I got an email yesterday that reminded me a lot of my confusion when I first started out. Before you've established a name for yourself, gaining access to events can be difficult. Organizers know that access is valuable to new photographers, and they will do everything in their power to exploit that. Here's the question:

"Last week I got invited to shoot a heavy metal video. I went and took a bunch of photos, and then the company demanded pics for free. When I said they cost money, the guy got really angry. He said that letting me on set was my payment and if I ever want to work for him again he needs the pics. He said that the exposure that I get from the band's publicity should make it worth my time. What do I do?"

I think every photographer has a story just like this to tell. For me, replace "heavy metal video" with "fashion catalog" and that would be exactly how I felt less than a year ago.

A lot of pundits on Flickr will tell you to NEVER work for free, for good reasons. People in this industry will push you around if you let them. It sounds to me like this guy has no intention of ever paying you, and he would not be a good client if you're looking for money. However, if you are willing to work for them free to build up your portfolio, absolutely do it, just be clear that you retain the copyright and that the image license is non-exclusive. If they want extras like exclusive rights, feel free to charge for that! When you're just getting started, this is probably the best way to build your portfolio and break into the industry. If you don't need these images for your portfolio, brush them off your radar and walk away.

When I was just beginning, I had friends who were part of the biggest electronic dance music promoters in Utah (V2 Events). Before long, I was being invited to shoot some shows with some big headliners, like Rabbit in the Moon. Knowing that V2 constantly brings out top names in the dance music community, I agreed to shoot a series of shows for them in exchange for access. Those shows helped me build up a rich nightlife portfolio that targets exactly the kind of work that I love most, and it introduced me to some great connections that have been a huge asset to my career. This image was shot at an event in exchange for access. It's now being used on Rabbit in the Moon's MySpace profile, which has boosted my recognition and given me some credibility with other artists and production companies:

Imagine your dream job, and ask yourself these questions:

"Will the images I get from the access they're giving me help me land my dream job?"

"Will the contacts I make introduce me to a network of people who can help me achieve my career goals?"

"Can I still buy food and pay my rent if I'm doing this work without a paycheck?"

If you answer yes to these questions, you need to stop thinking "free" and realize that ACCESS is your payment, and it's worth every bit of effort you put into it. If you answer "no" to these questions, working with them will not benefit your career. It will only make you angry and resentful over non-payment. Tell them you're not interested and move on.

Another question I get frequently is, "when should I stop taking free work?"

Personally, I stopped doing free work when I had enough paying work to make it easy to say no to the free stuff. It seems like a pretty good indicator to me. At first, I had a hard time saying "no". I didn't want to hurt people's feelings, but this is business. Your portfolio comes first.

Think of your career as a sculpture, and the word "no" as a chisel. When you're just starting out, your career is a big block of marble that represents everything you could possibly do. Chisel away everything you don't want to do by saying "no" until what's left is your dream career, and the perfect portfolio to represent it. Personally, freeloaders and jerks are not part of my dream career. Saying "no" to somebody who wants to pay too little, or isn't offering work that I'm really excited about doing, is very liberating.

P.S. For a lot of perspectives from the magazine world, check out the Pay to Play posts on APE and AVS.

Labels: education, going pro, photography