Photos for my job?

[DGMPhotography]

So I talked with my boss about it again after taking everyone's feedback into consideration to see how she would feel about hiring my company.

Her concern was conflict of interest. If they're paying me as my business to go out and take photos, then technically I wouldn't be on the clock for the company, but would still be getting paid both for my salary and for my business.

Additionally, she did bring up the fact that part of the job when I applied was to include creative work, like photography.

I think I should probably just do it as part of my job. Maybe add a watermark and call it a day.

 

[waday]

I think I should probably just do it as part of my job. Maybe add a watermark and call it a day.

If you're doing it as part of your job, you probably shouldn't add a watermark. It's not your work, it's your company's work.

 

[DGMPhotography]

Well... the governor's photographer does the same thing. It wouldn't be my normal watermark.

Something more like

Daryll Morgan, Company

In plain font.

 

[tirediron]

I think I should probably just do it as part of my job. Maybe add a watermark and call it a day.

If you're doing it as part of your job, you probably shouldn't add a watermark. It's not your work, it's your company's work.

Probably true, but whose gear will you be using? Doing work for the company on the clock would be fine, especially if there's a line such as 'and other creative work' or similar in your contract, but they'd best stump up for the gear. If not, then I would hold fast for a rental fee.

 

[waday]

Something more like

Daryll Morgan, Company

In plain font.

That works. Hope they use it!

Probably true, but whose gear will you be using? Doing work for the company on the clock would be fine, especially if there's a line such as 'and other creative work' or similar in your contract, but they'd best stump up for the gear. If not, then I would hold fast for a rental fee.

I guess I'm just used to my company/industry practices; I'm not sure about others. We don't use names on reports, unless signing and sealing something.

When I write reports for work, I don't include myself as an author. When I take pictures in the field, I don't add watermarks. It's my company's work, not mine. Prepared by "my company", not me. Even though I'm one of the only people that will perform such work in the entire country, I don't put my name down. (Sometimes, I don't really want to put my name down...)

But, other companies or industries may work differently? I hope they do, so that DGM can list his name on the photo as a watermark, or below as a footnote whenever the pictures are displayed.

Apologies, I may be a bit jaded at the moment.

 

[tirediron]

...Apologies, I may be a bit jaded at the moment.

Aren't we all? I simply meant that as, "I don't know, but you're probably right, so I suspect a watermark might not fly". My real point was relating to the use of gear however. If the employer doesn't want want to hire his company due to conflict of interest (understandable), then they'd better not expect him to use his own gear!

 

[waday]

...Apologies, I may be a bit jaded at the moment.

Aren't we all? I simply meant that as, "I don't know, but you're probably right, so I suspect a watermark might not fly". My real point was relating to the use of gear however. If the employer doesn't want want to hire his company due to conflict of interest (understandable), then they'd better not expect him to use his own gear!

Totally agree! I'm not sure that'll fly, but I hope it does!

 

[Braineack]

Last two places I worked at, I had them by me a Nikon, lesnes, and lights...

 

[DGMPhotography]

Yeah.. the gear thing is a good point. However, I don't think they'd be willing to spend the money I'd ideally need for the setup I'm used to. I do think, however, that it's fair to ask for maintenance of my gear. New batteries, etc.

 

[DGMPhotography]

Last two places I worked at, I had them by me a Nikon, lesnes, and lights...

1. Did you get your ideal set up?
2. What happened to the gear after you left? Just curious.

 

[DGMPhotography]

Renting could be an option... I just don't want them to think I'm trying to get something out of them. Especially when they know I have my own gear.

 

[tirediron]

Yeah.. the gear thing is a good point. However, I don't think they'd be willing to spend the money I'd ideally need for the setup I'm used to. I do think, however, that it's fair to ask for maintenance of my gear. New batteries, etc.

Just go on-line and calculate what it would cost to rent it from Lens Lenders or whomever for that period of time and bill them accordingly. The other questions is liability: What happens if somone knocks your camera off a table and destroys it?

 

[Braineack]

Last two places I worked at, I had them by me a Nikon, lesnes, and lights...

1. Did you get your ideal set up?
2. What happened to the gear after you left? Just curious.

I typically got whatever I asked for.
Are you asking if I walked away with thousands of dollars of equipment that wasn't mine?

 

[DGMPhotography]

Last two places I worked at, I had them by me a Nikon, lesnes, and lights...

1. Did you get your ideal set up?
2. What happened to the gear after you left? Just curious.

I typically got whatever I asked for.
Are you asking if I walked away with thousands of dollars of equipment that wasn't mine?

1. Nice!
2. Lol, no. I'm just wondering if you were the guy for their photography needs, what happened when you left? I'm trying to think of how to justify it to my boss to spend all that money, only for me to leave in 14 months (the end of my contract).

 

[Braineack]

They want the job done, they buy the equipment. Pretty easy to justify.

One job I took pictures for our online retail sites when we were outside our normal scheduled studio time. We'd typically release new products once a year and have a pro take care of the shots and charge us an arm-and-a-leg. When I cam on board they had two cheap clamp lights and a PnS camera. I printed a list of "here's what I need" and a week later it arrived in my office. Basically a D5000, a lens, a few continous softboxes with stands, a lightbox, and a small white backdrop. When I left, it all stayed for the next person that took my position.

At my next job I worked in a communications team, and one of our tasks was coming out with a monthly corp. newletters. I requested a camera, lens, flash so I could take pictures of people/things featured in articles. IIRC it was a D5100, 24-105mm, and a SB600.

Eventually they wanted to start producing web videos, and they bought be a huge green screen, large continous lights, a teleprompter and a whole bunch of other crap i asked for -- including some ~$300 microphone for voice recordings, along with a few lapel style ones for interviews. It all stayed when I left for the next person to use -- a lot of it never left the boxes they came in before I left the company.


Why justify it for your boss? he wants pics, you need a camera to do it. simple as that.

He doesn't want to buy you one, then you can't perform your duties.