I got to say, as far as i know there is no other channel that makes this king of strait to the point, only truth no bs, logical, high level professional advice as you do. And you speak of many thing no pro photographer want to speak about, true cold, but honest "secrets" of the trade. I follow you for about a year, and there was no video i was not appreciative about. you are an absolute GOLD for photography community! So thank You!
I've always thought about better equipment as almost a marketing expense. It doesn't make you more money from existing jobs, but it may get you jobs you wouldn't otherwise have gotten because your capabilities have expanded.
I came across your channel two months ago while searching for lighting tips & topics, and I became addicted to your work. Pro, Realist and Straight to the Point. Keep up the good work
Agreed with this!! I’ve increased my day rate a bit incrementally with some of my longstanding commercial clients, mainly because of costs rising, not because I have better gear. Like… within a couple hundred dollars, not by $2k+. With new clients I have new rates, but don’t increase those rates for my loyal clients that have been with me for years.
I have to compete with other photographers so my advice to other photographers is spend as much as possible as often as possible on upgrading camera gear. It will make you a much better photographer.
Great advice! I've had that happen to me when I got the 100mm macro from canon. The pictures I was able to shoot was shockingly good. Most of my other gear didn't make a difference at all. When I started to make highspeed shots with the lens I knew I was up to something amazing.
Scott is right, clients don’t care about equipment EXCEPT if it somehow gives you street cred. I have no idea what that might be today, bur back in my day (50 years ago), one thing that definitely gave a photographer street cred was a Hasselblad. All the rest didn’t matter - commercial photographers didn’t use 35 mm and no client knew an Arca from a Linhof from a Sinar, or Elinchrom from Profoto. I know this for a fact because for about the first year of running my own studio I used a Kowa Six which did exactly the same job as a Hasselblad for a lot less money. EXCEPT it jammed on me while on location in the Finmark, so when I got home, the first thing I did was swap it for a Hasselblad kit. I worked the rest of my career with that one camera body and five lenses, and it never failed me. PLUS I never had a client quibble about prices ever again, which had happened earlier. It wasn’t anything you could see in my pictures, but the Hassie’s street cred put an end to that.
There was some broncolor in an auction today, I missed it. Use Profoto anyway and forced myself not to bid. But someone, somewhere got a very good deal I'm sure. That's the guilt free way to upgrade kit. Because you are right, we can't pass on costs to clients often. I try to justify new kit by promising myself my personal work will turn into art sales or commissions. It happens but not enough to justify the tens of thousands I've spent on lenses alone.
I remember the days that you had 500ish followers I believe. No clue how I came across your channel. Happy that I did. You made me shoot Fuji before you shot on Fuji, because it made sense cost wize. Still hate tethering though;) I started this journey out of passion, you helped me shape it into a business while keeping the passion part. Not fully there yet, but getting there. It is hard to find real pro's on yt, got a couple. Love the info and the learnings you share! Thanks for doing this for us! You remind me of a brilliant friend I had that is no longer with us. Almost as a hand to guide... This is getting weird and I am a bit tipsy. you don't know me, but you have had a very positive impact on my life and for that I thank you!
I always wonder why it’s more common to charge clients for the kit in the film world. I think owning a minimum kit that could do most is the most convenient way. If I need extra equipment I rent it and put it on the bill. A lot of rental companies offer some kind of bonus program which makes it even more appealing…
I absolutely agree. But I feel like you have mentioned ( I may be wrong ) about including kit into your pricing for campaigns. which is one of the major benefits of owning instead of renting. so wounding that fee go towards upgrades? or at least wouldn't that be the goal? 10000% support your point here, just saying haha
As always, 100% agree with everything you said. Including your tangent at the end. I spent an obscene amount of cash on gear upgrades last year. Those upgrades did not increase my day rate with my long term clients. Also looking to offload some of them.... It did however actually unlock the next level in my career and those new clients are the ones I was targeting. They do have the budgets I was targeting and they're very happy with my quality now. Marketing managers mostly could care less the kit used, just need the shotlist checked off, and have no idea the difference in gear before upgrades and after. But, it was valuable to me and the nerdy IQ differences we care about has little impact on them. The workflow impact it has for me using the right tools for the job has given me the piece of mind that I working with the right kit for the jobs I'm targeting now and I can deliver the results I'm not only proud of, but give me the access to the clients I want to work with.
Hello Scott, genuine question. Can you make a video on about how to charge usage fees? Like I am not asking about "how much" but rather I want to know about the process. And how to actually keep track of how long they are posting on all platforms, the facebok instagram ads that they are posting so as one knows that their work is on the market with respect to usage rights fees and duration. All things considerred, how to do them yourself as a photographer, when you do not have an agent or an agency.
For me, my investment into gear is for 2 reasons. A) 80% of time time is to improve on my workflow, its speed, accuracy, hit rate, etc. B) to add tools and services to my offer and to better my outcomes. None of these are to increase my rates. That can only be done via quality of my work and supply / demand of the market.
Even for news/events or athletics, the same is true. Longer, faster glass, the new fast flash sync, none of it will increase the value-to-client of the jobs one already has. There are athletes doing crazier stuff (eg, in planes, underwater, etc). Boxing/UFC events that want the depth of field from strobes for selling prints or something. There’s news or engineering work that’s too dangerous to get closer, or that’s vibrating so much one needs crazy stabilization or to rig out the stills camera on a drone (yes I do want to discover that job) … but those are differn clients with different work.
I've seen a few advertisements for Nestea lately. and I am instantly reminded of your work. Is it something you have had a hand in? Or am I just way off the mark here. I am trying to improve my eye - my observational skills - as it were.
Agreed, but I'm guessing you deliberately ignored inflation? All professional firms increase their prices year on year by their given inflation and write that into their terms and conditions. That's why a coffee does increase year-on-year even though they haven't got new coffee machines. Granted, it's not probably the point you are trying to make but if you don't build that into your T&C's you leave yourself vulnerable.
I have never in my life turned a $500 client into a $5000 client. I've absolutely gone and gotten $5000 clients, and when I have enough of them, I'll start being less available to the $500 clients. Sometimes if the client really likes you, you can get them up a bit on the rate due to demand for your time, but I've never seen clients go from paying small time to big time.
Prices are driven by supply and demand. How much projects can you offer monthly? If there are more clients maybe you need to raise your prices. If there are less clients then, then lower the price (or get better advertising or something). Equipment and your investment have nothing to do with your price
If you are getting 10k for a gig and think you can get more with an upgrade, you are delusional. I did and and the most of the beginning photographer do it. They think they are not getting the clients they want and by desperation, they try everything including upgrading to those ludicrous kits while getting paid 500£ per job.
You can make a full time living from UA-cam if you spend all your time on it, but you can make a better living from photography. Not sure which is easiest. I only do UA-cam 1-2 days a month + comments etc when at the gym. I’ll try and make a video on it.
If you want more of the pro commercial world and less youtube then head here www.patreon.com/tinhouse
I got to say, as far as i know there is no other channel that makes this king of strait to the point, only truth no bs, logical, high level professional advice as you do. And you speak of many thing no pro photographer want to speak about, true cold, but honest "secrets" of the trade. I follow you for about a year, and there was no video i was not appreciative about. you are an absolute GOLD for photography community! So thank You!
I've always thought about better equipment as almost a marketing expense. It doesn't make you more money from existing jobs, but it may get you jobs you wouldn't otherwise have gotten because your capabilities have expanded.
Equipment is theater for expensive clients, nothing more.
I came across your channel two months ago while searching for lighting tips & topics, and I became addicted to your work.
Pro, Realist and Straight to the Point.
Keep up the good work
great to hear thanks
100% Agree. I see new kit as a way for me to change things up and inspire myself, make the job easier, or to use for personal work.
Agreed with this!! I’ve increased my day rate a bit incrementally with some of my longstanding commercial clients, mainly because of costs rising, not because I have better gear. Like… within a couple hundred dollars, not by $2k+.
With new clients I have new rates, but don’t increase those rates for my loyal clients that have been with me for years.
I have to compete with other photographers so my advice to other photographers is spend as much as possible as often as possible on upgrading camera gear. It will make you a much better photographer.
I see what you did there
You totally keep it real. Keep being awesome!
good realization Tin! People really don't care if they PAY MORE! never upgrade until it has financial value.
Great advice! I've had that happen to me when I got the 100mm macro from canon. The pictures I was able to shoot was shockingly good. Most of my other gear didn't make a difference at all. When I started to make highspeed shots with the lens I knew I was up to something amazing.
Scott is right, clients don’t care about equipment EXCEPT if it somehow gives you street cred. I have no idea what that might be today, bur back in my day (50 years ago), one thing that definitely gave a photographer street cred was a Hasselblad. All the rest didn’t matter - commercial photographers didn’t use 35 mm and no client knew an Arca from a Linhof from a Sinar, or Elinchrom from Profoto.
I know this for a fact because for about the first year of running my own studio I used a Kowa Six which did exactly the same job as a Hasselblad for a lot less money. EXCEPT it jammed on me while on location in the Finmark, so when I got home, the first thing I did was swap it for a Hasselblad kit. I worked the rest of my career with that one camera body and five lenses, and it never failed me. PLUS I never had a client quibble about prices ever again, which had happened earlier. It wasn’t anything you could see in my pictures, but the Hassie’s street cred put an end to that.
There was some broncolor in an auction today, I missed it. Use Profoto anyway and forced myself not to bid. But someone, somewhere got a very good deal I'm sure. That's the guilt free way to upgrade kit. Because you are right, we can't pass on costs to clients often. I try to justify new kit by promising myself my personal work will turn into art sales or commissions. It happens but not enough to justify the tens of thousands I've spent on lenses alone.
Timeless Scotty wisdom right there. One of my personal favourite videos of yours. Oh. And I love a nice Burrito now and then..
I remember the days that you had 500ish followers I believe. No clue how I came across your channel. Happy that I did. You made me shoot Fuji before you shot on Fuji, because it made sense cost wize. Still hate tethering though;)
I started this journey out of passion, you helped me shape it into a business while keeping the passion part. Not fully there yet, but getting there.
It is hard to find real pro's on yt, got a couple. Love the info and the learnings you share! Thanks for doing this for us!
You remind me of a brilliant friend I had that is no longer with us. Almost as a hand to guide... This is getting weird and I am a bit tipsy. you don't know me, but you have had a very positive impact on my life and for that I thank you!
All this made absolute sense Scott! Valuable sense 👍🏻
agree, it was never about the gears, it's always about the skills and time.
no one can convince me otherwise
I always wonder why it’s more common to charge clients for the kit in the film world. I think owning a minimum kit that could do most is the most convenient way. If I need extra equipment I rent it and put it on the bill. A lot of rental companies offer some kind of bonus program which makes it even more appealing…
I absolutely agree. But I feel like you have mentioned ( I may be wrong ) about including kit into your pricing for campaigns. which is one of the major benefits of owning instead of renting. so wounding that fee go towards upgrades? or at least wouldn't that be the goal? 10000% support your point here, just saying haha
Another excellent & informative video. Thanks.
Absolutely - it's fair and honest
This is what we're here for! Thank you for the honesty & push towards being better creatives rather than crap creators with nice kit.
As always, 100% agree with everything you said. Including your tangent at the end. I spent an obscene amount of cash on gear upgrades last year. Those upgrades did not increase my day rate with my long term clients. Also looking to offload some of them.... It did however actually unlock the next level in my career and those new clients are the ones I was targeting. They do have the budgets I was targeting and they're very happy with my quality now. Marketing managers mostly could care less the kit used, just need the shotlist checked off, and have no idea the difference in gear before upgrades and after. But, it was valuable to me and the nerdy IQ differences we care about has little impact on them. The workflow impact it has for me using the right tools for the job has given me the piece of mind that I working with the right kit for the jobs I'm targeting now and I can deliver the results I'm not only proud of, but give me the access to the clients I want to work with.
Hello Scott, genuine question. Can you make a video on about how to charge usage fees? Like I am not asking about "how much" but rather I want to know about the process. And how to actually keep track of how long they are posting on all platforms, the facebok instagram ads that they are posting so as one knows that their work is on the market with respect to usage rights fees and duration. All things considerred, how to do them yourself as a photographer, when you do not have an agent or an agency.
For me, my investment into gear is for 2 reasons. A) 80% of time time is to improve on my workflow, its speed, accuracy, hit rate, etc.
B) to add tools and services to my offer and to better my outcomes.
None of these are to increase my rates. That can only be done via quality of my work and supply / demand of the market.
Brilliant commentary Scott!!
Even for news/events or athletics, the same is true. Longer, faster glass, the new fast flash sync, none of it will increase the value-to-client of the jobs one already has.
There are athletes doing crazier stuff (eg, in planes, underwater, etc). Boxing/UFC events that want the depth of field from strobes for selling prints or something. There’s news or engineering work that’s too dangerous to get closer, or that’s vibrating so much one needs crazy stabilization or to rig out the stills camera on a drone (yes I do want to discover that job) … but those are differn clients with different work.
I've seen a few advertisements for Nestea lately. and I am instantly reminded of your work. Is it something you have had a hand in? Or am I just way off the mark here. I am trying to improve my eye - my observational skills - as it were.
Probably the most important message to people is this: you can go broke chasing technology….especially when you don’t NEED it.
better sensor... less post production = time is money !
same rate for less time !
Where I am with my commercial and editorial work, I already know no amount of megapixels will allow me charge more.
Informative, Thanks!!
Glad it was helpful!
Agreed, but I'm guessing you deliberately ignored inflation? All professional firms increase their prices year on year by their given inflation and write that into their terms and conditions. That's why a coffee does increase year-on-year even though they haven't got new coffee machines. Granted, it's not probably the point you are trying to make but if you don't build that into your T&C's you leave yourself vulnerable.
You can't do it quickly. But every business will sneak it in slowly.
I have never in my life turned a $500 client into a $5000 client. I've absolutely gone and gotten $5000 clients, and when I have enough of them, I'll start being less available to the $500 clients. Sometimes if the client really likes you, you can get them up a bit on the rate due to demand for your time, but I've never seen clients go from paying small time to big time.
I upgraded my camera body and unlocked sportsphotography too some degree, but I still need to rent a good lens…
You didn't cost of living increases. Good piece.
Error in message: You didn't mention cost of living increase. Still good piece.
Prices are driven by supply and demand. How much projects can you offer monthly? If there are more clients maybe you need to raise your prices. If there are less clients then, then lower the price (or get better advertising or something). Equipment and your investment have nothing to do with your price
ALL. OF. THIS.
Are you on Discord?
If you are getting 10k for a gig and think you can get more with an upgrade, you are delusional. I did and and the most of the beginning photographer do it. They think they are not getting the clients they want and by desperation, they try everything including upgrading to those ludicrous kits while getting paid 500£ per job.
But you rent. Using a business, any business, to buy toys is terrible business.
you dont obviously talk about how much you making from youtube an not photography.. should we all do youtube now?????
You can make a full time living from UA-cam if you spend all your time on it, but you can make a better living from photography. Not sure which is easiest. I only do UA-cam 1-2 days a month + comments etc when at the gym. I’ll try and make a video on it.