a year and a half to get approval to use the most outdated computer room I've ever seen.

How's that for encouraging?

My point is "through the channels" is usually designed to slow things down so people don't have to work too hard. Be as creative with getting these permissions as you are with your camera - find the holes in the system and use them.

I used the system and it took 18 months. Wanna race? You and me to see who can find the holes in our respective systems first? ;-)

Good luck - sincerely.