Three reasons I don’t shoot contra (and one reason I do)

Photography is my full-time gig. And in 2024 was the sole income for our household. This, the fact that photography is my job, and everything else following this statement is why I don’t do contra work.

Like anyone else, I have done a lot of work for free, or very cheaply, when beginning to practice my niche of interior photography. Being generous in sharing images beyond the commissioning client initially brought me additional ongoing business, too. This helped to get me started, but long-term it is not sustainable nor standard practice.

It isn’t always easy creating a career from your passion. I am incredibly grateful that I can pick up a camera and call it work. Being a photographer is something I have wanted to do since the age of 17, and something that I have worked very hard to learn the ins and outs of running a successful business. It was quite early on that I learnt that exposure does not pay the bills, but it does help pay someone else’s.

A sour legacy has deepened with the rise of social media and the influencer. One that is fun and frivolous, yet devalues and disrespects by the lack of boundaries put in place. Just as an influencer deserves to be paid for content creation and promotion, accommodation hosts deserve to be paid for the use of their property, and photographers deserve to be paid for the photographs that will inevitably elevate and strengthen the profile of a commercial venture.

Commonly, I am asked if I would like to visit a property to take photographs of it in return for a weekend away or an offer along those lines. While it is something I have done and undoubtedly will do again, I only conduct such contra arrangements on my very own strict terms. And as an over-arching rule, if this is asked of me, the answer is No.

Below are some reasons why…

Photographing short term stays and boutique accommodation is what I do to earn a living.

As my main source of income, it feels disrespectful to my paying clients to accept what many of them offer to me, complimentary, as well as paying an invoice. At many of the properties I shoot, I often end up staying there for a night or two out of necessity — due to the distance it often is from my own home.

I can’t relax when engaged to create.

When I am on site, I work tirelessly to capture the story of the space. The result is a suite of images that will serve my client for years to come. As I finish the shoot, my brain struggles to switch off, and for as long as I am there, I will continue to see new angles and undoubtedly continue working on and off for the rest of my stay. Therefore, swapping my work for a holiday does not compute well in my brain.

When money is exchanged, value and respect are created.

I have learnt the hard way that money equals respect. Just as I will value my weekend away far more, if I have paid for it with my hard-earned money. A paying customer will want to ensure the best possible outcome from their investment, just as someone paid for their services will endeavour to exceed expectations. When an invoice is due, the client and photographer will work towards a common goal, each seeing value in the final outcome, therefore creating a better result.

So, this begs the question….when do I opt to carry out a contra arrangement?

When there is true value being offered to me.

I still rarely say yes when approached out of the blue. However, occasionally in recent times, I have reached out to a property to request a stay in return for some images. And this is only when it has value to me — for example, when I am genuinely looking for a place to stay for either work or play.

Last year I needed a place to stay in Melbourne while being there for work purposes - a meeting and a personal project shoot. With a tight budget, I reached out to a beautiful Airbnb called My City Hideaway that I have been to before and arranged a two-hour shoot for a two-night stay.

Similarly, earlier in 2024, I was travelling to Tasmania on a last-minute trip with my friend to go to a Satellite Island day-trip. I contacted my friends who own The Gatekeeper’s Lodge and again, arranged a two-hour shoot for a two-night stay.

In both these agreements, a contract was still signed, and they negotiated that I shoot whatever I was drawn to, as they already had comprehensive imagery and were simply keen to see their property through my eyes.

When do I decide to pay for accommodation?

I choose to pay for accommodation when I am genuinely looking for a proper break from work and likely travelling with my husband, family or friends. Or even on my own, it is easier for me to pay for my stay to keep my head in the game for the unrelated work project that I am in town to conduct.

For example, at the beginning of 2025, I travelled to Tasmania for some personal shoots. I booked myself into separate short term stays, and ended up loving them both so much I actually brought out my camera for fun.

Want my advice?

If you are a short-term stay host looking for some content but can’t quite afford a photographer yet? Think about how you can truly add value to your offer, rather than just asking them for their work in return for two nights accommodation and only on a weeknight.
OR if you are a host constantly receiving requests from influencers wanting a free stay in return for cross-promotion — ensure there is a written agreement on the deliverables. For example, querying how many Instagram stories, posts, reels will be shared and ensuring your property is being tagged.

If you are a photographer who shoots accommodation and are fielding these enquiries, feel free to take a leaf from my book and borrow these reasons — you do deserve to be paid for your work. Or if it is of interest to you, ensure there is true value being included for you.