FAQs

Where are you based?

The team at Helen Koker are located on the sunny east coast of Australia. We work with clients worldwide, and simply require the products to be shipped to our location prior to our agreed shoot date.

What services do you offer?

We are a full service creative agency - you can find a list of popular services here.

How can I find out about pricing?

Due to the unique needs of each client and the nature of our work, no two projects are the same. As such, custom quotes are created to suit the scope of work, the creative brief, and your goals.

To obtain an accurate custom quote, please get in touch via our contact form here.

Ready to brief us? Please supply the basic scope details listed below. Or, you can skip the small talk and jump straight into the details by completing the relevant intake form here.

What should I include in my photography brief?

In general, your brief should include all the basic scope details, such as:

• Number of images required.

• Any set formatting parameters, such as pixel dimensions, image ratios, and crops required - i.e. will you need a single crop per image or multiple crops per image in specific pixel dimensions (for instance 4:5 portrait to suit Instagram, and wide landscape to suit your specific web banner)

• Budget consideration.

• Reference to the products you need photographed (links or images).

• Your ideal project delivery date. Please note standard turnaround times are 28 days from the shoot sate to final file delivery, subject to availability. Urgent bookings are considered on a case by case basis and may incur additional fees.

In addition to the above, your brief should include any relevant aesthetic considerations and visual references. For example; photography inspiration, colour palettes, prop + set design references, etc.

Please note Creative Direction is a standard inclusion in all photography pricing, so your supplied brief can be minimal and in need of further development, or detailed and ready to go - whatever suits your needs.

What is the product photography process?

1. BOOKING:
   

   • After the creative brief, scope, and quotation are agreed upon, we require a 50% deposit up front to secure your booking dates and commence work.

2. PRE PRODUCTION:
   

   • Once your booking has been confirmed, products should be carefully packed for shipment and sent to the address provided.

   • In the lead up to your shoot, we will be working behind the scenes to carefully source any props required, design and build any complex sets, arrange a model if applicable, and organise all of the other elements for pre-production.

3. PRODUCTION / SHOOT DAY(S):
   

   • Lights, camera, action. On shoot day we spend out time between set up, prop styling, photography, and clean up. When it comes to shooting, we use state of the art photographic equipment and utilise an expert crew to ensure a professional and beautiful result.
     

4. POST PRODUCTION:

   • Once your products are shot, we will create a contact sheet to share the images with you. Typically, we provide multiple options, offering you the option to select the final shots, or allow us to do so for you. *PLEASE NOTE, due to the made to order nature of product photography, any additional images are provided at the discretion of Helen Koker. Additional images are available to purchase on request.

   • Once your choices are confirmed we will discuss post production specifics.

   • Post Production is undertaken to refine and perfect your images, this is an important part of the creative process and can take an excellent image to a one of a kind artwork.
     

5. FILE DELIVERY:

   • In order to release final files, we require the remaining invoice balance to be paid in full.

   • Final files are delivered digitally via a linked download. This link will expire in seven (7) days, so please download and backup your files as soon as possible.

I’ve noticed a licensing agreement in our quote or invoice for Photography, what is licensing?

When you purchase images from myself (and typically any professional photographer), what you're actually purchasing are the usage rights to use the photos. In the case of contracted photography in Australia, the intellectual property and copyright automatically remains with the creator, unless an explicit agreement is made to sell/transfer the copyright. It's a lot like buying music or movies, you are licensing that audio or movie with specific terms depending on the case by case basis. For instance on Apple Music or Spotify you license songs through your subscription plan, and you have usage rights to "use" the music (listen to it), but you don't own the music and the licensing is limited in terms of time-frame and what you can and cannot do - i.e. you're forbidden from re-selling or distributing the music, and you can't make your own song that is a copy of that music, etc. This example is a similar model to many creative disciplines.

Licensing can be expensive, but I definitely try to keep these costs down for clients in comparison to industry standards. For an example of the types of industry standard fees attached to licensing photographic works, it can be helpful to refer to popular stock photography sites such as Stocksy, etc. In particular, it is relevant to compare the exclusive or "market freeze" licensing options - whereby the image is available to your brand exclusively for a designated period of time.

My initial invoicing includes the direct costs of creating unique made-to-order images, such as the labor and equipment expenses - essentially I'm charging for making the image. The initial usage license is included free of charge. Per the agreement, it typically covers exclusive standard use online (website, social, paid digital advertising, etc), and in print (marketing collateral, print advertising etc) for the month/year period discussed.

In its essence, licensing is a way to fairly value the "product" over its lifetime. Typically many e-commerce brands refresh images seasonally to keep up with stylistic trends and create a continual content stream for organic and direct customer advertising. However, unlike a physical consumable product, a creative work can have exponential value throughout its lifetime, thus if the images are still being used to generate income for a business in the digital or print landscape at the end of the initial licensing period, the licensing can be renewed for a fee.

At the end of the initial licensing period, if the client doesn't opt to renew the license and as such it expires, it simply means that the images must be removed from the client website and not used anywhere new - like to generate conversions or sales in a digital advert. Images that were historically posted on social media within the active licensing term do not need to be removed or archived.

Whilst licensing agreements can feel intimidating due to their legally binding nature, fundamentally - the licensing agreement isn't set up with the goal of penalising client's for fair use and is simply there to protect the creators copyright. For instance, in the event that a business grows to be a multinational company that generates millions in ROI on an international ad campaign using our images, 4 years after they were created at a rate to suit a small business.

If you have any additional questions about licensing please don’t hesitate to reach out!