Help, Shooting seasonal for a magazine in October

[spookman01@sky.com]

Hi all

I have just started my own photography business and things are going ok. In order to save costs I emailed a local publication that goes to about 50,000 homes a month and offered my services in exchange for some free advertsing. The editor agreed and has asked me for some seasonal shots around the towns and villages for the December and January issues.
This has got me stumped. At the moment Autumn is pretty much here so trees are magnificent golden brown's and yellows rather than bare and desolate, the only street decor is for halloween (even the shops) and its not cold enough for ice and snow (even when it is cold enough snow is very rare)

What do you professionals do in this situation? The pictures have to be local and where possible the areas need to be identifiable from the pictures.

Any help and advice is very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Lee

[Jim Poor]

Originally Posted by spookman01@sky.com

Hi all

I have just started my own photography business and things are going ok. In order to save costs I emailed a local publication that goes to about 50,000 homes a month and offered my services in exchange for some free advertsing. The editor agreed and has asked me for some seasonal shots around the towns and villages for the December and January issues.
This has got me stumped. At the moment Autumn is pretty much here so trees are magnificent golden brown's and yellows rather than bare and desolate, the only street decor is for halloween (even the shops) and its not cold enough for ice and snow (even when it is cold enough snow is very rare)

What do you professionals do in this situation? The pictures have to be local and where possible the areas need to be identifiable from the pictures.

Any help and advice is very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Lee

The folks that do this sort of shooting tend to have a library of seasonal shots in hand before approaching a magazine.

What about a Christmas shop or Christmas market in your area? Some of them are set up year round.

What's your time line? Can you wait for the decorations to change?

[spookman01@sky.com]

I was not given a deadline to submit the images. The reason for this is that the advertising I get is in exchange for them asking me to get some specific images or cover a local event for them. As long as I am 'On Call' they will supply me advertising. I was invited to send in some pics in the meantime if I wanted.

However I want to make a good impression and put down some foundations towards a good relationship so I am eager to be able to provide something they can use.

[Jim Bryant]

We have those type of magazines that are published four times a year and are sent to high income homes. With the money he's making in advertising, he could most likely afford to pay you and give you free advertising as well.
The bad part of being on call is that you are at their beckoning whim. Way too much work involved for some free advertising.

[spookman01@sky.com]

The advertising being offered has a value of approx £1000 per month for the first 2 months and then £600 a month thereafter. If they ring me a lot they will increase the advert size but said I will get the £600 adverts even if they dont use me or any of my images. They also said that if they want me to cover a big job then they will negotiate a seperate deal.

As most of us know, starting up a business is hard and I could not afford the coverage and quality they are offering. I also have no experience in this area so I was stunned when they agreed. Now that I have 'a foot in the door' I want to make this work.

[Jim Bryant]

Originally Posted by spookman01@sky.com

The advertising being offered has a value of approx £1000 per month for the first 2 months and then £600 a month thereafter. If they ring me a lot they will increase the advert size but said I will get the £600 adverts even if they dont use me or any of my images. They also said that if they want me to cover a big job then they will negotiate a seperate deal.

As most of us know, starting up a business is hard and I could not afford the coverage and quality they are offering. I also have no experience in this area so I was stunned when they agreed. Now that I have 'a foot in the door' I want to make this work.

Good for you! Make sure they don't take advantage of you. The editor of the advertising pub just wanted to give me a credit line and I'd have to pay for my ad. His reasoning was the publication is mailed to over 20,000 homes. I told him to go pound sand in a rathole.

[mad editor]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

We have those type of magazines that are published four times a year and are sent to high income homes. With the money he's making in advertising, he could most likely afford to pay you and give you free advertising as well.
The bad part of being on call is that you are at their beckoning whim. Way too much work involved for some free advertising.

Yes, we have some of them here too. And when I did some freelance writing for one of them I had to wait for six months to be paid - and that was after I threatened to bad-mouth them on a couple of freelancer web sites. They make a ton of money - those zines are mostly advertising. Even the copy, for the most part, is advertorial.

[SusanH1970]

LOL...kind of going my own way here but this reminded me of a recent contact I had.

I recently had a call from someone saying he had gone over my website thoroughly, LOVED my work, and had chosen me in particular to buy a ridiculously expensive advertisement in a publication going out to high school seniors in the area. His big thing was that I would "really get my name out there, so it's so worth the investment!" I asked him what he thought of my senior portraits (there are NONE on my website). He said, "They're gorgeous, you are the perfect client for this publication!". He did try to save himself a bit when I told him, "Really? Because I don't have any seniors on my website" by saying, "Oh, sorry, must have gotten you mixed up with another photographer. I had you in mind to advertise with us because even though you don't shoot seniors, a lot of them have older brothers and sisters getting married." So....I asked him what he thought of my wedding photography. Dead silence. For a long time. Then I said, "If you'd really looked at my website, you'd have seen that I photograph children, maternity and newborns, for the most part. I don't think I'd get a whole lot of business if I spent the money to advertise with you. And anyway, do you want to market maternity and newborn portraiture to high school seniors?" He said, "Um, I'm sorry, no. I guess I should research a little more."

Ya think???? LOL!!!

[Jim Bryant]

There's a publisher who sells photographer ads that goes into a wedding publication (circulation 1500) which can be picked up at Bridal shops and is distributed to bridal shows within the greater Puget Sound region. Two of my best friends purchased ads ($700.00) and ($1500) and when one of the photographers didn't get his advance copies he went to a couple of Bridal shops and guess what no books. He then contacted the printer, who said the publisher only got 10 printed, of which he only uses to show photographers the finished product in order to get paid advertisement. I don't know how this guy has remained in business for the last six years. But when they threatened to take him to court for fraud, the guy paid back their money.

[Jim Poor]

Thanks for the morning chuckle!

Originally Posted by SusanH1970

LOL...kind of going my own way here but this reminded me of a recent contact I had.

I recently had a call from someone saying he had gone over my website thoroughly, LOVED my work, and had chosen me in particular to buy a ridiculously expensive advertisement in a publication going out to high school seniors in the area. His big thing was that I would "really get my name out there, so it's so worth the investment!" I asked him what he thought of my senior portraits (there are NONE on my website). He said, "They're gorgeous, you are the perfect client for this publication!". He did try to save himself a bit when I told him, "Really? Because I don't have any seniors on my website" by saying, "Oh, sorry, must have gotten you mixed up with another photographer. I had you in mind to advertise with us because even though you don't shoot seniors, a lot of them have older brothers and sisters getting married." So....I asked him what he thought of my wedding photography. Dead silence. For a long time. Then I said, "If you'd really looked at my website, you'd have seen that I photograph children, maternity and newborns, for the most part. I don't think I'd get a whole lot of business if I spent the money to advertise with you. And anyway, do you want to market maternity and newborn portraiture to high school seniors?" He said, "Um, I'm sorry, no. I guess I should research a little more."

Ya think???? LOL!!!