Cat Platz wrote:
Is this normal?

What if the client doesn't like the poster and decides not to pay or asks for a reshoot?

Dave Krueger wrote:
What if the client doesn't like the poster and decides not to pay or asks for a reshoot?

You as a photographer should have something written up between client and photog. I have re-shot many times the same thing for one company in particular and get paid each and every time. Time is money (as well as material labor). In this case I think....keep on disliking (not the photos but the layouts they choose etc.) Kaaaaching!

In other words....re-shoot = re-pay. And always should. Do you work for free? Me neither.

Luther wrote:
if you don't get money right away, you better sign some paper work that specifies the amount of payment.

That's exactly what I said.  That has to be done.  Non-negotiable.

Cat Platz wrote:
That's exactly what I said.  That has to be done.  Non-negotiable.

And the timeline (your terms). Don't leave this part out. Clients generally don't like to pay right away because they sit on interest as long as they possibly can. Get it all in writing. This is typically what an agent does, but if you're acting on your own, it's up to you.

Michael Kirst wrote:

Dave Krueger wrote:
What if the client doesn't like the poster and decides not to pay or asks for a reshoot?

You as a photographer should have something written up between client and photog. I have re-shot many times the same thing for one company in particular and get paid each and every time. Time is money (as well as material labor). In this case I think....keep on disliking (not the photos but the layouts they choose etc.) Kaaaaching!

In other words....re-shoot = re-pay. And always should. Do you work for free? Me neither.

I wasn't asking in terms of the photographer.  I was asking in terms of the model.  In other words, I'm wondering if she knows she's going to get paid no matter what.

When I did commercial photography, I did a few reshoots at my expense because of things that were not the client's fault.  I screwed up a couple times and I've had the lab destroy my film (before the days of digital and photoshop).  Maybe with digital mistakes don't happen anymore, but somehow, I suspect they do.

StevenNoreyko wrote:
This doesnt sound too abnormal I guess.

Photographers regularly get strung along for 30-90 days on payment from big companies with slow accounting departments.

-steve

Unless you offer a discount, any company worth a damn is not going to pay until the check is due.  They're going to hang onto that money as long as possible.

Dave Krueger wrote:

I wasn't asking in terms of the photographer.  I was asking in terms of the model.  In other words, I'm wondering if she knows she's going to get paid no matter what.

When I did commercial photography, I did a few reshoots at my expense because of things that were not the client's fault.  I screwed up a couple times and I've had the lab destroy my film (before the days of digital and photoshop).  Maybe with digital mistakes don't happen anymore, but somehow, I suspect they do.

Right you are. Obviously in terms of something that was not the clients fault I suspect I would do the same thing in terms of a re-shoot. As far as the model getting paid no matter what, I think she needs to put that out there with whoever is actually doing the hiring (of her, the model). On her part, sitting around half guessing with verbal agreements will most likely get her burned in the end.

Cat Platz wrote:
Is this normal?

Yes, it's normal.

Let me pretend to be your agent, now.  What I would want to make sure of is:

1.  That you are being paid for the work and for usage rights.  Whether they actually use the pictures doesn't matter - they are buying the rights to them.  If you show up and do the job, you (eventually) get paid.  (That is, this is not a spec job.)

2.  What are the usage rights that are being purchased?  Typically it would be something that specified the media they were going to use the pictures in, the duration, and the fact that it's for that client's use only.  One year duration on usage is also typical, although anything can be negotiated.

3.  Who is the client and ad agency (if any)?  (Who do you bill if the photographer flakes on payment?)

4.  That the terms of the shoot are understood, and there is provision for what happens if the shoot ends up being different.  For instance, if it's scheduled for a four hour shoot, and it lasts five hours, what happens?  (Normally, the model would be paid more.)

If you know those things (and have them in writing, preferably - email will do) you should be in good shape.