September Resolution: Portrait Photography

I wrote the other day that I used to make good money doing portraits, years ago, but that now I actually have a hard time giving them away. This has persisted for a number of years.

There are also problems associated with trying to do portraits for free. Often, misunderstandings arise. A few examples: in one case I scheduled a senior portrait weeks in advance. The day came, I spent two hours at the shoot, I made a web page of the proofs—at which point the mother said she thought her son should have gotten a haircut first. I sort of mumbled politely to the effect of "well, too late now," but she said, "what's the problem? It's free, so I can get you to do it as many times as I want."

My response:

!

She didn't take into consideration that while it didn't cost her anything, it cost me something in time and effort. And that maybe I didn't want to do multiple shoots of her son again and again until she got tired of my generosity. I mean, they'd had a couple of weeks to get him a haircut. (She was a good friend, so I don't mean to be critical. I'm just pointing out the disparity between our goals in that transaction.)

In another case, aware that I was having communication problems doing this, I put in writing exactly what I would provide. The client insisted that he wanted to pay, so I said that $50, the price of a box of inkjet paper, would cover incidentals. He gave me a crisp $100 bill, then proceeded to make all sorts of demands that were not in the agreement. I wasn't blameless in the bad feelings that ensued; I admit I copped a resentment, because...well, for a lousy hundred bucks, I am not your servant boy. If you want to pay a full fee, then you can boss me around.

Ken Bennett, who I believe is or was a professional photographer (although I didn't ask him before writing this), had this to contribute: "The problem with offering 'free portraits' is the lack of takers—people think there's a catch. The portrait is free but I'll sell you the prints at a high markup. Or some other way of separating you from your money. I helped organize a Help Portrait event for first responders a few years ago and we had a hard time getting anyone to show up for this reason, even with our police and emergency response folks promoting it. No, really, it's free and we send you the photos. Really."

That's what happens to me now. I ask people if I could do a portrait of them, they say yes, I give them my card, and then I never hear from them. No resentment this time; it's absolutely up to them, and they're free to not follow through for whatever reason. I'm fine with that. But it is disappointing. And more importantly, it doesn't work.

Outmoded attitude
Trying to see this from a different perspective: maybe I just have the wrong attitude. I came up in a time when portraiture was a valued product and people paid for it. Because that was the way it used to be. Well, perhaps I'm stuck in that mentality. Even offering portraits for free, my conception of the transaction is that I'm giving away something of value, and that people should be grateful. So maybe that was true from the 1840s up until 30 or so years ago; but maybe it's no longer true.

Another reader left a comment suggesting that I should pay the sitters. That is, hire models. Funny thing is, I gradually became convinced of the same thing a while back.  And the truth is, I am getting something out of the exchange; I'm getting to indulge my muse and do what I like, which is make portraits. And I end up with a picture, one that looks the way I want it to look. So why shouldn't I think of it like I'm the one who's getting something out of the transaction? Rather than think of it like I'm doing my sitters a favor. Because that might be an old-fashioned assumption now. One that belongs in the dustbin of history.

Paying people to sit for portraits has one problem, which is that it's out of the ordinary. If people are suspicious, it might strike them as odd. But there's always the trope of models and modeling to fall back on; that's a common part of the culture, and people get it. Making the transaction clean would at least get rid of the problems of working for pay and working for free. I'd be the boss. (Whatever that means.)

I'm going to try it, before the winter's over. In the spirit of experimentation. That's my, er, September resolution. I'll report back to you then.

You can yell at me if I forget, come spring.  :-)

Mike

Original contents copyright 2023 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

Louis McCullagh: "I was in computer sales (very long time ago) and when when I was arranging exhibitions to introduce new product or specialist software, I charged people to come (they got lunch included and coffee etc.). I also rang them the day before to remind them. When people pay it means they are truly interested and will likely turn up. I have seen exhibitions where no one came!

"In photography I gave a 100% free photo shoot and framed 20x16" (image) photo. It was the only time I had to do a reshoot. Basically I was not being paid (it was an auction and the money went to a charity), and the relationship changed. The auction looked as if it was going to end at about $75 (which worried me, as I would have given $75 to avoid the hassle of the shoot), but two people started to bid it up. Normally my rate for the above was $600.

"Another time I offered a free photo session (different circumstances) and stressed that there was no thank-you required, but they got me a $50 voucher anyway. Then I was in the doghouse because I didn't thank them for the voucher. I 100% did not want it. It was like, here is a gift, and then getting a gift back, which in a way reduces the value of the original gift. (That might upset some of you who have no sympathy for my point of view).

"Free is a dangerous concept you need to tiptoe around."

Mike replies: That's a great line, Louis—I will try to remember to steal it.  :-) 

I mentioned in past post about this subject that when I was a teacher I did portraits for school families and yearbook pictures for seniors for only a nominal fee ($100). I did the portraits outdoors or at the school on weekends or during off-hours.

A surprisingly number of people "forgot" and left me hanging, or cancelled at the very last minute—not infrequently leaving me at the school all set, ready, and waiting for them. It got so bad that I began asking for a $20 reservation fee to schedule an appointment. The fee was refundable only if they gave me 24 hours' notice. A few people complained about this, but it was purely self-defensive. I did have to return a few deposits just to avoid further trouble. But the no-shows went way down. Apparently they really didn't want to waste that deposit. And in one case, it was a family who had a summer home in Bermuda. Human nature can be funny.

Also in a past post, I recounted the experience of negotiating with Richard Avedon's studio for the use of one of his pictures in a magazine article. His conditions were interesting—he would not supply a repro print (the equivalent of a file in those days!); we had to copy the picture from one of his published books, which we got from the library system. And we were required to neither pay him nor offer to pay. As I understood it (I was dealing with his third assistant), the concept was that we couldn't afford his fee but we would be insulting him by offering anything less. Tiptoeing around, indeed.

Calvin Amari: "One problem with your proposed plan and 'Free Portraits' sign is a more fundamental communication problem. Here on Planet Earth the sign would need to say something like 'Free Third-Party Outsourced Selfies.'"

Mike Peters: "This is why I don't photograph people for a fee. It's never enough to deal with their egos, body dysmorphic disorders, lack of taste in clothing, bad grooming, poor posture, etc....

"I do photograph people for organizations that are paying my fee, and that makes it a bit easier as a third party is generally doing the judging.

"If you do want to do this, it's better to charge a huge fee for the shoot to cover your time and the costs of an assistant and a makeup and hair person on set, then use a very good retoucher for the final selects. A friend of mine does that, and is quite successful. It helps to have a bit of a dog and pony show to make the people feel special.

"Additionally, a high fee, one that will make you squirm to quote, will also garner you far more respect than a low fee, or, god forbid, giving it away for free. No one takes a freebee seriously. You come across as desperate and pathetic to those with money, as your friend with the unkempt son has illustrated.

"Paying people to photograph is useful in the beginning to give you a very strong body of work to show to prospective clients. However once you do, you really have to treat yourself, your craft, and the time and money you've invested in gaining your experience to create the portfolio with fees that are commensurate with your skills.

"The sad reality is that most portraits for money are all about flattery. And to my eye, flattery isn't very interesting photographically. Pretty photos of good-looking people are generally dull. No one wants to pay for interesting photos of themselves because they don't understand them.

"Think of it this way: Avedon made interesting photos, and Scavullo made pretty people look prettier. Whichever one you think is a genius will tell you more about where you should be going with this."

[Ed. note: Mike is a gifted people photographer.]

David Saxe: "People's reactions to their portraits can be strange sometimes. I don't do them anymore, but when I did, people either loved them or hated them (and me with it) for reasons that were not entirely clear.

"Centuries ago, I was employed as a medical photographer at a large teaching hospital in Montreal. Due to the lack of teaching, the summers were usually very slow, so I passed the time making free portraits of the other employees who I came into contact with in my day-to-day activities. One of those persons was Joe, who was the cashier at the cafeteria. He had immigrated to Montreal from Russia about ten years earlier. The word was that he had been in a labor camp for six years for insulting some official. He had felt that he had been unjustly dealt with by this person and had voiced his dissatisfaction in a way that got him thrown in jail. Upon his release, his family brought him to Canada.

"One day I asked him if I could take his picture. He was delighted, and came to the studio that afternoon after his shift ended. I liked the portrait, and I gave him a print a few days later and he thanked me for it. From that day on, he would never let me pay for my coffee. When I walked by the cash register with my cup, he would reach into his pocket, pull out fifty cents, and put it in the till. 'It's OK,' he would say.

"This went on for a year. One day as I passed through the line he said that he had shown the photograph to one of his sons. 'My son said you made me look like sh*t,' he said. 'Could you do it over again?'

"I said sure, and suggested he drop by the next day.

"No, right now! Today," he replied, quite forcefully.

"I said I had no time to do it today but I would be happy to do it the next day.

"'Who the hell do you think you are,' he said. 'I have bought you coffee every morning for the past year and how do you repay me? By taking a picture of me that makes me look like sh*t. My dog could take a better picture than you can. Fifty cents, please,' he said, as he held out his hand.

"As I paid for the coffee, I wondered what he had said to that official in Russia so many years ago that would have put him in a labor camp for six years.

"We never spoke again."

Mike replies: Wow, that's a better post than the one I wrote.

Bruce Bordner: "Even before phone cameras, I have been irritated by the 'posing reflex' that so many people have. I sneak up on them to get the shot I want, but they snap around and give me that smile and ruin it...I just feel creepy. Professional models are far better at looking natural if you are doing it for the picture. You should try it soon instead of agonizing over the expense. Just once, as a treat to yourself."

Ed Hawco (partial comment): "Importantly, the selfie has changed the aesthetics of portraiture. For most young people today, 'a photo of me' is a selfie, which generally includes a self-assured smirk and a bit of a duck-face (selfie-talk for the pursed lips that were so ubiquitous in the early days of selfies). Whether it’s a smirk, a duck face, a smiling head toss, or some other affectation [and don't forget the too-wide-angle lens distortions —MJ], that is the 'look' of photographic portraits today, and people can achieve that all by their lonesome."

Albert Smith (partial comment): "More than once I have presented my subject with a hard copy print of at least 8x10 inches just as a 'thank you' for allowing me to take their photo, only to have them look at it with a 'what am I supposed to do with this?' look on their face. Several asked if they could scan it to put online or if I could send them the JPEG. Tangible things don't excite people of a certain age."

AlexV: "I shared the contents of your post with my Japanese wife, and she cited the following saying: 'Tada hodo kowai mono wa nai' ('Nothing is more risky than something that is free.')"

Comments

[JOHN B GILLOOLY]

People certainly still pay for portraits and headshots. Many people do value a good portrait or headshot and many do not. The challenge as a photographer is to establish the value that you believe you are worth and be firm. Recognize that the majority of the population does not care if they have a good headshot. They can't even tell the difference. Those are not our people. Let them go. The alternative you are describing is a race to the bottom and further cheapens the product and the photographer.

[scott kirkpatrick]

I think there are more "clean" opportunities for involved people pictures than you mention. I've long been involved in activities which sometimes have public shows or performances. I treat these as event shoots, post a portfolio on Flickr, and share selects with the organizations involved.

My daughter, a few years ago, made off with one of my old cameras and two lenses and is producing pictures of clearly better than phone quality. Among her subjects are gymnastics, in which she is a participant, and portraits of fellow students, generally done at their request.

For each of us, the roles are clear. We make no claim to professional credentials. It is a great source of satisfaction.

[Rod]

I used to give away things I didn’t need anymore on Freecycle or Facebook. For a while, it was easier than trying to sell them or donate them somewhere. But eventually it got to the point there would be one to three no-shows for each item, so I stopped. Now, if there is something I cannot donate to a local charity but I know someone will want, I still post it but set a price of at least $5. That has cut down the no-shows enormously, and I sometimes just tell the buyer the item is free when they arrive.

[Arg]

Turn the tables: find models who would like to be paid but are willing to do it for free.

Don’t offer them any photos, but the experience of working for an experienced photographer.

It’s a straight barter. No free offers.

[Christer Almqvist]

I'm writing this from my (still) vacation house in a small village on the french atlantic coast just north of the border between Normandy and Bretagne. Everybody knows everybody here and we have been here for almost 40 years. It is only in the last 10 years that things have started to change.

One of the highlight of the year is 15th August, which used to be considered the end of the summer, with lots of attractions, mostly for children and always using the same equipment as last year, on the village green. Onion sausages are fried and french fries cooked. There is also a very popular "vide grenier" (emptying the attic") on the field.

There are lots of garage sales in the village on that day. We emptied our garage and and put the goods in the drive. I converted the garage into a simple photo studio for the day, offering free portraits. I had more than a dozen takers and made several nice new acquintances of all ages, sexes and skin colors.

An eldery lady, ex ballet dancer with a fine radiance, told me afterwards that the free portrait had been very expensive for her. How come, I asked. Well, she said, I liked the photo and sent it to my daughters. Their reaction was: "You must get rid of these old eye glasses." The new ones cost me € 300!

[Robert Roaldi]

"What's the problem? It's free, so I can get you to do it as many times as I want." Best line of the month.

I know people like that; somehow they think that the rest of society is here for them. I bet if they saw a character in a movie say that line, they would recognize it for what it is. When viewing a movie in which the characters are watching a television commercial, the TV ads seem sillier or more obnoxious than they do in real life. This seems like a disconnect.

[glenn]

I am confused, you are selling the business this month.

[Kye Wood]

Fish in a barrel Mike.

You have people who like you already, based simply on reading what you write. You can fake a month or maybe a year. But I've been reading this blog for well past a decade. You're a nice person. You just can't fake it for THAT long.

So, you'll attract nice people into your orbit. So? So, the next time someone new wants to come visit, tell them that there is one catch. You'd like for them to sit for a portrait at some point in the visit. They get to watch you work. You get to hone your chops.

As for money? Money changes everything. The reasons why some people are perplexing with their attitudes towards money is... well, it's perplexing, isn't it?

And get these new visitors to bring cake too. Mmm, deliciously surreptitiously paying for their portrait without even being aware of it :-)
Fair deal? I'd think so.

[Albert Smith]

There has been a shift since I was young in what constitutes a portrait in the eyes of young people today. I make portraits when the opportunity presents itself, usually some sort of environmental portrait because I find myself in the right place at the right time. More than once I have presented the subject with a hard copy print of at least 8X10 inches just as a "thank you" for allowing me to take their photo, only to have them look at it with a "what am I supposed to do with this?" look on their face. Several asked if they could scan it to put online or if I could send them the jpeg. Tangible things don't excite people of a certain age.

I'm glad that I'm not making a living doing this these days.

[Chris Y.]

On portraits- at first I wanted to say just forget about it. All of the portraitists we admire worked during a very different era. Now everyone feels dunned, exploited and taken advantage of all of the time, because they are. Who can blame them? “Street photography”? Please- it’s going to be more like “explaining yourself to some nitwit security guard photography” in short order. Even with models, remember the Imogen Cunningham quote- “When asked whom she wanted to photograph, she humorously replied, ‘Ugly men, because they never complain, you know’." And personally I don’t think she was being ‘humorous’ either. The thing you learn eventually is that most people don’t like the way they look. But- if you realize all this, and you can get into a situation where people want you to take their photos, I wish you the best! It is still, I think, the most rewarding mode of photo making.

[Rob de Loe]

I wonder if a large part of what you're running into here is the fact that people have endless pictures of themselves that they made themselves, or that others made. The huge pool of "imagery of oneself" not only diminishes the value of one more that happens to be made by someone with a serious camera, but also (and more importantly) has changed tastes. When we're used to seeing ourselves in a more casual, organic way, the formality of a portrait photograph can seem strange.

I work in a place where we need pictures of ourselves for web sites, notice boards and other purposes. This is exactly the situation where a formal portrait would have been used in the past. Nowadays, when new people show up, we don't send them off for a portrait; we ask them to give us a picture, and inevitably it's casual and informal. Even the people who used to use formal portraits are slowly replacing those with informal images from cell phones, often of them doing things that put them into their desired context.

All of this is to say, bravo for trying something different, but I'm not convinced you'll get different outcomes. Try anyway though!

[Bob G.]

Mike,
A contractual possibility of the act portraiture might be to frame it as a commission. Your interpretation(s) might then be free of encumbrances, but would still be bound by some?

[Ed Hawco]

I think there’s another factor in the decline in people’s desire to sit for a portrait: the “selfie.”

The selfie has changed the economics of photographic portraiture (they’re free!), and the power dynamics (you are actively creating your own portrait instead of passively sitting for it). More importantly, it has changed the aesthetics of portraiture. For most young people today, “a photo of me” is a selfie, which generally includes a self-assured smirk and a bit of a duck-face (selfie-talk for the pursed lips that were so ubiquitous in the early days of selfies).

Whether it’s a smirk, a duck face, a smiling head toss, or some other affectation, that is the “look” of photographic portraits today, and people can achieve that all by their lonesome.

[Omer]

Make it into a documentary via portraits project. Solicit the help of some of the commerce in your area. Advertise with signs on board or windows, and talk to folks you're familiar with and ask them to spread the word.

Facebook / X it.

[darlene]

I know a few of my past students could find a supply of ‘portrait sitters’ through a local cosmetology school. The photographers built up their portrait portfolios, as well as the student hairdressers, makeup artists, and models. Some made money, while others made lots of connections. I know you live in a rural area, but you might find networking through local high schools, vocational and community colleges, etc.

We, unfortunately, live in a time where photography is looked upon as ordinary because of the massive supply afforded through cell phone usage, so going to where there is a greater need for specialization might bring a greater appreciation for talent.

[Dave_lumb]

Free worked for Daniel Meadows. But different times, different style? https://www.danielmeadows.co.uk/gallery/photographs/portraits-from-the-free-photographic-omnibus-1973-1974/portraits-from-the-free-photographic-omnibus

[Bruce Bordner]

Another suggestion (cheap): go to a local craft show or otherwise connect with some local artisans. I've had the most fun shooting people as they work, although some can be sensitive. Good work is always messy at some point, but most love to show why they're asking so much money...
Find someone doing something you like and just shoot them for fun. Oh, that doesn't sound right...

[Roger]

Our PBS station aired a program about a welder who started a custom (and quite beautiful) iron gate business. He wasn't getting much business so he asked another gate maker what he was doing wrong. "You're not charging enough." was his reply. Gate maker raises his prices by a lot and the business rolls in. There's value in value I guess.

[Greg Heins]

Maybe a way to find subjects is to tap people whom you already know. For example, pool players? People at meetings? Maybe you start with someone whom you think is the most promising prospect and say you're asking a favor, which is for them to come by and sit for you. I've been thinking about this myself.

[John Krumm]

It's the political season, I volunteer a lot, and word got out that I had a "nice camera." So I've done a number of outdoor portrait sessions, all gratis. I emphasize that I do it as a hobby and a pro would do it better and charge a lot. You can see a couple examples here:

https://jennayeakleforduluth.com/

The flyaway hair was later photoshopped out for some flyers. It was a windy day, but cloudy, as I prefer for outdoor shoots.

These are all friends, local campaigns run on fumes most of the time, and I would never charge, both because I'm not a pro, and because I want to be able to say I'm done, when I'm done.

You can always find a politician you like and volunteer. I bet they would say yes.

[Dan Khong]

The Magnum of the Lake does not charge for the free portraits. He's an artist and he will send you soft copies of whatever he thinks brings out the best in his work.

But appreciative subjects can send him a token of appreciation in the form of contribution to Butter's dog food.

[Roger Bradbury]

I once had a part time job in a lighting shop repairing and adapting old, good quality table and standard lamps. The owner didn't want to pay me very much but I needed the money so accepted the deal.

This was a mistake. Whatever I did it wasn't enough and she played mind games; soon there was a parting of the ways. I later found she was well known locally for acting like this, and I was just the latest of many who had rapidly had enough of her tricks and went to work elsewhere.

From the very start she had not valued my services and expertise, (the low pay was a big clue) and it showed in her attitude towards me.

On the other hand I sometimes photograph ceremonies at the local Buddhist temple. I do not ask for or expect payment, but they always give me a small gift and a huge amount of appreciation.

[Joel]

I worked as the corporate photographer for an automotive parts company. Because there was no “cost” for photography, departments could ask for anything and everything they could think of. Every possible angle. Sometimes on hundreds of parts. Mostly just to cover their rears. If they had to pay, they would have to think about it.
And the ones who wanted the most wanted it done the quickest.
It eliminated price from the old “pick two” adage.
As far as portraits, very few wanted to be there. I was like going to the dentist. Best job I ever had though.

[Gary Merken]

Maybe it's your geography, Mike, where someone would think a senior portrait should be free. Because I know a number of photographers in Pennsylvania and in Maine who make good livings making portraits of high-school seniors, graduating college students, families.

One fellow charges $350 or $400 per person for portraits of high-school seniors. Each one. So when a girl sets up a two-hour shoot with four of her friends, that's up to $2,000 for the shoot and editing work. He works steadily from summertime until portraits are due to be submitted to the students' yearbooks.

[Kirk]

Here are over 500 portraits of strangers that David has done in the last two years. He's done many, many more. Not all are posted on his Instagram account. Almost all of strangers he approaches are on the streets of NY, Austin and other cities. He is fun, courteous, engaging and very, very good at shooting quickly. As I say, he started about two years ago, has over 1 million followers on Instagram and has honed a style that suits him. It takes reaching out to people. He does not charge them and only sends along a digital file for the subjects to have. He earns money from his photography via a very healthy social media presence. He's been doing this for 2 years.
1.1 million followers.

https://www.instagram.com/dgphotoholic/

[Yes he's absolutely terrific! I am borderline addicted to watching his YouTube shorts. He has a great manner with people. I love the way he asks first, and then obviously is expecting hesitation, and during the hesitation he offers to show them his work, which they agree to. The work them persuades them to cooperate. It's a wonderful way of putting people at ease quickly but in a sincere and authentic way. And his pictures are fine and distinctively his. I agree he's something special. Now HE should be shown in an art museum! --Mike]

[Joseph L. Kashi]

Happens with legal work such as wills when provided to fund-raising auctions.

When asked to donate a framed fine art print or two for fund-raisers, I usually either send a loose (though protected) print or just donate cash as the winning bids are usually less than the cost of framing.

It's just the nature of the beast, alas

[Lars Jansen]

When you offer a free portrait session you do not attach any value to it, so it would not have any particular value for the person you gave your card to. So why would they follow up on it? In that case it would be you who should be following up on it.
I think as well that for many people you would be a photographer who is looking for free models, and therefore it is not up to them to get back on this.

Also, and maybe here I'm speaking more for myself, they may not see why you would be interested in photographing them. Despite the selfie frenzy, I don't think many people find themselves actually interesting enough to have photos taken.

Some people would want to pay a decent fee; some you will have to pay; and some you can barter with, in the sense of exposure or some other mutual benefit. In any way, you will need to attach a value to your and their time and effort.

[Luke]

Well! This post was a keeper - so many good stories.

[John Camp]

About your Avedon comment...being paid a small amount of money can be very annoying, if you make a lot of money otherwise, as he did. You have to track the small amount through your accounting system (and pay an accountant to do it), then you have to pay taxes on it (in Avedon's case, New York City, state and federal income taxes.) Then, you may have to send an IRS form back to the payer that they can run through their accounting system to prove that they actually had that expense, and you have to pay your accountant to do that. By the time you're all done, you've got enough money from the small payment to buy a shoe. Not a pair of shoes, just one.

[Patrick Dodds]

A photographer interviewed in a British magazine once said something to the effect of "either the photographer will dislike the portrait, or the client will".

[Stan B.]

Look at the bright side, back in the day, you couldn't predict how people would react, now you'd be a fool to even try- look at the time you save!

[Alec]

> If you want to pay a full fee, then you can boss me around.

In fact, the more you charge, the nicer people are to you. A decent fee engenders respect. If you, apparently, value your time at zero, why should anyone else value it higher?

[Tim]

I have a friend who, when he was starting his photography career, embarked on a free portrait project and it actually worked out quite well for him. He was very specific in his framing of it, though. If my memory's working right, he had a target number of portraits he wanted to make in a year (I think the number was 100). And he wouldn't accept just anyone who asked. They had to propose an idea for the shoot that inspired him and in doing so, they became collaborators in the portrait—they had an investment in it. I truly think the success of his portrait project came right out of that work-together approach.