What do you make of this solicitation?
Thread Starter
The Third Ball
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 50,494
Likes: 5,869
From: Los Angeles, Ca
What do you make of this solicitation?
And how would you proceed?
Dear Mr. Speck,
I came across some of your photos on flickr and thought they were really
amazing. This photo of the Joe Louis Statue
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidsp...0665/lightbox/
was particularly visually arresting, and really captures the personality and
power of the statue.
Anyway, we wanted to contact you for two reasons:
1. Our small family business manufactures some of the highest-quality
kitchen cutlery in the world right here in Southern California, and we would
love to feature this beautiful statue photo of yours on a page of our new
website which we’re currently rebuilding from scratch, and should be ready
in 2-3 months to better promote some of our new American Made product lines.
We’re planning on emulating this neat “History” section of Persol’s
website: (http://www.persol.com/usa/history) with our own section of photos
and cool facts about our own brand’s history, inspirations, etc.
Anyhow, If you would be so kind as to give us permission to post your photo
on this brand inspirations/history page, we would be honored to put together
an amazing deluxe gift basket for you including a variety of our best
kitchen knife products/sets from our own brand as well as from other
super-premium kitchenware/cutlery brands we carry. (We figured this would be
the coolest most memorable and most valuable gift we could send you in
return.)
2. We can tell from your website that you mostly work on acclaimed
films/major TV commercials for companies way larger than our thrifty small
family business and we completely understand if its not really your thing,
but we will increasingly be needing new product photography, as well as a
bunch of short, entertaining 45-second product clips/films, and possibly
even longer commercials over the coming months and years as we ramp up our
business. So if you ever have any interest in these kinds of occasional mini
side-gigs, or have any local friends who might be interested, let us know
because we would be happy to reach out to you (or anybody you recommend)
about future projects.
Thank you for your time and kindest regards!
Name and business removed.
I came across some of your photos on flickr and thought they were really
amazing. This photo of the Joe Louis Statue
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidsp...0665/lightbox/
was particularly visually arresting, and really captures the personality and
power of the statue.
Anyway, we wanted to contact you for two reasons:
1. Our small family business manufactures some of the highest-quality
kitchen cutlery in the world right here in Southern California, and we would
love to feature this beautiful statue photo of yours on a page of our new
website which we’re currently rebuilding from scratch, and should be ready
in 2-3 months to better promote some of our new American Made product lines.
We’re planning on emulating this neat “History” section of Persol’s
website: (http://www.persol.com/usa/history) with our own section of photos
and cool facts about our own brand’s history, inspirations, etc.
Anyhow, If you would be so kind as to give us permission to post your photo
on this brand inspirations/history page, we would be honored to put together
an amazing deluxe gift basket for you including a variety of our best
kitchen knife products/sets from our own brand as well as from other
super-premium kitchenware/cutlery brands we carry. (We figured this would be
the coolest most memorable and most valuable gift we could send you in
return.)
2. We can tell from your website that you mostly work on acclaimed
films/major TV commercials for companies way larger than our thrifty small
family business and we completely understand if its not really your thing,
but we will increasingly be needing new product photography, as well as a
bunch of short, entertaining 45-second product clips/films, and possibly
even longer commercials over the coming months and years as we ramp up our
business. So if you ever have any interest in these kinds of occasional mini
side-gigs, or have any local friends who might be interested, let us know
because we would be happy to reach out to you (or anybody you recommend)
about future projects.
Thank you for your time and kindest regards!
Name and business removed.
Moderator
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,578
Likes: 322
From: Orange County, CA
Sound like it could be your thing! Because if they contacted me, I wouldn't know the first thing about presenting a product.
You do seem to have quite a bit of production experience so I don't think you're venturing too far off of your comfort zone.
Definitely not a show stopper for you to put down what you're currently doing, but it does seem like a good side gig as mentioned.
Proceed with negotiations!
You do seem to have quite a bit of production experience so I don't think you're venturing too far off of your comfort zone.
Definitely not a show stopper for you to put down what you're currently doing, but it does seem like a good side gig as mentioned.
Proceed with negotiations!
Suzuka Master
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 9,012
Likes: 439
From: SoCal
if you have the time, why not?
if they're in the area set up a meeting with them. Or just see if you can get more info about the gig over email. Like how often they will want you and such.
And yea make sure they dont compensate you with knives all the time
at least you will get a free set with your Joe Louis Statue (assuming you're giving them permission) why not though?
if they're in the area set up a meeting with them. Or just see if you can get more info about the gig over email. Like how often they will want you and such.
And yea make sure they dont compensate you with knives all the time
at least you will get a free set with your Joe Louis Statue (assuming you're giving them permission) why not though?
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 78,247
Likes: 20,201
^^^I agree. I mean, what would you get paid for the statue photo normally in relation to the cost of the knife basket?
They seem pretty humble and appreciative of your work and look to be trying to form a relationship for future work. I'd do it.
They seem pretty humble and appreciative of your work and look to be trying to form a relationship for future work. I'd do it.
Creepy guy in the mirror.
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,631
Likes: 35
From: Ontario, Canada
They obviously have great respect for your work and the effort that goes into it. To me that means a lot. Since it is likely that ultimately your work would be heavily discounted you would want them to be aware of what you are giving them. Be sure that any agreement to provide them images or complete work for them clearly describes the scope of work and what it would cost and show the 'discount' you give them. Make sure that they know that you are giving them thousand$ in discounts. That way when it goes beyond simple engagements to complex and heavily edited works you already have room to push back.
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Thread Starter
The Third Ball
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 50,494
Likes: 5,869
From: Los Angeles, Ca
They obviously have great respect for your work and the effort that goes into it. To me that means a lot. Since it is likely that ultimately your work would be heavily discounted you would want them to be aware of what you are giving them. Be sure that any agreement to provide them images or complete work for them clearly describes the scope of work and what it would cost and show the 'discount' you give them. Make sure that they know that you are giving them thousand$ in discounts. That way when it goes beyond simple engagements to complex and heavily edited works you already have room to push back.
I told him I would try and contact him on Friday (slammed til then) and he was very cool.
I was to know more about the future work and what they are looking at budget wise. But I want to be VERY specific about what I am allowing them to use my photo for. But I need to figure out how to word it in a way that won't make me sound super strict and potentially scare him off.
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 78,247
Likes: 20,201
With the horrors I've heard about people just quietly stealing images etc and using them for business, the fact that they contacted you first seems like a good indication of the type of company these people are.
I hope you do allow it and hope it ends up being lucrative with future work.
I hope you do allow it and hope it ends up being lucrative with future work.
Good luck, I'd hope since the mentioned the gift basket they are serious. 
I've received several emails in the past about people interested in photos and then as soon as I start talking price or any details they never respond. I always assume they were hoping to get them for free.
I've received several emails in the past about people interested in photos and then as soon as I start talking price or any details they never respond. I always assume they were hoping to get them for free.
Thread Starter
The Third Ball
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 50,494
Likes: 5,869
From: Los Angeles, Ca
So, I spoke with the gentleman last week. He was very agreeable to the terms of limited use. We had a nice conversation.
He followed up with an email wording out the agreement and asking for my email.
Today I received this in the mail:
Very impressive. He had asked if I was a cooking guy to which I said yes (I am) and we had a quick conversation about cutlery where I had mentioned that I had bought my father a Shun Ken Onion Santuko knife and he loved it....Well, in the package was a Shun Ken Onion Chef's Knife....these things aint cheap.
There was also a typed and signed copy of our agreement
But most impressive and touching was a hand written note signed by everyone in their office.
I hope we are able to work together in the future with some of their product photography as we had discussed. These seem like very cool people.
He followed up with an email wording out the agreement and asking for my email.
Today I received this in the mail:
Very impressive. He had asked if I was a cooking guy to which I said yes (I am) and we had a quick conversation about cutlery where I had mentioned that I had bought my father a Shun Ken Onion Santuko knife and he loved it....Well, in the package was a Shun Ken Onion Chef's Knife....these things aint cheap.
There was also a typed and signed copy of our agreement
But most impressive and touching was a hand written note signed by everyone in their office.
I hope we are able to work together in the future with some of their product photography as we had discussed. These seem like very cool people.
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