Freelance Writing and Photography
Thinking of becoming a freelance writer? Then you should also think about photography. Your articles will be much more valuable if you can include some good, original and pertinent photographs in your articles.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, therefore if you are writing an article it goes without saying that some photographs of the subject will add value to your article, and lets face it, you are not going to do any freelance writing for free. So the better the article the more money you make.
With a digital camera and a quality memory stick, anyone can take a reasonable photo. Why not add photography to your repertoire, you will be adding to your value to you client.
A handshake deal will always cause you problems, either you or your client will remember something differently. Trust is a good thing, so trust in your contract or written agreement, not in yours or your clients memory or honesty.
Location, subject, theme, time span and especially dollars, all this should be set out in writing before you go buying your own ticket for the travel. Sending off an email advising the editor of your fees and conditions won’t do the job, you have to get an email from the client agreeing to your conditions, or offering his own conditions.
You will need to know how many photos he is willing to pay for. What photos he wants, and what the subjects are to be. How much per photo are you going to get paid, and who holds the copyright.
Some editors will want the copyright of any of the photos that you take. If you can avoid it never sell your copyright, let alone give it away. As a newcomer you will feel under pressure to hand over your copyright to your employer, don’t. A professional will never give away his rights and will only sell them for a large fee.
All professional photographers take lots of photos of the same subject, this is to eliminate the possibility of any mistakes or flaws that may show up when you have left the scene. Why spend unnecessary money going back to the location of the photo shoot just because the pic isn’t quite the way you would like it.
Digital cameras are a wonderful invention, gone are the days of expensive film. Now you can take as many photos as time permits rather than as finances permit. Digital photos can be stored or discarded as you see fit.
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