Fw: Working a campaignPhoto rights

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-----Original Message-----
From: John Pettitt <jpp@CLOUDVIEW.COM>

Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:06:23
To: <NPPA-L@LISTSERV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Working a campaign


Richard

As Greg said - don't expect to make any money working a campaign.
Negotiate access and rights up front - the campaign will want to give
images away as hand outs but that shouldn't stop your niece from
retaining rights for use after the campaign is over and for non news
uses for example books (I'm still selling the occasional image from my
time as Howard Dean's photographer). On the access side you want really
good access - you trade publication control for access. The deal I had
with Dean was if there was no press present or less than 5 people
present they had veto rights over the image - otherwise it was my call
on publishing it. If it was published on the campaign web site it
became my call on future publication. The less they want to pay the
more rights you should ask for.

Actually working with the campaign the biggest thing is keeping your
mouth shut, see everything, hear nothing Power in a political
campaign is measured by proximity to the candidate so all the staff are
playing office politics to get "in the room" or "on the bus" or "on the
plane". An effective campaign photographer has to exist outside the
power structure. The second you voice an opinion on anything related
to the campaign or politics you become just another staffer and subject
to the same competition for access and the staff are better at the game
that any photographer.

Be prepared for insanely long days and get real good as doing grip and
grin photo receiving lines (take two images of each person!). I had a
blast working for Dean's 2004 presidential campaign, shot 45,000 images
and if he'd won I would have had a great book. As is I about broke even
on sales of images (although it took a couple of years).

John Pettitt
Staff Photographer Dean for America (2003-2004)



Richard Owen wrote:
> I have a neice that has been doing portrait, wedding & event photography for the last several years. Since has gotten a request from a friend who is running for political office to be his campaign photographer. What should I advise her to look out for?
>
> Anything and everything that those of us have thought we wish we had known before getting involved with a political campaign would be appreciated. I will pass the notes of wisdom on to her.
>
> Thanks in advance for any thoughts/suggestions.
>
> Rich
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