Photographing a CEO - help

Hi, I have been given the opportunity to photograph the CEO one of the largest mobile phone companies in the world in a couple of weeks time. I predominantly shoot fashion and am not that organised from a paperwork perspective. I desperately need some advice frpom some pros who work in this arena on the following:

1. What sort of paperwork should I provide in terms of holding on to the copyright for the shots I take? Is it reasonable in this particular case to do so?

2. What sort of restrictions do I try to impose on useage of these shots (I am working digitally and presumably need to provide the digital file?) - what is reasonable/usual?

3. I know it this is an open ended question but what do you think is a reasonable rate for this job? It is a full day's work plus post processing? The shots are Documentary style as opposed to set up shots.

Any help on these matters would be very much appreciated. I realise these questions are open ended.
I am based in the UK in case that makes a difference.

Rgds
Marc

Anyone out there able to help?

It's amazing to me that a ceo would want to be followed for a documentary type of photography. Charge your day rate, included in your day rate will be your pp. Normally when I've had to photograph high profile exec's I have a very small window like ten minutes. I've had my son's and me there a couple hour's ahead of time at the location where the exec will be. Woking w/corporate communications we decide the view, then set up the lights using corporate communications as a stand-in until the exec shows. I take the time to be introduced, a few pleasantries...if I feel I have a handle I try to have or insert a little humor to loosen things up and create a casual atmosphere for those few minutes. During the set-up time I ask a lot of question of the corp comm person in how the pix are going to be used or what this specific session is for. Knowing what it is for can greatly help in deciding how to light the exec to 'fit' the main purpose of the need for this photograph. Pre-conceived idea's are a great starting point, once acheived and you have a minute or so left then you can employ alternative technique's for creativity...however job #1 is to satisfy the initial requirements. Remember, no matter how creative anyone or any company is, they still are in the corporate domain which by and large is stuffy...your creativity will probably come in the form of lighting and exec's pose and expression.
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dv8or said:

Hi, I have been given the opportunity to photograph the CEO one of
the largest mobile phone companies in the world in a couple of
weeks time.

1. What sort of paperwork should I provide in terms of holding on
to the copyright for the shots I take? Is it reasonable in this
particular case to do so?

Click to expand...

I would bet they want you to have limited rights to the work. I would
not allow you anything but to use in your portfolio or maybe not even
that. I suspect that his manager/handler will have a form with them or
who ever gave you the job would have a contract?

If not, then bring your own and see what happens? Standard model
release work for CEO too.

dv8or said:

2. What sort of restrictions do I try to impose on useage of these
shots (I am working digitally and presumably need to provide the
digital file?) - what is reasonable/usual?

Click to expand...

See above, but I think he will restrict you, not the other way around?
It is a formal shoot, so he has all the privacy right on his side. I have
some experience with DotCom CEO through a friend that does this work.
I have tagged along on some shoots and their marketing dept show up
with their own release forms limiting the photographers rights. Maybe
you will get lucky?

dv8or said:

3. I know it this is an open ended question but what do you think
is a reasonable rate for this job? It is a full day's work plus
post processing? The shots are Documentary style as opposed to set
up shots.

Click to expand...

It is up to CEO schedule. That can range from half hour to all day on his
yacht? Better call and see what the actual schedule is going to be. I would
want to follow this guy around most of a day or two and see if I can capture
his real personality. Rates swing wildly from day rate to many thousands of

dollars? No way to tell, but I might want to be so bold as to call him personally
and see what he is up for doing. @ $6k level, I would rent a P45 and H2D for
the day and really have a go of it. Ask if he wants something for the web or
borchures or does he want a hugh giclee print for his office?

Try to sell this up as high as possible and think along Denis Regie lines.

Hi Lee and Aperture Pro,

Thanks for the advise - I have been told that they are going to give me some examples of what they are after for the look. I will have to assess how I handle it from there. As far as I understand it these shots are for corporate magazines and presspacks as well as the website. They want a more people friendly look which they have not been able to achieve up to now with their corporate shots. You may laugh but I shoot with an Olympus E1 whenever I can (if large output is not required) as it seems to be less intimidating and the colour is superb. I planm to use this but might take your advise and hire a H2D too. I also suspect that I will not be able to set up lighting as I will be following him around - so, it looks like available light.
Any other advise gladly welcomed.

Marc

I have done this type of work in the RAF, following high profile visits, I would suggest a digital SLR like the D2X, with a metz CL45-4 and battery pack. This flash has 2 heads so you can bounce and fill at the same time, I would shoot at 250 ISO and set the camera to 1/[email protected], this will give you enough speed to freeze any movement and sufficient depth of field and very reasonable quality. For close in work you could even reduce the ISO to 125 as the flash will output sufficeint light. Using available will have you shooting at f2.8 at 1/30 at 400ISO which is a very bad compromise and does not give you too much flexibility.

Regards Rob

We did a similar thing for the President of Yugoslavia a few years ago, and communication is the key. Be sure your contact has straight information because what they think and what the CEO's handlers think is VERY likely to differ. It would be a real shame to be working up to a shot in your mind, only to have the CEO leave for keeps after 30 minutes of your planned 8 hour day. It happens. His responsibility is first to the needs of his company and stockholders, and that could change on a moment's notice. Get the best stuff or most necessary stuff early as possible.

If you can communicate directly with his handlers, so much the better. I don't think he'll have much time to communicate with you in advance himself, that's what his handlers do, but get as high up the food chain as you can.

I also like the multiple flash head suggestion for at least one camera because you may well find yourself in some grip & grins or similar PR events that will benefit from portable multiple lights. Heck, I'd just bracket my 580's together, but same idea.
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jrbehm
http://homepage.mac.com/jrbehm/Scenic/

Alarm bells are going off.

Re> one of the largest mobile phone companies in the world

Manufacturer or carrier?

And whoi is your client?Has the advertising department of Nokia hired you to take pictures for a day? The PR department of -Orange?

I've spent a lot of time with CEOs, and I've been the guy that issues these assignments, and I've been the guy that approves these activities whem asked by a magazine or newspaper, and I have trouble understanding the circumstances of this one.

Cell phone company CEOs are sensitive to the idea that they have handlers; they are not rock stars. That said, they do have advisers.

But the key here is who is your client? Has Fortune hired you, and gotten permission from the CEO's PR department?

What rights you have depend on the contract, and there's no wisdom iin showingup with having a signed contract, Even better would be a signed contract and somerough layouts or at least a few typed paragraphs about the purposes of the pictures.

At lunch today I covered (as a writer, not photographer) speeches by one of the top three or four PR men in Canada, (a banker) and a very senior marketing executive (telecom services for business) and both talked about how their CEOs relte to employees, other senior management, customers and suppliers. In both cases, the bank andthe telecom carrier have "branding" programs and strategies that would come into play in a photo sassignment.

In my own time as a "handler" of CEOs, I've seen vastly different personalities. These personalities affect how I'd allow a photographer to work, where I'd allow him to go, and, to some extent, I'd be as helpful as cnditions allow as far as setting up ighting, props, othr people to be in pictures, clothng and makeup, and so on, goes.

So... I think there are a million questions that are not yet answered regarding the "Ceo of one of the largest mobile phone companies in the world..."

Cameras and stuff -- might make a difference if the goal was giant blowups of the CEO to use close to the audience at some conference, but I'm not sure how big a market there is for high-ego shots.

Otherwise some 8-10-12 MP camera with good lenses for available light, and all the studio flash in the world, perhaps, or, or, or...

One of my friends works with her husband, and the team tvels all over the world photogrpahing business people. A CEO at the top pof a cell tower, wearing saftey boots and a hard hat, shot from a hanging basket suspended from a wheeled crane, with the biggestmarket city in the background, is a lot different than a behidn the desk shot, in three piece suit.

Tell us more. Or, at least, find out more for yourself.

As for your uses -- as a "handler" I want full control of where these pix may be used. I might let you use some for your portfolio.

But if it's Richard Branson at Virgin Mobile, you'll be encouraged to spread the shots around, at least the complmentary ones.

BAK

Hi Bak,
Thanks for the long and comprensive reply.

I have got this job on the back of some fashion work which has a particular style that the CEO's PR handler liked. They are trying to change the perception of the man in question and as a result do not want to go down the traditional corporate portrait route. They are giving me a brief this week and we are still discussing the format of the shoot. i have been told that obviously I will not be alowed in to sensitive meetings. I have also been told that he is a particularly difficult subject to shoot as he is camera-shy. By having someone follow him around I guess he will have time to forget about the camera.
Rgds
Marc

I agree with the input already given about the shoot. As for the copyright, I wouldn't dream of trying to retain the rights to a work for hire. The client has a right to the rights, in my opinion. I would however request that they grant permission to me for use in portfolio

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http://joemasse.blogspot.com

Use a 1ds ii with 85mm f1.2L II lens with window light (my favourite) - great combo!

or H2d with P45+ back + 120mm MACRO HC

I think with regard to rate.

If they want to keep all copyright - charge them double or triple - like $12000 or $18000 (I think you can get away with it in the US - I have never worked in the US - just guessing?) and moral right / permission for your portfolios, internal marketing & website as it sounds like a big marketing job!

...what makes you think this needs to be a work for hire situation?...as has been mentioned before,the client will have a clear cut idea of what their usage will be...work for hire is all encompassing...the op should at least be able to negotiate a fair deal for himself and his client...