Sydney Photographers

The following is current as of August 3, 2011 and are subject to change without notice. When booking your commercial photography in Sydney please ask for the current price lists and standard terms and conditions.

Click here to view DC Images Sydney commercial photography portfolio.

Our editorial fees are based on the following schedule: 

• $2,000.00 per eight-hour commercial photography day – travel, layover time and site audit (time spent arranging and selecting shooting locations) are billed at one-half the day date
• A photography day longer than twelve-hours (door-to-door) is billed an additional $500.00
• Post-production editing and computer work is billed at $175.00 per hour
• Any day on which shooting occurs is a commercial photography day
• Cancellations – in order to protect the time reserved for your project we may ask you to guarantee the fees for the days scheduled when those days have also been requested by other clients
• All prices include GST

EXPENSES – billable expenses include but are not limited to film, processing, prints, lab and other messengers, assistant’s fee ($250.00 per day), transportation (air fare, car rentals, cabs etc), motels, food, baggage transfers, overweight charges, tolls, telephone, rental of special equipment when necessary and insurance. An advance based on the percentage of the projected bill is required before shooting begins.

DELIVERY AND USAGE OF FINISHED PHOTOGRAPHY – we edit every take and deliver the best of every situation covered. We retain the copyright to all pictures DC Images executes for an assignment, while giving the client the usage rights contracted for and as many of the images as are needed for the client’s internal use and non-paid, non-marketing public relations effort. The use of the same photographs in advertising is possible but would require a negotiated re-use fee. The cover of a trade magazine is an advertising use. We supply the technical and artistic ability to illustrate an idea photographically and we are selling the right to produce those illustrations in a given context. Among the rights we retain is the right to resell all non-proprietary images. We do not exercise this right until one year after the publication date of the original project, thereby giving the client the exclusive use and impact for that period of time.

Click here to learn more about DC Images.

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What do you think the amount of time percentage-wise is that Sydney commercial photographers actually spend behind the camera clicking the shutter button? In and around all of the other things like meetings, planning, set up etc? It would be lucky to be 5% we reckon.

Any business requires untold amounts of man hours to be put in behind the scenes and Sydney commercial photography is in no way different. Constant research and development is required both from a staff education point of view as well as in the actual hardware. Next you need to accommodate your clients needs and ensure that the product you are offering is meeting the market place, I am sure all of this is not rocket science to most of you.

The simple point here is whilst in Sydney commercial photography the end result is key and we want to make sure we capture the best photographs possible 95% of the work done ensuring those results is completed away from the actual camera. Take for example the correct insurance cover – does your commercial photographer have the appropriate ‘Certificate of Currency’ on their public liability insurance? On a shoot are the lighting cables being tapped down to minimise the risk of an accident? Among other things having everything sufficiently delt with prior to starting ensures a half-day shoot will not become a full-day if not more.

Think too about your budget for your Sydney commercial photography, leaving the quality of the actual photographs aside for a moment the incorrect planning of a shoot (ie: not having the right permits) could mean a blow out.

Without a doubt the end result and what you are actually left with in your Sydney commercial photography is what it is all about, that 5% should be all you need to worry about. But never underestimate every single component that makes up the other 95%. You hire a professional photographer so that they naturally take care of that for you but whilst many aspects my seem incredibly insignificant the incorrect carrying out of the smallest part in any process could spell trouble.

Sydney commercial photography is viewed as a glamorous path by some but make no mistake it is all about the donkey work carried out behind the scenes that ensures the perfect images. Glamorous it might be but if you are not prepared to get your hands dirty then you may be in trouble. 

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An estimate in Sydney commercial photography is generally a form listing the creative fee and all the associated shoot costs. A cover note allows you to include all the information you could not cover on the original estimate, such as a shoot list, the technique, production details, timing and liability issues. It is an essential part of the estimating process in Sydney commercial photography and in our opinion should never be over looked. 

1. The Image List: This is a list in words of what you will be supplying. It is smart to describe the actual shoot again just in case your client is seeing things differently to what you have understood from their brief.
2. Technique: Describe the look and feel of your Sydney commercial photography. We would encourage all Sydney photographers to write these because it wins assignments. The simple reason being that you let your client know you have the experience and expertise to do the job.
3. Production Details: Production notes explain how you are going to do the job and the reasons behind your decisions. Let your client know what you have planned and all of the contingencies for your Sydney commercial photography.
4. Timing: Even for a one day shoot provide a detailed timeline of your Sydney commercial photography. For instance a client does not need to be there when you are lighting the set so outline the time you would like them to arrive.
5. Agency Responsibility: The liability clause is incredibly important. The estimate or cover note must say clearly what the photographer is responsible for and just as importantly what the client is responsible for. A photographer cannot be liable for any costs incurred because the client did not fulfill their responsibility – such as the product not turning up to the shoot on time.
6. Usage: The cover note is where we include the usage we are offering and once the job is confirmed we send a licensing agreement. Placing usage on the cover note also gives the client the opportunity to negotiate the terms with the photographer. For instance if we have offered two years and they come back requesting three we are likely to give it to them if they have not queried the rates. However if the client wants a five year license then we would probably need to adjust the estimate a little. Negotiation is a gentle process.

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Sydney commercial photography has numerous changes and if the model cast is wrong, it throws the whole photograph off, guaranteed.

Ask any professional supplier and I’m sure you will hear them say they prefer to work with other like minded professionals wherever they possibly can and it is the same when casting models for Sydney commercial photography shoot. I prefer photographing models that have had some dance experience as not only do they know how to move but they know what to do with their hands, hands are very important.
Actors are another favourite of mine in Sydney commercial photography, I would much rather have someone act a scene than just pose, acting things out creates flow and movement that you simply cannot emulate by just shifting that way or another.

Another person I want on assignment with me is the hair and make-up artist. Hair and make-up can sometimes be a hard sell especially to new clients but when you explain how “you don’t see it when you have it but you certainly notice when it is not there” they come around pretty quick (before and after shots from previous Sydney commercial photography comes in handy too). Hair and make-up gives us the finishing touch on photographs not too mention saves us countless hours in post-production on the computer. Without them images simply look rough around the edges.

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To those of you involved in the supply of commercial photography in Sydney this will come as no great surprise but more often than not you will get a call from a client and they will ask to have their images captured, retouched and supplied yesterday.

Case and point today (Thursday) we received a call from an existing client that they have asked for a two-hour shoot to take place on Saturday between 7-9am capturing a major trade show event set-up before too many people arrive (our client is looking to showcase their professionalism and logistical expertise in hosting and staging complicated trade shows).

Now naturally if we are already booked then there is not a lot we can do however the goal is to always make ourselves available to capture what is required and then late nights and early mornings when needed will always allow us to supply the finished product in as shorter time frame as possible.

In this particular case we did already have something on but after a few phone calls and a little rearranging we are all set to go and another Sydney commercial photography client is happy. Had we not been prepared to tweak things around extensively when asked then we risk the potential of losing the existing client. The client has a photographic requirement and should they not be able to achieve it through us then chances are they will find another and next time around it might be a 50/50 as to whether or not they call us or the other mob.

In short like a lot of professional businesses commercial photography in Sydney requires the studio to be willing to drop everything and bend over backwards in the supply of a professional photographic product when asked, anything less and a studio risks it’s very survival.

Of course hopefully like us you will do everything you can to help out your Sydney commercial photography clients simply because you love taking photographs, pure and simple.

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To find out why you should choose DC Images to cater for your Sydney commercial photography needs click here.

Project Overview - to develop an image library of photographs that reflect the “who we are and what we do” for Medicines Australia.

The image library was to contain around 100 colour photographs provided in high resolution format on CD. It was envisaged the images will be used on the Medicines Australia website, for use in various Medicines Australia publications and to provide to media as required. The aim was for the photographs to visually illustrate pharmaceutical company activity in the following five areas:

• Research and innovation
• People
• Products
• Manufacturing
• Industry

• “News” images of a more conservative nature for use by journalists
• More “artistic” images for Medicines Australia and member company publications

 In particular, Medicines Australia wished to ensure the photographs:

• have an “Australian” appearance and relevance
• include people of different nationalities to appropriately reflect the Australian multicultural population
• have a generic appearance and do not identify any specific company or product

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Like any professional business we are always trying to create points of difference between us and our competitors and it is always great when we hear that the efforts we have put in are the main reason someone chooses to book us over another.

We had a telephone call the other day from a couple of Sydney-siders planning their wedding from England and after chatting things through for thirty-odd minutes they said something to the effect of “were we the only ones that did panoramic wedding photography in Sydney?” Knowing professional wedding photography in Sydney as we do I thought it was interesting they had this perception of us in the industry as I know we are not the only studio that considers it an important part of our style and wedding photography arsenal. Obviously we were doing something better than all of the others though as this particular couple went on to say that our skills in panoramic wedding photography was the main reason that they choose to go with us.

Obviously there are a million and one things a professional wedding studio can do to make themselves appear different from all of the others out there but the main thing we had confirmed from our conversation with this particular couple is that whilst the differences are important to have, there is no point having them unless you ensure they are of the highest quality and not simply some cheeky gimmick. I would suggest professional wedding photography studios in Sydney are best advised to leave little gimmicks/extras in the hands of the likes of McDonalds Happy Meals or The Sunday Telegraph. Of course this is only my opinion and if you talk to my three-year-old at the moment it don’t count for much.

Click here to view DC Images Sydney commercial photography portfolio – Click here to view DC Images Sydney wedding photography portfolio – Click here to view DC Images Sydney portrait photography portfolio.

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Since we have been doing this whole blog thing we have spoken a lot about on site commercial photography in Sydney as well as the uses and benefits behind using natural lighting. Whilst this approach is a specialty and is what our clients have been enjoying primarily from time to time circumstances require us to go to the studio environment and wheel out the large backdrops and studio lighting.

When I was studying in the mid nineties I remember spending hour after hour in the studio practicing the dynamics and possibilities of the controlled environment that it is and I must say revisiting the studio is always fun and a touch nostalgic.

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Presented by the Tourism Industry Council NSW and supported by Tourism NSW, the Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner is the largest and most prestigious event on the NSW tourism calendar. The NSW Tourism Awards celebrate and acknowledge tourism businesses that have demonstrated outstanding achievement and success throughout the year. The Awards are held annually and are a submission and inspection-based competition. The Awards ceremony provides the opportunity to publicly recognise and showcase the State’s finest tourism operators.

So that is what it was the night was about in general but for us it is the most superb opportunity to showcase our ability as photographers. Whilst there is a photographic brief in place with there being so much going on the need to improvise as well as use your initiative and skills means that as photographers we must call upon all of our experience to showcase the visually captivating production that it is. In short, half the time it is completely up to us as no one can predict exactly how everything will pan out and that is both exciting and exhausting over the five-hour period we were covering this event.

In short the Sydney event photography brief was based upon similar shoots we have done for this particular client and among other things we were asked to capture the following: 

• AV shots – Sound/lighting boards/AV person in work
• Food & beverage waiters
• Food stations including food & beverage specific shots
• Stage and speeches
• General room set up  and theming
• Operational/Bump in shots
• Back of house/event production shots
• Foyer & guest arrival
• ‘Escape’ lounge and dance floor

Whilst there were 3-4 professional photographers there on the night capturing those images of people with their awards on stage then having their photograph taken with certain individuals in the government and corporate sectors the best thing about what we were asked to do is that we were instructed to document the event in all of it’s glory. The details, the glamour, the scale, the people and the anything and everything that would encapsulate the night that was, and that is what we loved about this night and event photography in Sydney in general. 

To view DC Images Sydney commercial photography portfolio please click here.

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I just thought I would show you some Sydney commercial photography we did for the Bronte Convention Centre a while back as it illustrates a point I have been making to anyone who would listen for years. Basically it is that everyone is a photographer these days with technology the way and price that it is and people know quality photography when they see it. So what value do you put on your potential clients perception of you when based upon the quality of images you are displaying they are passing judgment on your product(s).

Everywhere I go these days I see people with cameras and it is true that there is convenience and benefit in capturing your own commercial photographs. That being said do you understand lighting? Have you studied compositions? Do you know about depth of field, angle of view and perspective? Do you know how to correctly process your images on the computer? The thing is that whether or not you understand these elements of Sydney commercial photography you know a quality image when you see one and if you are unable to reliably incorporate all of the elements essential to quality commercial photographs then the chances are your clients will know you have done your photography on the cheap, and what message does that send to your potential customers?

Sydney commercial photography does not need to be expensive, like anything it will depend upon your needs/requests. In most cases you will not need photographs every year so paying $5000 every five years for some professional photography is only an annual cost of $1000. Even if you do have the need for photographs to be taken every week/month maybe you can negotiate a discounted rate for the repeat business? Alternatively have the essential images captured by a professional, the ones that will be seen on your home page, the cover of promotional material etc and capture the weekly/monthly requirement yourself if it is only going to be seen by a few.

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