Negotiating Photography for Headshots and Marketing – How to

Previously, I posted a two-part series giving tips for writers who want to look their best for a headshot. In Tips for a Successful Photography Session, I discussed how to prepare for your sitting, what to bring with you, and how to ensure that you photograph well. In this post, I’ll cover selecting and booking a photographer.

You can negotiate to get high-quality headshots without having to pay a hefty fee. It’s not about being cheap; it’s about navigating a thrifty choice. An emerging writer still needs to take care of the promotion and business side of things. Paying thousands for a studio photoshoot? Unthinkable! Let’s talk about it.

Selecting a Photographer

The last time I paid for a portrait at a commercial studio, the only available packages were print-based and not digital. And what’s worse, the photographer used a background that blended with my hair (that I paid to have done at a salon) so it didn’t show up. And touch-ups were not an option. At all. Thanks a lot, buddy. My elementary school pictures turned out better!

If you’re looking to get professional-quality photos in digital format to submit with your published work, post on socials, and upload to your website, then you’ll have to do some off-roading. You’re in a creative industry, so work with other creatives. You need to use your imagination with a bit of common sense when seeking out a photographer.

My recommendation is to work with an up-and-coming who is equally as excited about building brand and name recognition as you. This person will be enthusiastic and actually care about the end result. I’m not talking about selecting an amateur. I’m saying pick someone with talent who just isn’t “there” yet.

I’ve worked with a variety of photographers over the past decades. I posed for photos in Toronto’s fashion district. I’ve posed on stage as a fitness model. And I’ve worked with many photographers who focused on commercial billboard work through fine-art. My best pictures came from an unlikely source: a member of my service club who volunteered her talent to the organization’s website and socials. She was new to freelancing and embarrassed to charge money for her time. Not only did I pay her very reasonable fee in cash, but I added a gratuity too.  

Try asking around at your regular social engagements like I did with my service club. Someone you know may be able to guide you to a talented photographer. Check with other writers in your region who have headshots and see what they say. Actors, real estate agents, and politicians also need headshots done in their line of work and may have started out on a low budget. If you belong to a gym, chances are high that you have at least one fitness model or athlete in your midst who has experience with photographers. These are possibilities of people to ask.

If you still can’t find one, then use the search function on model photography websites like Model Mayhem. If you choose this route, specify that you are looking for a TFP headshot. Specify “headshot” because these sites include a very wide spectrum of model photography interests and you need to be clear about your intentions. The “TFP” part stands for Trade For Prints, which represents an unpaid photography session where both the photographer and the client/model intend to use the photos to enhance their portfolio. Always do a thorough check of your prospective photographer’s portfolio before you decide to reach out. Follow the same common sense rules you would as any online hiring service.

Negotiations and Expectations

If you are paying for the photographer’s time, make sure that you will receive digital photos. Regardless of whatever else you ask for (multiple looks, touch-ups, print and digital combo), your main goal is to have a digital headshot that you can send to publishers. This headshot should not bear the photographer’s watermark, trademark logo, or other decal. Attributing credit to your photographer’s work is done separately as a photo caption. The photographer’s name or company name may appear in the file metadata—this is fine.

Your photo(s) may appear in your photographer’s portfolio if they turned out particularly well. If that prospect makes you nervous, then it is something to discuss prior to the sitting. Also make sure it is clear whether the photographer expects any payment beyond the sitting (some will charge extra for touch-ups or prints). If you’ve booked a photographer under a TFP agreement, this means by default that your photographer expects full credit every time you use the photo(s) and the photo(s) will be in the photographer’s portfolio with your name attached as the model. TFP photos will bear the photographer’s watermark unless you negotiate otherwise.

One final note about TFP work: As an exchange for doing your headshot, the photographer may ask to shoot a particular pose, technique, or aesthetic with you as the model. Part of the photographer’s expectation for doing TFP work is to add to a portfolio. This may mean your photographer is looking to showcase a particular look. Warning: That look may be outside your comfort zone. Discuss everything before the actual sitting. If the terms “shadow and light,” or “glycerin” come up, then it means showing skin.  

Precautions and Privacy

In my Tips for a Successful Photography Session post, I mentioned bringing a chaperone. This is imperative: do not be alone with your photographer. If you are booking a photographer that you do not personally know (or even if you do!), beware that there are dangerous waters in the photography industry. You never know where photos of you will end up, so do not agree to any pose/look that makes you uncomfortable or is outside your principles. This seems like common sense, but in the moment and under pressure with the right amount of flattery, it can be easy to lose yourself.

In regards to setting, do not agree to a hotel room. This is a tempting option because of the upscale interior decorating and the photographer may give other reasons such as having a place to set up lights and so forth. Not only could you be on the hook to pay for the room, but this is a secluded area where anything could happen. Just don’t go there. If you would like to make use of an attractive hotel’s lobby, conference room, or dining lounge, then those are excellent public-facing options for setting. I’ve had photos done in a hotel’s lobby in Halifax, NS and they were very bright and attractive—even without added lights.

If you agree to an outdoor shoot, beware parking garages, alleys, or deep wooded areas. Again, these are secluded. Choose an open park, public greenhouse/arboretum, or streets that you are familiar with.

If this article interested you, then I’d like to hear about it. Please start the discussion by commenting below. Stay tuned for my next blog post. Wanna get it in your email inbox? Subscribe to stay informed of my newest articles, story reviews, updates, and more.

Cover Image: Photo by SHVETS production on Pexels.com