LOOKING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS IN LOS ANGELES ? Buying photography doesn't have to be complicated. By developing an ongoing relationship with the appropriate commercial photographers, you can negotiate price in an informed and cooperative atmosphere. Before you look - define your needs and your budget. By identifying your communications, marketing or advertising goals you will make your search for the right person easier. If you perform portfolio reviews and interviews with professional photographers regularly, you will be aware of the available talent and can avoid stressful, last minute hiring decisions. Discuss your needs when you meet to review his/her portfolio. Good professional photographers should be receptive and articulate, offer suggestions, and respond to your concerns. Also, aside from the quality of his work, it is important to consider his experience, professionalism, dependability and compatibility. Hire someone whose skills fit your needs. For instance, if you are looking for a photojournalist in Los Angeles make sure his or her work is of the caliber you need and they are based in Southern California. Most have websites with their work posted but you can also ask for references or to see a hard copy portfolio. By matching your needs with the commercial photographers strengths you will create the greatest possibility for success. Some helpful questions to ask include: How long have you been in business?  Who are some of your clients? What studio facilities do you have?  Are you equipped for a location shoot? What travel experience do you have?  Do you have at least $1,000,000 liability insurance? Pricing the Assignment When you've selected the person with whom you feel comfortable, you can begin to evaluate the costs. It is a good idea to discuss fees initially, but knowing his "day rate" or "creative fee" can be misleading because it won't tell you what the total cost of the job is. Day rates often don't include expenses nor do they reflect the rights being licensed. The fees will vary greatly depending on his talent, stature, and expertise; but it is misleading to shop price exclusively instead of looking for value. The experience that someone brings to your job, or the equipment and capabilities that he/she has available to properly execute your assignment, represent value which may more than compensate for the differences in price. Estimate or Bid When seeking an estimate or a bid make it clear to him which one you are asking for. An estimate is just that - an honest appraisal of what the job should cost based upon the information provided. Usually, it is given in a non-competitive situation and may be flexible depending upon the nature of the job. There are two types of bids: competitive and comparative. In a competitive bid there are two or more bids being considered only on price. A comparative bid encompasses additional aspects like style, existing working relationship, availability, etc. In either situation, all parties should have the same information and assignment criteria. Unlike an estimate, once a bid is accepted, the price is fixed - but so are the job parameters. Even small changes may incur additional charges. In these situations many commercial photographers require changes to be approved in writing during the shoot. Written by Roberth Rathe & Terry Pegos and published by ASMP For more useful information about how to choose a photographer in your area you can download the ASMP guide to hiring a photographer by clicking here. Links HTML Portfolios Fashion Photography - Architectural Photography FLASH Portfolios Los Angeles professional photographers - Fashion photography - Professional commercial photographers - Architectural Photographers Photography Portfolios - Photography Top50 - Video-Stills Photography - Contact Form for Los Angeles Photography Studio   CLICK HERE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG FOR NEWS AND INFO REGARDING LOS ANGELES BASED PHOTOGRAPHER WARREN LEE