Welcome new photographers! We are excited to have you on the team. As you get started, it’s important to view our resources so you know how to work within our brand. On your new dashboard, you will see a question mark icon in the menu bar – please click there to access the resources page. Another place to find helpful info is in our Video Library.
It is important to note that when you are working on a Flytographer shoot, you are working with Flytographer customers, not your own, and are therefore representing Flytographer. We might have other ways of doing business and specific policies that could differ from your personal company. To help you navigate certain situations, we’ve made this quick guide to understand the top 10 ways that Flytographer might be different than your own brand.
Still unsure about what to do in a certain situation? Just ask us. That’s what we’re here for!
1. We offer you dedicated support teams.
This means that whenever you need something, you can ask — you’re not alone! Our fabulous concierge team is here to help you in the event of an emergency, with customer communications, and with general assistance when you need it. They can be contacted via email at concierge@flytographer.com or, if it’s in reference to a specific shoot, through your dashboard in the shoot chat box.
We also have a dedicated photographer team that supports you in training, coaching, and with any larger issues. They can be reached via email at photographer@flytographer.com.
2. We stay the full amount of time on a shoot.
Flytographer is built on a time-based model. This means customers choose packages for the amount of time they spend with you + the number of delivered images. Often on your own shoots, you will spend as much or as little time until you get the content you need. On Flytographer shoots, even if you think you already have what you need, do not leave the shoot before the prescribed shoot end time. For example, if you are booked for a 60-minute shoot from 7-8 am, then you need to show up 10 minutes early and not say your goodbyes until at least 8:00 am.
Part of the magic ✨ of Flytographer is spending time with you, the local, so even if you feel you taken enough photos ahead of the end time, you can slow down, continue walking and talking, shooting casually in new spots, and see if there is anything else you can do to add to your customers’ magical travel experience with you.
3. We don’t drive customers.
For liability reasons, we ask that you not have customers in your vehicle. We know that sometimes it’s difficult for a customer to find a location, but the solution to that is to have them meet you somewhere in their rental car or taxi and follow you.
If they have chosen a taxi instead of driving themselves and the location is somewhat remote, make sure the cab driver knows to come back and pick them up at a certain time so they aren’t stuck without a ride back to their hotel.
4. We vet all photographers for the highest-quality customer experience.
As you will remember from your own interview and onboarding experience, we are very careful about which photographers join our team – you are part of an elite global team! If you ever need someone to join you on a shoot (for example, if you’ve hurt your back and need someone to carry your bags or assist with the shoot in some capacity), please let the concierge team know and we will make sure your customers are aware – we don’t want any surprises! If you want to add a person to your Flytographer shoots more regularly (like a new partner), please contact the photographer team and we will go through the process to make them more permanent.
If you have had an emergency and cannot make your shoot, please do not look for an outside photographer to cover your shoot! We know this is what you would do in your own business, but we never want to have unvetted photographers with our customers (even if you know them) as they won’t be up to speed on our policies and practices. In case of emergency, always contact the concierge team as soon as possible and we’ll handle it from there.
5. Photographers choose the best images, not customers.
Each time-based Flytographer package comes with a set number of photos, which will be indicated on every booking and can also be found in our Uploading Guide. It is the photographer’s job to choose the best of the best to ensure the minimum number is reached (and you can throw in a few more if you like to make the customer extra happy!). Flytographer does not send proofs or allow the customer to choose images.
Customers may request a few “must have” shots that they want you to capture, and those will be listed for you ahead of time on the shoot brief, which we call the “Shoot Scoop.” Please be sure you read the Shoot Scoop carefully for every shoot.
6. We deliver photos within five days of the shoot.
Please do not promise the customer they will get their photos any earlier than 5 days, nor text them when you have uploaded your photos to us. There is a process behind the scenes at Flytographer which involves first sending a sneak peek postcard and sometimes manually reviewing galleries of new photographers to make sure they are aligned with our brand standards. Telling customers that they will get their photos before 5 days and/or letting them know when you uploaded to us potentially and unnecessarily sets them up for disappointment. We always want to manage expectations and try to ✨ surprise and delight ✨ them whenever we can.
Note that when you do upload photos early, there is an excellent chance your customers will get them early too (if there are no concerns with the gallery), and this is where they will be surprised and delighted — they were promised 5 days but received them earlier than that, which usually means more enthusiastic and grateful feedback for you!
To see the customer journey in action, please head to this resource.
7. We deliver images with a specific aspect ratio and pixel size.
All images should be 2:3/3:2 and 2200x3300px @ 300 dpi. We have created a Lightroom export preset that will make this smooth and easy for you! Head to this resource to get it.
8. We do not include video footage or Photoshopping.
These things are outside of our terms of service. If you offer to shoot a quick video on the customer’s phone as a favour to them so they have something they can put on their social media until your gorgeous professional photos arrive, you may do so but it is your choice – we do not offer anything more extensive in terms of video. Similarly, we do not offer Photoshop nor expect you to edit out people in the background, although you may if you wish to do so. If the customer requests more extensive Photoshopping, we will ask you to quote for it so you can be paid for the extra work if you are willing to do it.
Note that if there was something you should have noticed and corrected during the shooting stage and didn’t, it will be your responsibility to correct it in the editing stage. This includes things like open zippers, undergarments showing, lipstick on the teeth, noticeable garbage right at their feet, etc. As you have likely learned in your own shoots, it’s better to go slowly on the shoot and check for everything before you click your shutter so you aren’t stuck with time-consuming editing later. Don’t be afraid to tell customers their bra strap is out or they have spinach in their teeth — they will be grateful that you were looking out for them.
For the issue of people in the background, if it’s possible to change angles or use your customers to “block” them, please do so — but we understand that some cities and locations are just very crowded and that is what it is. We always hope that customers will choose early morning time slots so you can avoid crowds! 😵💫
9. We never share or publish images until the customer gives explicit written permission.
We know it is customary in wedding photography to get sharing permission prior to the event even happening. Because our customers are people and families of every culture who all have different comfort levels around privacy, Flytographer gives everyone the opportunity to view their images first and then decide if they are open to having them shared. If they are, you are able to publish the images in your portfolio and social media, and if they are not, we all have to keep them private — they are not to be shared anywhere. Privacy is something we take very seriously at Flytographer; please read our Sharing Policies resource carefully.
10. We do not sell extra images.
We understand that a good way to make extra money is to upsell more images. That said, Flytographer’s brand promise is to deliver the very best images and so we never sell more photos — and photographers are not allowed to do so outside of our platform either. If customers are begging you to sell them extra photos, please let our Concierge team know and we will handle it from there.
Questions?
If you have any questions about anything on this page or any other aspect of Flytographer, please contact the Photographer team at photographer@flytographer.com and we will be happy to help you!
Header photo by Alex in Puerto Vallarta