Best Business Practices for Photographers [3]
"In the 17 years that I have been successfully freelancing, one of the most painful and exasperating experiences has always been where to find pricing, contract, and negotiating information that actually is based on sound, usable, growth-oriented business information. If you were well connected, there was a chance you could find out how to do things right.
If not, you were at the mercy of the whims of predatory clients. There was never one comprehensive source that dealt with doing business skillfully, comprehensively, and successfully. Finally, John Harrington has consolidated great business practices in real-world settings between the covers of this book. Everything that you need to know to be successful as a practicing photographer/businessperson is here. Hallelujah!!!!"—Rick Rickman, professor, Brooks Institute of Photography, and freelance photographer
To my dad, who inspired my interest in photography.
To my mom, who taught me right from wrong.
To my wife, who is my best friend.
And
To my children, who sustain my belief in the promise of the
future and inherent good in everyone.
Acknowledgments
It is with heartfelt thanks that I express my appreciation and gratitude to the professionals, friends, and family who have had an influence on my life and development over the years. To my siblings—Laura Rettinger, Robert Harrington, and Suzanne Seymour—and my extended Seymour/Taylor siblings: Thank you for allowing me to grow up with and through you.
To my editors: project editor Cathleen Small, technical editor Mark Loundy, and acquisitions editor Megan Belanger, thank you for shaping and helping to make sense of the 1,001 ideas, concepts, and thoughts I had as I worked to put them on paper and in some sense of order.
To photographers Cameron Davidson, Bill Auth, Paul Morse, Susan Biddle, Andrea Bruce, Mark Finkenstaedt, and others who read as friends with different perspectives and whose suggestions helped me to clarify what I had to say and how I said it. And to David Love, Kenneth Watter, Peter Hoffberger, and Jamie Silverberg, who also reviewed chapters of the book specific to their professions and made thoughtful suggestions in the insurance, accounting, and copyright chapters.
To my office staff, past and present: Talley Lach, Kristina Sherk, Suzanne Behsudi, Katie Burgess, Audrey Lew, Katie Persons, Nikki Wagner, Noemi de la Torre, Rosina "Teri" Memolo, and the dozens of interns, all of whom have been a part of the growing business I sought to continue. Thank you for helping me make the time to produce the first edition of this book, as well as this second edition.
To Dick Weisgrau, Elyse Weissberg, and Emily Vickers, who started the original ASMP Strictly Business seminar in the early part of my career, from which I learned so much. Especially to Elyse, may she rest in peace, whose keen eye, gentle but firm sense of humor, and compassion for photographers and the work we do helped shape me and my early portfolios. Although we spent hours and hours together, I always left meetings with her looking forward to the next one.
To Lois Wadler, Anh Stack, Ben Chapnick, and Dennis Brack of Black Star. To Lois, who took a chance and saw me without an appointment and ultimately signed me to the agency. To Anh Stack, who works tirelessly on behalf of all her photographers. To Ben Chapnick, who leads the agency and makes available to the world iconic images from some of the world's most prolific photographers. And, to Dennis Brack, who has made more than a few of those images, and with whom I work in Washington, DC as a part of the Black Star team, hoping one day to make just one or two of those caliber of images.
To Ken Weber, who published my first photo essay, which led to my working for my first editor, David Hill, at The World & I magazine. Thank you both.
To photographer Nick Crettier, who is a mentor and friend, both professionally and personally. To photographers