What are my pictures worth?
33 min
One day I’m paid six figures for a collection of my photographs, and the next day I’m offered less than $500. So which is it? Which one is the real value? It’s both. Neither. How do you quote a commercial gig when you have no idea whether the person on the phone (email to be honest, it’s always email) is expecting $1,000 or $10,000? Bill says you have to go the extra mile and do three versions of your estimate: small (streamlined), medium (realistic), and large (bells and whistles). I (Jay) have done that, but I’m lazy and deliberate and it takes me all damn day, which is why I’d rather get a quick gut check first. I might say: “It’s fine if you don’t know the budget, but do you think it’s closer to $500, $5,000, or $25,000?” That answer, if they have the patience to give me one, is often effective at getting us in the right universe. What does a photo shoot cost? Well, what does a house cost? Heather Morton’s State of the Industry is now behind a well-deserved paywall: https://hmphotoprof.substack.com/p/2026-state-of-the-photo-industry But she posts plenty of rich analysis, most of which is free on Substack and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hmphotoprof/ Find us: Yell at us or with us on Substack: https://continuousagitation.substack.com Our big dumb faces on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ContinuousAgitation Write to us: continuousagitation@gmail.com Read Bill's newsletter, Art + Math: artandmath.substack.com Follow Jay: @jayfram / jayfram.com Follow Bill: @sawalich / sawalich.com Rate and review Continuous Agitation on Apple Podcasts — it actually helps.
