NPPA Independent Photographer's Toolkit
Welcome to the NPPA Independent Photographer's Toolkit. If you are an independent photographer or simply shoot a little on the side, you are running a business. Many photographers look at freelancing as extra money or a way to get by until a staff job comes along. But if you are not looking at your photography as a business, you may be cheating yourself, and worse, you may be hurting the very industry you are trying to break in to.
Recent Updates
- Sample Cease & Desist letter
Important Notice: This is a sample form for illustrative purposes. This sample may not be suitable for your particular circumstances and different agreements or legal arrangements may be necessary depending on your jurisdiction. Therefore, you should not use this sample, or any part, without the advice of competent legal counsel.
As a business owner, you have certain responsibilities: to yourself, to your employees, to your clients and to the government. A successful business owner pays attention to all of these obligations and finds a balance that keeps his or her business growing. It takes more than being a talented photographer to succeed in the independent marketplace. Strong business skills are just as important. There is a very high rate of failure in small business, and this guide is meant to help you avoid contributing to those negative figures.
If you buy photography or hire freelancers, you may also find useful answers here. The Photo Buyers Resource section offers useful information about copyright and your responsibilities as a manager. Please look soon for more content including a new NPPA Find a Photographer service.
If you are a staff photographer or an editor, this resource is for you, as well. Freelance photographers have a direct impact on staff jobs. Newsrooms have proved they aren't immune from Corporate America's demands for cutting costs and increasing profits. With contract labor available for significantly less than employees, photography positions are disappearing. Lay-offs are not uncommon and hiring freezes are frequent. In such a climate, the welfare of independent photographers can clearly affect you and your staff.
This section is meant to be a guide to help put you on the right track. But the information you will find here is by no means the entire picture. There are many things to consider when running a photography business. Please look at this toolkit as a starting point along the difficult road to a successful editorial photography business.
In that endeavor, we wish you all the best.
Note:
This toolkit is intended to be a constant work in progress as the industry is changing greatly. We welcome questions, suggestions and comments at: bpc@nppa.org
NPPA Marketplace
- Insure Your Equipment
- You go where the action is….so should your insurance! Hays delivers comprehensive insurance for your gear - covering cameras, computers, editing equipment and rental.
- Join the NPPA
- NPPA members receive a wide range of benefits, from educational opportunities to mentoring, exclusive discounts, insurance options, business tips, and much more.