Freelance Writing and Photography
Thinking of becoming a freelance writer? Then you should also think about photography. Your articles will be much more valuable if you can include some good, original and pertinent photographs in your articles.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, therefore if you are writing an article it goes without saying that some photographs of the subject will add value to your article, and lets face it, you are not going to do any freelance writing for free. So the better the article the more money you make.
With a digital camera and a quality memory stick, anyone can take a reasonable photo. Why not add photography to your repertoire, you will be adding to your value to you client.
A handshake deal will always cause you problems, either you or your client will remember something differently. Trust is a good thing, so trust in your contract or written agreement, not in yours or your clients memory or honesty.
If your client asks you to do something or go somewhere that isn’t covered in your contract get him to redo your contract before you comply with his wishes. You could find that you have gone to a lot of extra expense, and not get paid for it.
You will need to know how many photos he is willing to pay for. What photos he wants, and what the subjects are to be. How much per photo are you going to get paid, and who holds the copyright.
Some editors will want the copyright of any of the photos that you take. If you can avoid it never sell your copyright, let alone give it away. As a newcomer you will feel under pressure to hand over your copyright to your employer, don’t. A professional will never give away his rights and will only sell them for a large fee.
When photographing your subject, be sure to take lots of snaps, this may seem to be a waste of time and effort, but believe me, when you get back home and you are choosing the pics that will embellish your article, the better your pic the more you will be paid.
Use a digital camera. With a digital camera you can take as many photographs as you like, you can select the perfect picture when you get home, at your leisure, and discard the rest if you like. But why discard them when you can store them on a disc and keep them for the future.
