Arrangements with another prophotographer

[scorpio_e]

So here it is, I want to work out an arrangement with another pro photographer to shoot a gig if I get in an accident,car breakdown or sick.

SOooo let say I am on my way to a wedding, my car dies on the turnpike. I call Joe's photography and say can you help my out... He says sure and does the wedding.

So the burning question is. How to I work out compensation with Joe's photography ? Do I turn the contract over to him?

I want to do the same for him. Equipment back up is great but it is nice to have another photographer as a back up too.

[jcolman]

I would say yes, turn over all the money to him, unless you plan on doing the post work yourself.

[scorpio_e]

That's what I was thinking:) After all,they are saving my butt*LOL*

[Nightstalker]

Thare are loads of issues that you need to sort out, not least is making sure that your contract with the B&G gives you the right to assign the work to someone else - afterall, if you were doing your sales and marketing correctly the B&G actively chose YOU because of your style / personality / etc. If it does not then the B&G could sue you for non-performance even if you supplied a substitute.

Remember, it is definately possible that the B&G may have met with your stand-in at the bidding stage and discounted them for any number of reasons.

Now assuming that you are contractually covered you can address the issue of compensation.

Personally I would not just hand over the contract as a job lot. Actually shooting the wedding is a small part of the work that you are invoicing for. You have invested time, effort and money in your marketing to attrract the couple and then more time and money in converting them to be a client - none of which your "stand-in" has had to do.

In your position I would look to strike a reciprocal arrangement with the other photographer whereby you will each work on behalf of each other - i.e. if needed you will not promote your own bueiness but will rather act as an employee (or contractor) or the other.

I would agree financial compensation based upon a day or 1/2 day rate and this rate should reflect the fact that the cost to win the business has been zero.

I would expect the other photographer to provide me with unprocessed images so that I can put my own style onto them in post as this is why the clients have chosen me in the first place.

The rate agreed should ensure that both parties profit from the arrangement and the compensation should be the same both ways. so neither party feels taken advantage of.

[Kleppy]

Agreed.

If you farm the whole thing out, then I would figure a "Finders Fee" would be in place. You did get the job, you did the footwork, you should get something for your time.

If you just use them to snap the photos and do all the post yourself, going 70(you)/30(them) or 60(you)/40(them) would seem appropriate in my mind. Maybe I'm off the mark but that would be more than fair if I were the other guy. They DID after all save your ass and show up, get photos and give them to you.

I would also throw a small amount to them for willing to be your "standby". There is no reason other than being your backup they they couldn't have gone out and booked themselves that day, but they shouldn't, because they need to be available for you. So technically, by taking the day off, I would feel they are owed a small something just for being on call.

[Nightstalker]

I don't think it's an "on-call" arrangement, at least I wouldn't enter into such a deal.

I see this as an emergency arrangement something to help out in the "OMG I just broke my arm and am in the Hospital" or "a truch just crashed into my car and I'm stuck" situations.

I don't think that it would be right to imply any sort of guaranteed availability as the other guy may also be booked out - but at least the possibility of some cover is better than none at all.

Formal agreement or informal, this is why Photographers network with each other as much as compete against each other,

[jonwhite]

You need this sort of thing with more than one other photographer and it doesn't have to be a formal agreement, you just need to have enough contacts that are photographers that can help you out when your completely stuck

[nicksan]

Yeah, I've got a few that I can call in the event I can't make a paid shoot. I would just hand over the entire job and wouldn't take any cut unless I am putting in some work in post processing, etc.

[zagiace]

subscribing,
going through this precise situation.
I have a tentative agreement with a few others but we want to get something down in writing.

[amccomis]

What an interesting business proposition!! Work with all the guys around to be "on-call" and for that luxury (they can even write it into the contracts) of being on standby, you get a cut of each event, kinda like an insurance premium/policy...

Of course, if you get two calls in one day you'll have to have your own standby guys. But what are the odds of that?

It's almost something you could make an entire business model out of.