In last week’s blog, we spoke about licensing and exclusivity, when it comes to contracts for food photographers. If you missed it, you can give it a read here: A guide to contracts for food photographers – part 1. This week, we’re going to take a look at two more crucial pieces of a contract,
- Project Timelines
- Payment Terms
Disclaimer: I am NOT an attorney nor am I an accountant. This post should be interpreted as my opinion and not legal advice. I highly recommend seeking advice from a personal business attorney and CPA about your specific situation.
Jump to:
Project Timelines
When I first started working with brands, I didn’t care too much about the timeline of the project. If a brand requested me to submit the deliverables within 5 business days of receiving the products, I assumed that as long as I’m getting paid, I should make it work. Right?!
WRONG! And, I learned this the hard way.
Let me bring up a couple of scenarios to help you think through this:
- Let’s say the brand requests you to deliver the work within 5 business days of receiving their products and you agree. You end up receiving the brand’s products you need for the shoot on a Sunday mid day (remember that delivery days/times aren’t in our control). Now, let’s say you have a 9 to 5 day job to deal with Monday through Friday (which is pretty much the next 5 business days). So, can you realistically find time to do a whole photo shoot + have quality deliverables ready to submit by end of day Friday, STRESS FREE? I think not.
- Let’s say you’re someone who does food photography full time and a 9 to 5 job isn’t something that will get in the way. You might still have other commitments in your business, for other clients or those related to your personal life, that you just cannot reschedule.
So, agreeing to a 5 day project timeline in either of these scenarios can become really stressful.
SO, here’s what you can do instead!
First, figure out what your standard turnaround time is. To calculate this, think about every single task that needs to happen from start to finish and the time it takes to complete each of those tasks. Below are the most common tasks I consider when determining my turnaround time:
- Grocery shopping
- Recipe development/preparation – this includes any recipe fails I might encounter
- Pre-shoot planning (i.e., prop and backdrop selection, shot list creation, lighting and camera testing etc.)
- Actual shoot – this depends on the number of photographs and/or any other content agreed on (I typically count 2 days for a photoshoot incase photoshoot #1 doesn’t go as planned – we all have those days, right?!)
- Image/video editing
- Caption/blog writing (or anything else requested by the brand)
The list could be shorter or longer depending on the deliverables requested.
Then, once you receive the contract, use this checklist:
- Check the contract: Make note of the project timeline indicated in the contract.
- Determine if it’s feasible: See if the suggested timeline is realistic and do-able against your previously determined turnaround time. Decide whether the timeline is enough for you to produce and deliver creative and high quality work.
- Ask when to expect the delivery of products (if any): If the brand is shipping you products for the photoshoot, make sure to find out what the estimated shipping/delivery time is. Make sure to add that time to your your previously determined turnaround time.
- See if you have any other major commitments for that same time period: Take a look to see if you have any other client deliverables, business commitments or personal commitments scheduled that might interfere with the project timeline. If yes, make sure to add that time to your previously determined turnaround time.
- Manage expectations: If the suggested project timeline is not feasible for you, respectfully explain to your client why the timeline is too short and, propose an extension. And, don’t be afraid to do so.
- Propose an additional fee: Yes, that’s right! If the brand really wants to stick to their original timeline and you believe you can make it work without affecting the quality of the work, you can charge extra for agreeing to a fast turnaround time.
Remember that your time is equally important to that of brand’s and, should be equally prioritized and valued.
Important note:
Typically, the time line of the project will get brought up during the first few email/call exchanges and/or the negotiation process. So, always make sure to clearly communicate what your turnaround time is, so that what gets into the contract is something you already discussed and agreed to. However, there may be times when brands send you the list of deliverables along with the contract to review as soon as both parties determine they wish to work with each other. If the latter is the case, don’t hesitate to request adjustments.
Payment Terms
Now, let’s talk about payment terms.
In my personal experience, unlike project timelines, payment terms are rarely discussed during first few email/call exchanges. They show up in the contract for the first time and can be easily missed.
Payment terms include two aspects:
- Payment Timeline (when you will get paid):
- This varies significantly between clients. They could offer to pay you: one business day prior to publishing the content (the best case scenario); Seven calendar days after publishing the content; 45 days after publishing the content; 50% of the payment before publishing and 50% after, or in any other payment plan agreed by both parties
- Payment Method (how you will get paid):
- This could be via e-transfer, PayPal or a check to your business.
Both payment timeline and method are a combination of your personal preferences and brand’s standard procedures. If you prefer to receive your payment before content goes live, simply ask. You have nothing to lose by asking. If they say yes, YAY! If they say no, just remember both parties have signed a contract (enforceable by law), and that is going to keep everybody accountable.
In conclusion…
Don’t hesitate to reach out to the brand if something in the contract doesn’t make sense or you need more clarifications. Don’t be afraid to request changes to a contract. And, never sign a contract without giving it a thorough review. I read mine, word for word and you should too.
That’s a wrap on the topic of contracts for food photographers
I hope this two part series blog on guide to contracts for food photographers was insightful. I would love to hear your thoughts, whether you found this blog helpful, along with any additional questions you have when it comes to licensing, exclusivity, project timelines or payment terms.
Ask me anything in the comments and don’t forget to leave a star rating below.
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