Photography in the cultural sector
Do you work as a photographer in the cultural sector? Or do you commission photography work? Then it is important to consider fair pay. What exactly is appropriate compensation for a portrait, reportage, or campaign photo? And what terms of employment should apply? fairPACCT supports both clients and contractors with concrete guidelines and tools.
Photographers deserve better
Many photographers in the cultural and creative sector struggle with their rates. Photographers invest much more time than just the shoot itself; they spend a significant amount of time on preparation, post-processing, administration, and communication. These hours are not always included in the total fee. With fair pay, we ensure that all hours worked are both visible and paid for. This leads to fair rates and sustainable collaborations between photographers and clients.
To ensure that professional photographers in the cultural and creative sector are appropriately compensated, fairPACCT established the Photography chain table. It focuses primarily on applied photography commissioned by cultural institutions.
About the chain table
The chain table was established in May 2023 and consists of nineteen professionals from the field. Photographers, clients from cultural institutions and event organizations, as well as representatives from knowledge institutes and vocational training programs. Led by independent chair Ruud Visschedijk, advisor and former director of the Nederlands Fotomuseum, the chain table conducts its own research or commissions it. The chain table performs analyses and develops concrete guidelines and tools for practical application. Examples from the cultural sector and comparable sectors are used for this purpose.
Concrete tools have now been developed to strengthen the labor market position of photographers in the field of culture and event photography, and the chain table has established a working group for the communication of these tools. Additionally, an explorer has been appointed to investigate whether there is sufficient support for securing fair pay and employment conditions in photography.
Tools & downloads
Preliminary research
The committee is currently hard at work developing sample calculations.
These sample calculations will be based on the survey report ‘A Sharper Picture: Unpaid Activities of Photographers’ from April 2024 and the research report ‘Zooming in on Billability: Exploration of Paid and Unpaid Hours of Professional Photographers in the Cultural Sector’ from December 2024.
Copyright Guide
The copyright guide by legal expert Max van Olden states that almost every photograph is protected by copyright. This means that use by clients is subject to rules and the creator is entitled to appropriate compensation. Moral rights protect the bond between the creator and the work, while portrait rights allow the person photographed to oppose distribution. Specific rights also apply to exhibitions, copying, resale, and current topics such as digital platforms and AI.
Pricing Guide
The pricing guide by researcher Marc Prüst shows which components you should include in your rate structure as a professional photographer. This includes preparation, the photoshoot, post-processing, travel time, and business costs. The type of photo and additional costs for staff, transport, equipment, or locations also influence the rate. This is explained with concrete examples of common assignments. This provides both creators and clients with a complete overview of what a fair rate entails.
Calculation tool
The calculation tool is currently under development.