Charging Travel Fees for Destination Clients

When estimating travel costs for out of town or destination work, it's important to take into consideration all of the costs associated with doing business away from home:

• Transportation- flight, taxis, car rental, gas, tolls, parking fees, insurance, emergency changes to transportation options, additional fees for handling of extra baggage or equipment
• Lodging- hotel, wifi fees, hotel parking or valet fees, shuttle service to/from airport
• Food- eating out, room service, groceries
• Travel Insurance- in case of cancellation, to refund booked flights and deposits placed with travel agencies or resorts (often less expensive than a refundable ticket) and possibly travel health insurance in case you end up in the hospital due to a local infection or encounter with poisonous material (hopefully you'll have researched this stuff in advance)
• Personal Travel Agent- who can help you deal with any last minute changes in travel plans without losing your head
• Discretionary Funds- in case you need some piece of equipment at the last minute, like a power adapter for a different country to charge your batteries, or a power strip because there aren't enough outlets in the room, or even a pre-paid phone to communicate with clients overseas because yours isn't working, or to pay for international roaming charges on your current cell phone to stay in touch with clients
• Working Time Lost During Travel- the most underestimated cost is the amount of working and communication time lost while in-transit.  Getting to and from a destination reduces your work week by at least 2 full days- putting you two days behind in your workload and preventing you from serving other clients during that time.

For these reasons, I don't recommend an itemized bill of travel costs, but rather a flat travel rate included in the contract up front.  By providing an all-inclusive flat travel rate up front rather than itemizing everything, a client is less likely to negotiate paying less or using their frequent flier miles to purchase any of your trip- which you need to retain full control over at all times in order to make any emergency changes to the itinerary.  Occasionally, I will allow a client to pay for my lodging, in the event that they get a better rate through their travel agent for a group booking, but will only take 30% off of my flat rate in order to make sure there is enough for the rest of the fees.

While you need to decide what distances and travel rate is reasonable for you based on your location and fees, I am happy to share what I do as an example of what works best for me as of this posting date in my East Coast location (note my fees and distances were different when I lived in the Midwest, and when prices were different for gas and airfare):

• Travel within 50 miles - Included (because I can drive there and back in the same day)
• Travel between 50-100 miles - $500 (2 hotel nights, driving expenses, eating out, and any emergency expenses for being too far away to get anything at the last minute if needed)
• Travel over 100 miles, within the continental US - $1000 (2-3 hotel nights depending on the scarcity of flights into remote areas, flight & car rental/shuttle/taxi expenses, eating out, emergency, travel insurance, travel agent, etc.)
• Overseas travel- Quote based on location (on top of all travel expenses mentioned above I always include 3 hotel nights minimum- one for the arrival day, one additional day for any emergency flight cancellations/reschedules and-or jet lag adjustment, one for the wedding night- and if I get lucky, a fourth night for myself to just enjoy the location.  It's also important to include costs for an additional shooter while working abroad in case you fall ill to some strange location based disease from accidentally brushing your teeth with bacteria laced water, or in case you need a local photographer who can help translate the local language.)

While many American photographers are often excited to travel abroad for international destinations, be advised that traveling for work is NOT the same as traveling for a vacation.  There are international working visa considerations for each country that need to be dealt with, potential immunization requirements for health reasons, as well as constantly being "on the clock," especially when staying in a resort with all of the guests from the wedding.  If you underestimate the costs of doing business internationally, you may travel a lot, but at the end of the year you could find yourself without enough in the bank to upgrade equipment or clean your camera out from all the sand, humidity, and wear and tear it's acquired from its travels.

Anne Ruthmann is a lifestyle & wedding photographer from Boston, MA. She spent 10 years practicing marketing & management in corporate and non-profit businesses before pursuing her passion for photography in 2004 as an independent small business. She loves helping others find creative and smart solutions to business problems. Follow her on Twitter to see her daily adventures and thoughts.

Tips to Make Flying a Breeze

It's summer which means that some of us are traveling for vacations or destination weddings. Most of the time, the easiest route to go is via plane but sometimes even thinking of all of the ins and outs of flying is enough to make your head spin. Here's some tips to help you navigate the (not so) friendly skies with a bit more ease!

Before You Fly

• Make sure that the bag you are using can carry enough gear for what you are planning to shoot. Sure the over-the-shoulder bag is great, but can it carry all of your gear PLUS your backup equipment (if traveling for a paid gig).

• Think twice before you choose a backpack, walk around your house with your gear on your back before committing to a full trip with it, it gets quite heavy!

• Purchase/use a bag that is well within the carry on size limits (size AND weight) for the airline that you are traveling. If you aren't sure of the limits, check the airline website.

• If you aren't sure if certain items can be carried on, check the TSA and airline websites. Typically tripods and monopods aren't permitted on most flights as well as some batteries.

• When booking your flight, be mindful of the size of the plane. Many commuter jets will not allow ANY bags with wheels on the plane. If you cannot avoid flying a commuter jet (I often have no choice as my local airport is small) try and either book an exit seat or use a bag that will fit beneath the seat.

• If flying out of the country, be sure to know of all of the laws for working in that country and have all visas if applicable. Be prepared and carry documentation of everything. Ever read the horror story of what happened to one Canadian photographer in Mexico? Don't let that be you and know all the laws ahead of time, even if no visas are required.

• Have a list of your equipment with serial numbers and dates purchased to carry with you when flying. If your gear gets stolen or duties are questioned, it will be invaluable to have this information on hand.

• Subscribe to and read Flying with Fish. Bar none, the best flying advice for photographers on the net.

While Flying

• Carry a bag that is inconspicuous. While you may be a proud owner of your Canon, having the logo all over your gear is just making you a target for theft.

• Don't take your eyes off your bag for a minute. Don't trust that the nice person next to you will be honest and watch it while you run to the restroom.

• With all of the crazy fees for checked baggage, people are carrying on more than ever before. Even if your plane can fit your rolling bag in an overhead bin doesn't mean that there will be room by the time you board if you have a later zone or row. When you get to the gate, go to the counter if you aren't in the first group to be called and explain that you are a photographer with valuable gear and ask if you can board early to ensure that your gear is near you. It never hurts to ask and almost ALWAYS the answer is yes.

• Never ever EVER check your bag unless you don't want to have equipment when you get to your destination. Sometimes you'll have to check some of your gear that isn't permitted on carry-ons (tripods etc.) but never check your camera, lenses or memory cards.

• Never ever EVER plane side check your bag either. I don't care that it locks. I don't care that they promise they put it right on the plane and take it right off. Stuff can and will get stolen. Don't believe me? Read Rachel's story. Don't let Rachel be you.

• If forced to plane side check your bag, make sure you have a backup bag that you can place all of your gear into to carry it on. I carry this bag with me just in case on flights - it rolls up to be about the size of a chapstick and can easily carry what I need it to in a pinch.

• Don't tell authorities in other countries that you are taking pictures for a "friend's" wedding or are there for pleasure unless you really are. Have the proper visas or documentation ready when going through country and be prepared to be grilled or denied entry if they don't believe your "friend's wedding" story.

Do you have any tips to add? Any flying tales of woe you'd like to share?

Corey Ann is a wedding & lifestyle photographer from North Canton, OH. She is a mix of everything - fashionista (runs Clothes for Pros, clothing suggestions for photographers), travel guru, deal hound and geek rolled into one. She's had a website online since 1997 and a blog since 1999. When not plotting world domination or her next trip, she can be found reading one of the 100+ books she reads a year. Follow her on Twitter.

WPPI 2010: Finding Cheap Airfare

After you score a great deal for the hotel stay, your next greatest expense is going to probably be the flight to get to Vegas. Airfare can be al over the place and often it is hard to make sense of why some flights are certain rates. Here are some tips to get you to and from Las Vegas cheaply!

Things to Know

Each site and airline has their own way of presenting things and it’s good to know the game before getting really excited about a deal that really isn’t a deal. Each site has it’s own method of showing price, some show the full price after surcharges, taxes and fees and others do not and choose to tack them on at the end. Often the cost can change in upwards of $75. Also keep in mind that if you are checking any luggage, there is going to be a fee to check it both ways - often an additional $60 or so dollars per bag (unless you are using Southwest). Finally you want to find out if the airline charges for EVERYTHING on board or just food. The $5 waters add up when in air for 3+ hours.

Days Are Important

One thing that will change your prices dramatically is what days of the week you choose to fly in/out , how many days in advance you book your ticket and what days of the week you book on. If you are not set to a schedule, it is best to always choose the option to see days before and after you selected dates so that you can see the best prices. Typically Monday - Thursday are going to be your best rate days to fly in but each airline, location and sale will vary. Always remember that even if it’s a ‘steal’ to fly in 2 days before that’s an additional 2 days you will be paying for lodging and food. You also need to consider the days of the week you book for getting the best discount. Typically fares reduce about 45 days out, 30 days out, 14 days out and then sometimes 7 days out. It isn’t a hard rule but something to keep in mind when keeping an eye on fares. Finally, booking Tuesday - Thursday will provide you with the best prices typically.

Choosing Your Airport

While there is only one airport to fly into Las Vegas, there is usually a selection of locations you can choose to fly out of to get there. Often, different local airports can vary by a hundred dollars or more. When searching make sure to choose the option that allows the search of nearby airports as well as your preferred airport. You may be surprised.

WPPI Discounts

WPPI has negotiated discounts of 5-10% with certain airlines. Go here to find the discount code and book directly with the selected line for the best deals.

Surf the Web

The first site I always hit when booking airfare is Kayak. It does all of the searches for you and saves you a LOT of headaches. Just be prepared that there is going to be a lot of pages opening. It is however the quickest way to get an idea of what fares are and where to find them. Trip.com also offers a similar service in searching many sites at once.

Find a flight that suits your needs but want to get your best deal on it? Go to Yapta and sign up for their alerts so that you can find out when the fare drops. Yapta doesn’t allow you to purchase the flight through their site, but allows you to find the fares and purchase through the airline directly.

Orbitz also has a great deal by promising that if someone books your same flight for the same dates you get the difference back if the fare is cheaper.

Keep in mind that one of the cheaper airlines, Southwest, does not participate in any of the deal websites. Their fares are often very reasonable so make sure to hit up their site when surfing the web for the best deal. They also have an alert system that will tell you when a flight that you enter is on sale.

Finally if you are not picky about the times of day that you arrive and leave, always hit up Priceline and Hotwire and try to name your price. I always suggest finding what the lowest airfare is and then making educated guesses from there. Often $25 below is the sweet spot but sometimes it can go far below that.

Hopefully this helps you navigate the friendly skies a bit easier and the end result is a cheaper flight!

Corey Ann is a wedding & lifestyle photographer from North Canton, OH. She is a mix of everything - fashionista, travel guru, deal hound and geek rolled into one. She's had a website online since 1997 and a blog since 1999. When not plotting world domination or her next trip, she can be found reading one of the 100+ books she reads a year. Follow her on Twitter.