by Jörg Arnold, October 2022
Images are the soul of every organisation. Whether photos or video: we use visuals to show who we are and what is important to us. They demonstrate our identity, telling the stories that inspire the public’s interest, purchase or donation in our work. Many of us know that the majority of human communication occurs not through words, but through visual cues. So why do so many communication, marketing and fundraising managers struggle to find budget for photography and video production, and why do we need to solve this?
There are two sentences we’ve heard over and over again:
"It is very time-consuming and expensive to get pictures that I can really use for my work."
Followed by:
"We only have a small budget for photo and video production."
Do you see how these statements contradict each other?
Our theory is that this occurs because image editing and procurement comes low on the list of priorities in the budget discussions. This means negotiations are done ad hoc throughout the year on already tight budgets and the time for these projects is often done at the expense of overtime. So how do we solve this? Image production and procurement must be included as the budget is defined.
We’re not going to tell you that you can perfectly plan your annual photo and video budget because we don't believe that to be true or possible.
In communications, everything can change at short notice. You may need assets for a report that is being prepared for a financier, there may be a last-minute event that you need to share with your community - or you may need to scrap and project and start over due to a natural disaster. For all of these reasons, it is important to keep your budget flexible and versatile.
Have an estimate of what is needed for daily operations: seasonal and annual campaigns, annual reports, and social media. This forms a global budget that can be divided and allocated according to individual - and unexpected - needs.
Finding a creative partner that decreases your internal workflows will help you better manage your budget. Coordinating productions, brief reviews, data management and payment: these details all cost time, which effectively means money for your organisation.
By working with a partner like Fairpicture who has clearly structured processes that exist in one digital ecosystem, the administrative work will decrease. Additionally, international travel expenses are also reduced, as you will be working with local talent.
You can also save direct costs by having a clear partnership. Relationship-building takes time. There are nuances to each organisation and having an ongoing partner who can support your needs, even as a global organisation, can be a huge boost in efficiency. Starting in 2023, Fairpicture will offer a regular subscription model, which will reduce your daily fee. If you’re interested in learning more about this as we develop the offer, get in touch with our account management team.
Always remember: good images and videos require time. Time to prepare the production, time to for the visual creator to gain the trust and proper consent of those depicted, time to edit the metadata. Even with a tight budget, investing an extra day or two will help ensure that the visual creator you work with can do their job properly and professionally. When professionals are asked to rush something, the quality of our work decreases. Budgeting for sufficient time will help everyone involved in your productions to give their best - which is important if we consider images to be one of the most important things in our communication strategies.
July 2024 - Noah Arnold
The Fairpicture lens on representation and stereotypes is relevant in many fields. See how we challenge the depiction of nuclear weapons, exploring ethical journalism and societal impact.
Learn more about Deconstructing Nuclear Weapons Stereotypes: The Intersection of Journalism and Ethics
January 2022 - Fabrice Mbonankira
What makes a good visual story? In his blog, Fairpicture photographer Fabrice Mbonankira places great emphasis on the socio-political dimension of storytelling.
Learn more about The life of a story
February 2023 - Anne Nwakalor
Anne Nwakalor explores the importance of consent within the context of the Global South – something which shouldn't be considered insignificant any longer.
Learn more about Children are Not Props: Consent in the Global South