Final Final Rough Draft

­­Danielle Jackson

Eng. 201

Research paper

Communication in the Business of photography

            As I sit in front of him in silence waiting for the interview to start I think to myself I hope this goes well, and remind myself don’t be nervous. He stops what he is doing on his computer, looks at me, and smiles. I take a deep breath in and relax, because I know I have his full attention now. In the interview he explained to me how communication is the key to good business and how all photographers use writing conventions like contracts, emails to clients, and something as simple as jotting down ideas. In this essay I will explain and break down  the different conventions photographers use to communicate with their clients and how writing is involved.

I’ve known Greg for almost a year now he was one of my first teachers here at Brooks, he taught the History of Photography class. Having him again two semesters later in Lighting Studio I really got to know him better and form a connection. I found out that he was a still life studio photographer before he became a teacher, which is the type of genre of photography I wish to pursue a career in. As we talked through out the interview he kept coming back to how important communication is using different conventions to inform your client on the project.

Communication is “the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech and writing” [dictionary.com].  Communication is imperative to having a successful relationship with your clients.

            The first interaction photographers have with a client is most likely going to be when future clients are viewing your work on your website or social media anywhere where your work can be viewed to the open public. Your website is based off of who your potential clients -your audience- may be. There they can read your artist statement and other writing that explains your work and who you are as a photographer. If they like your work they will contact you by email.

Emails are one of the first steps in the process of working with a new client where you use writing. In the lecture we had week 5 we learned how emails are one of the most important forms of electronic communication [excellence in business communication pg. 175-195].  Emails back and forth between clients and the photographer lose the connection you get when you talk to them in person, that’s why it’s important to schedule a meeting in person if the client is serious. In the interview Greg let me view different writing artifacts of emails he has with his clients that displayed how they are quick ways to clear up miscommunication. There you can reevaluate what you talked about in the email, making sure everything came across clearly to both parties.

            During the interview Greg mentioned how it’s important to always be prepared. When he has a meeting with a client he likes to make a list of questions that he is going to ask so he can have a clear idea of that the client wants and what their expectations are. It’s important to be upfront with your client, so no one is confused [excellence in business communication pg. 208-213]. In the email document he gave me it showed different genres of questions he prepares, ranging anywhere from breaking the ice, project descriptions, budget, all the way to scheduling. Questions like “how did you hear about me?” and “ Can you send me a layout of the idea you had for the project?”. From there these genres of questions break down into different conventions of questions. He makes sure he gets specific with his questions so that everyone understands. He makes sure he makes this list of questions prior to the meeting so he doesn’t forget to ask or clarify with the client questions he may have. This is important so you have time to re-read the questions and make sure you’re covering everything you want to talk about. After the meeting and all the questions are asked, he sends an email to the client that covers what they discussed about in the meeting. This email becomes their written contract. The written contract clarifies what is expected out of both parties and if anything changed or there are any questions during the project they would return to the email, which should resolve any potential questions.   

            Writing doesn’t stop there when it come to photography; photographers use writing to help sketch out and plan how they are going to set up a shoot. After talking to the client the client may give them a layout of the project. Then the photographer has to sketch out how they are going to shoot it and may have to email/ call in case they need props or other supplies to accomplish the look. During the shoot, Greg mentioned it’s important to take notes during the shoot these notes include lighting techniques, specific locations and ideas the client had it’s also important to keep all the receipts for the photo shoot. All of the information you take should go in a file, that way if the client hires you again you can pull out the folder and recall the work you did. Keeping your work in a folder is important if a client contacts you again because they may want you to shoot something similar or shoot or using the same lighting. It’s important to keep records of your client so you can send them emails later after the shoot is over to keep in contact with them. Keeping records is a great way to help you duplicate a shot for a client, this is important so if a client comes back in the future wanted a similar image you are capable of recreating what you previously did.

            The final step photo shoot is writing the invoice at the end of the shoot. During the interview with Greg he gave me an example of an invoice he would use. He helped explain typical cost and expenses you would charge for and how each job is different . The artifact he gave me was very organized and would be clear for the client to read. When writing a invoice you have to make sure that you and your client understand how much you are charging and what you are charging for. This relates to communication, its important that your client knows what our charging for so that nothing is a surprise when they get the invoice. In the invoice template I received from Greg shows things you would charge for, like production charges, fees, prints, studio, etc. The invoice is a different writing genre that is simple but very important. It’s one of the most important writing genres because you cant make any mistakes, since you’re dealing with money it is very important to get everything exactly how you and your client agreed upon.

            My interview with Greg showed me that communication is the key to good business, all photographers use writing in things like contracts, emails to clients, and as simply as jotting down ideas. In this essay I talked about the different conventions photographers use to communicate with their clients and how writing is involved. Writing is an important part of photography as a business that most people look over. Even though writing isn’t a major part of the business it is at the core and has to be well constructed so that the rest of the job runs smooth. Communication with your clients is very important and typically done through different writing genres found in each step of the job.