Sooo...I got a gig!!

[MillennialDusk]

...sorta.

An non-profit organization I have volunteered for in the past is having an fundraising event, and they said that they were looking for someone to volunteer to take pictures. The only requirements were that you have your own camera and tripod. I let them know that I'd help, even though I was by no means a professional.

Beyond the above, I don't know much about what I'll be doing...so...

What don't I know that I should be asking so that I can get ready?

I do already know that I don't get to keep the pictures I shoot, which I am OK with. I'm happy to be helping them out, and am doing it mostly to get some experience.


What should I definitely take with me to the event (I don't have much gear besides the camera and the tripod, but maybe there's something simple)?

[Stagecoach]

Julius welcome to CiC.

It would be beneficial if you give some idea of what the fundraising event is, what you are expecting to take pictures of and if it is inside or outside. Also are you familiar with the location and its lighting?

Grahame

[MillennialDusk]

Julius welcome to CiC.

It would be beneficial if you give some idea of what the fundraising event is, what you are expecting to take pictures of and if it is inside or outside. Also are you familiar with the location and its lighting?

Grahame

I already planned on asking the first two questions, but I don't know yet. I do know the event is being held inside a local convention center, but I haven't a clue what the lighting is like there, and most likely won't until I get there.

Thanks, Grahame.

[IzzieK]

I won't be too generous with "not getting to keep the shots" you made...even if it is "only for experience." Giving away physical shots is OK but the keep the copyright. Been there, done that...not pleasant taste in the mouth later on.

[Donald]

Absolutely agree with Isabel. Make it very clear that whilst you are happy to assign rights to use the images, you retain copyright and they must not pass them on to any other person or organisation to use without your clear permission.

[RustBeltRaw]

Agreed. Under those conditions, I would either insist on payment, or demand copyright and the ability to keep your shots. Being a non-profit does not exempt them from fair compensation. Unless you feel very strongly about the cause, I'd try to modify their terms.

Gear-wise, renting a reasonably powerful on-camera flash with a dome diffuser might help. It will provide a little fill light to separate your subjects from the background. Set the camera to expose the ambient light at around -1stop, then use the flash on TTL and adjust flash exposure compensation as necessary. -1/3stop usually gives good results.

[Mike Buckley]

When I recruit volunteer photographers for charity events, such as my ongoing recruiting, I send a document approved by the charity to the photographers explaining that all photos remain the property of the photographer and that the photographer is providing the charity the right at no charge to use the submitted photos in all of their own media forever. Any charity that seeks to exclusively own all rights to the electronic files should pay for them. Period.

[Digital]

I shot a non-profit organization last fall. I kept the copyrights to all my photos, and was compensated for it. It was a fair deal.


Bruce

[JR1]

I do shoot "gigs" and the last thing you want is flash as it will kill the lighting, you don't say what your gear is so its impossible to advise, you also don't need a tripod, why would you.

I shoot D700s and 7100s, iso 6400 to 12000, standard lenses (oh and 60D with 28-135), sigma 6-16mm and yes Nikkor 18-105 so NOT fast lenses, your best friend is "noisware" community edition, free download. Just custom install to avoid all the unwanted rubbish toolbars.

Agree with all that has been said don't give copyright away, and make it clear they can use your photos "not for profit"

[Manfred M]

Julius - one thing to check about regarding the venue is if they have any restrictions on photography.

I was involved in a event at a convention centre a few years ago and any "professional" photography or video work required a hefty licencing fee by the facility. This had nothing to do with the organization putting on the show, but rather was part of the standard contract to use the facility. As the centre was private property, they could put on any legal conditions that they want.

You would hate to get stuck with a bill when you are doing volunteer work...

[Mike Buckley]

You would hate to get stuck with a bill when you are doing volunteer work...

Simply get it in writing that any fees required are paid by the charity.

[MillennialDusk]

When I recruit volunteer photographers for charity events, such as my ongoing recruiting, I send a document approved by the charity to the photographers explaining that all photos remain the property of the photographer and that the photographer is providing the charity the right at no charge to use the submitted photos in all of their own media forever. Any charity that seeks to exclusively own all rights to the electronic files should pay for them. Period.

Thanks, Mike (and everyone else who shared similar feedback). Is there any way possible you could send me a simplified (or point me in the direction of a similar) version of the document you referenced?

[Mike Buckley]

The part of the document that I regularly provide that is pertinent to this discussion insofar as being very clear about the charity's and the photographers' expectations is shown below. The much larger part of the document not included below pertains to the various shot lists assigned to the photographers.

There are two details shown below that might be worth a close look depending on the needs of the charity and the photographers: The charity reserves the right to alter the images and there is no guarantee that published images will include attribution. So far, neither issue has been a problem for any of the volunteer photographers I have recruited. As an example, one of my photos was selected to be included on a postcard that is sent nationwide. That photo and the other photos included in the collage were altered to make use of selective color that was consistent with the charity's branding.

GENERAL RIGHTS & REPSONSIBILITIES OF VOLUNTEER PHOTOGRAPHERS
You own your images and can use them for whatever purpose you want at any time.

You provide the charity use of your submitted images forever at no cost. The charity can use them for all output including alterations the charity makes to them. The charity may or may not attribute your images to you.

Please cull and post-process your images before submitting them. Please submit only color images. Your photos will be used almost entirely in publications that allow only for small images displayed among text, so crop tightly for the most part for a larger display of the subject.

If you shoot RAW files, please submit full-size JPEGs. If you shoot JPEG files, please configure your camera to produce the largest possible file.

Please embed the sRGB color space in your submitted image files.

Please transmit your images by the second Monday following the event using whatever method you prefer. DropBox is recommended though not necessary. Please submit images to _____________.

Food and water that is available to all event participants is also available to you.

Details about free and discounted parking will be provided later. Free parking may be farther away from the event site than discounted parking.

On the day of the event, please sign in at the event’s Volunteer Registration table. You will be given at that time a sign to wear indicating that you are an official volunteer photographer and a free tee shirt subject to availability. Your Team Leader will also briefly meet with you then.

________________ is your Team Leader. He or she can be reached at (email address) and (phone number). He or she is the liaison between the charity and the photography team. Unlike most of the charity’s employees, your team leader understands what leads to effective photography and speaks the language of photographers. Your team leader’s responsibilities also include helping to refine the shot list, determining which volunteers will be members of the team and ensuring the team’s success and enjoyment.


_________ (link) to the event’s official website.

[MillennialDusk]

The part of the document that I regularly provide that is pertinent to this discussion insofar as being very clear about the charity's and the photographers' expectations is shown below. The much larger part of the document not included below pertains to the various shot lists assigned to the photographers.

There are two details shown below that might be worth a close look depending on the needs of the charity and the photographers: The charity reserves the right to alter the images and there is no guarantee that published images will include attribution. So far, neither issue has been a problem for any of the volunteer photographers I have recruited. As an example, one of my photos was selected to be included on a postcard that is sent nationwide. That photo and the other photos included in the collage were altered to make use of selective color that was consistent with the charity's branding.

Thanks so much for sharing this.

[MillennialDusk]

A bit of a belated follow-up.

Thanks to everyone who posted, and gave advice/information. As it turned out, what the organization wanted was precisely as Mike described, where they were concerned with their ability to use the photographs as they wanted without authorization from the photographer...

I was able to get what I wanted out of it, too, which was some time behind my camera learning. I took the portrait shots they offered to event attendees for donation. As one who is not generally a social person, it was an interesting challenge. There was a discernable difference to me in the photos I took as I got more comfortable behind the camera and was able to better interact with the subjects, so those are skills that I definitely need to hone. As I get a bit more comfortable with the camera and composition, etc., portraiture and people photography is an something that I'd like to explore.

[Mike Buckley]

I'm not clear on the final resolution, Julius. It was possible to give the charity complete use of the photos forever without having to seek further authorization and to also retain ownership of the images by the photographers. Did the latter part happen?

[MillennialDusk]

I'm not clear on the final resolution, Julius. It was possible to give the charity complete use of the photos forever without having to seek further authorization and to also retain ownership of the images by the photographers. Did the latter part happen?

Hi, Mike. That's exactly what happened, yes. I got everything squared away when I arrived at the event early before I got setup.