Planners and Kick-Backs

I just can’t be PC about this topic. I can’t think of a good way to approach this, so I’ll just come right out and say it, DON’T PAY PLANNERS FOR REFERRALS. Why? It’s actually very simple. Wedding planners are hired by their client to find the best possible wedding vendors for their wedding day. Their client hires them and entrusts that the planner is going to provide the best in all areas; cakes, flowers, photography, music, etc. Many clients might be a little put off by the fact that on top of the fee they are paying their planner, you, and maybe every other vendor the couple is paying for, is throwing back money to the planner. Money the couple is paying you, a percentage is going back to the planner. So, they are not really paying you what they thing they are, and they are paying the planner way more than they know.

As a client, I would want to know this valuable piece of information. I could maybe excuse the kick-backs, and think to myself that I don’t really care what goes on between the vendors I hire, that’s their own deal. I wouldn’t be able to get past that, but let’s say that I could for a moment. What would really bother me is that the planner is not referring vendors based on their awesome service and products, but rather on their willingness to pay. This means, some crappy no-talent photographer is getting tons of business from a planner because they pay really well, let’s say 20% of the booking. They suck, they take lousy pictures, they are lazy and have bad customer service, but the planner doesn’t care because she’s getting paid. The client gets shafted. The client is trusting the planners experience and network of great vendors for referrals, and little do they know that really it’s all about how much kick-back they get from their vendors. Even if you are an astonishingly talented photographer with great customer service, you are only being referred due to your willingness to pay. That’s lame, man. I want people to refer me because I am awesome, not because I pay them to tell people that I am awesome.

This is nothing new. It’s been going on for a long time and manifests itself in many ways. But, it is wrong and I urge anyone reading this to not participate in that kind of crap. If a planner asks you for a kick-back, thank her for any referrals she can send your way, but let her know that you don’t pay for referrals.

On the other hand, it is OK to send flowers, chocolates, thank you cards, a bottle of wine, an iPod, or whatever else as a thank you. I typically will send thank you cards throughout the year, and then send a gift around the holidays. If they provide a lot of business, I’ll send a really nice gift as a thank you. They really appreciate it, it’s a nice gesture, and most importantly, it’s on my terms.

Cheers,

Jerry Frazier
Los Angeles Wedding Photographer
http://www.jerryfrazierphotography.com

I Heart my New Bag…

The LowePro Rolling Backpack Bag is just the exact thing I needed. Fits all my lenses, flashes, and 2 5D bodies, and I’m all set. And, it’s great for taking on an airplane. It fits a laptop too! I bought mine directly off the Lowepro website. But, I’m sure you can find them other places as well.

Cheers,

Jerry Frazier
Los Angeles Wedding Photographer
http://www.jerryfrazierphotography.com

Relax!

Everyone is talking about the economy. Work and bookings are slowing down. Money is getting tight. But, remember, that’s it’s all cyclical. There are ups and downs and that’s just how it is. Breathe, relax, focus on your business. Stay positive. Keep moving forward. Focus on that which will help you build your business. When bookings are slow, you now have the time to work more on marketing and networking. Think of the great upside of this. Do not focus on the downside, on what is wrong with everything, on how bookings are slow. Just relax, and stay positive. The future is there. You make it whatever you want. So, you can’t buy the new 5D Mark II, so what? There’s nothing wrong with your current body, and there will also be a Mark III.

Relax.

Cheers,

Jerry Frazier
Los Angeles Wedding Photographer
http://www.jerryfrazierphotography.com

Blog Tip

I know that something I’ve experienced is how difficult it is sometimes to get clients to leave comments on my blog. I know I’m not alone on this because many web forum I keep up with, photographers are complaining about this. On one forum, I mentioned that the problem is really yours, not their. Clients don’t really care that much about your blog. Only you do because it’s goo for SEO and bragging rights! Never underestimate the power of bragging rights.

So, my solution a long time ago when I first started blogging was that I noticed that while clients don’t leave comments on the blog, they do take the time to email me, or send a note in the mail thanking me for the amazing images, and the great experience. So, what I do, is I take those comments, I go back into the blog post, and at the top of the post, I add the client comment in italics and quotations.

Works like a charm!

Cheers,

Jerry Frazier
Los Angeles Wedding Photographer
http://www.jerryfrazierphotography.com

Lightroom Workflow

This is more of an overall workflow post, but it does involve Lightroom. I first tried Lightroom while it was in beta, and I hated it. I tried it again a little while later, and I hated it again. Finally, I tried it again, and I loved it. I guess 3 times is a charm.

My workflow these days works like so:

1. sych all cameras

2. shoot wedding, and download all cards to main hd

3. back up all images to 2 ext hd’s

4. open images in photomechanic and edit in

5. create a folder called ‘delete’ and all those not edited in go into this folder

6. import the selections into lightroom

7. when importing, create a recipe to be applied to the images, i use a auto exp with a high contrast bump

8. go through the images very quickly making minor adjustments, and some bw’s as i go

9. export the images

10. blog, slideshows, and upload to the online galleries

11. back up the entire working folder to the ext hd’s

This process takes me about a day, actually, it’s only about 4 or 5 hours of actual working hours. But, there is a lot of time wasted during importing, exporting, and wating for the gallery uploads.

Workflow should be efficient and quick, and in my opinion, proofs are proofs. Over and over, I hear too many photographers spending 80 hours or something doing work on their images. Ridiculous. There is no need to be a perfectionist. Good enough is good enough. You can perfect the images on the prints and albums that are ordered.

Spend your time where it counts most.

Cheers,

Jerry Frazier
Los Angeles Wedding Photographer
http://www.jerryfrazierphotography.com

Sync your cameras

There are plenty of ways to sync your cameras, but because I use 2nd shooters, I need them to sync up too so that when I download all the images, they are already in order. Nothing frustrates me more than unsynched images. It’s a total time-waster.

So, what I do is send my 2nd shooter this link, and ask them to sync up the night before the wedding: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=137. Of course, not everyone is from Los Angeles, so up at the top, you can choose your part of the country. If you and your other photographers all use this, everything should be good when you download.

Later,

Jerry Frazier
Los Angeles Wedding Photographer
http://www.jerryfrazierphotography.com

ISPWP

There’s a new advertising resource out there called www.ispwp.com. The requirements to join are fairly stringent, but it’s not too bad if you have experience and are more of a purist pj-style shooter. I have high hopes for this resource. Check it out, and tell them you heard about it here.

Later,

Jerry Frazier
Los Angeles Wedding Photographer
http://www.jerryfrazierphotography.com

The B School

I just realized that it’s been a very long time since I’ve made a post here. Yes, I’m still here. Just been busy. I’m sorry about that. Anyway, I wanted to annouce a great new resource for photographers looking to learn a ton of stuff about the business of wedding photography. I mentioned in a previous post http://photoedu.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/the-b-school-podcasts/ about the b-school podcasts I had been watching and thought they were very useful and educational. Well, Becker has taken it to the next level and started an online school of sorts. I highly encourage all photographers to check it out at www.thebschool.com.

That’s all for now. But, stay tuned for more to come.

Later,

Jerry Frazier
Los Angeles Wedding Photographer
http://www.jerryfrazierphotography.com