I just need to talk this through...

[photofinish]

Although I have been photographing since the 1970's, it wasn't until 2002 that I became serious about it, and it wasn't until the end of last year that I was "in the right place at the right time" and was lucky enough to exhibit my stuff for the city's Art Council. Well, an art dealer from another state, who represents a local city hotel, got my name from the Art Council as a local artist. Since the local client wants to redecorate their facility using local artists, the art dealer contacted me.

So, now I am in the running for a commercial contract (don't know the final details yet). The dealer said she'd like to use me and the other local artists on other local projects in the future as well.

That's the good news. The bad news is I don't know whether I should/know how to draw the line as to what services I can provide in the future. I want to be "up front" with the dealer as to what I can provide, which at this point is only "fine art" stuff. I don't have the knowledge or the lighting equipment to do other commercial projects, like products, interiors, portraits, etc., but I am not adverse to trying it. I do not want to create any false impressions or embarass myself or any prospective clients. I hate wasting my time or other people's time. I don't even know if I would like to get too deep into the commercial aspects, especially since I do have a "day job" already, and am looking at maybe 6-8 years more before I want to retire. But it would sure be nice to earn some extra income so that I can buy those lighting systems, maybe a better camera than my Canon 20D, etc. I still have my youngest in college to pay for...

Opportunity only knocks once, and I have truly been blessed so far. But how do I handle future commercial requests? What are the facts that I may need to know about doing commercial work? Sorry for rambling, here, but things are happening so fast right now that I truly want to be prepared and informed before I promise something I may regret later...

[Box Brownie]

What a wonderfull opportunity to get someone to pay for imaging efforts.

Firstly, I surmise she saw your exhibited work (fine art??) and that is what she would require from you. As for whether you could offer or be invited to submit for other types of images cross that bridge when you come to it because by then you may have crafted your skills to so offer something she will like.

Secondly, as for whether you can do it justice in time & effort well IMO only you can make the judgement call on that but the door is open and for myself I wish had the same/similar opportunity ;)

Best of luck and do post back with any updates.

:)

[rhys]

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Fit the photography around your real job. Explain you have a contract for the time you're unavailable (which is true). Remember if you screw up badly, you still have your real job. If you don't screw up then you have a lucrative second job. I would not give up a real job if as you say, you are so close to retiring. Heck you might even get lucky enough to get made redundant just before you retire in which case you could take early retirement too. My dad was working for the county council when they re-organised. He'd been working for them before they re-organised the time before and thus had a ton of years behind him. When they reorganised, they decided that at 64 he should be made redundant. As it happened his birthday is in June, reorganisation was in April and he got redundancy, early retirement and a cash bonus too plus as he was on flexitime and hadn't used any, he didn't have to work after the end of February. He was well pleased with that - my mum always said all he'd ever talked about was when he would retire.

[ssim]

It is a nice feeling when this happens and sometimes we get visions of grandiose.

The bad news is I don't know whether I should/know how to draw the line as to what services I can provide in the future.
What I read in the rest of this paragraph is that you have already answered your own question. If you don't have the equipment, the knowledge base or the desire to offer more than your current fine art, why would you.

You have to be happy with your decisions that you make and be able to live up to them. I've seen too many people try and take on jobs that they can't handle and both the customer and themselves suffer.

[breal101]

It's unclear to me if this would be an assignment or if they are looking for stock. Are you the only one they have contacted?

[photofinish]

I am one of four photographers, and I have already submitted proofs. Now, it is up to the client's decorator to select the images they want. Maybe one of mine will get selected...thanks, everybody for your thoughts!

[breal101]

Good luck, I hope they choose more than one.