Some holidays are based on the modern calendar. Some are based on lunar/solar calendars. However, they all occur annually. This means there's a need for similar images each year.
Publishers buy illustrative studio images about three-to-six months before these annual holidays. New photographers will find it's difficult to find out-of-season props when publishers want these images.
Consequently, the best day to buy props is the day after a holiday. Rather than storing merchandise for a year, many retailers offer holiday items at severe discounts on Jan. 2, July 5, Nov. 1 and Dec. 26 and similar dates.
While this is particularly important to commercial stock photographers, PJs can take advantage of these sales as well.
Anyone who's read the "A penny saved..." post will immediately understand. If someone else pays prop fees for "Christmas in July," get new stuff. Otherwise, wait until it's on sale, and get more for less. All props are a write off, but it's pointless to waste money.
Basic capitalism suggests we should "buy low and sell high." If we buy holiday-themed props the day after the holiday, we can get merchandise for pennies on the dollar. Our selection may be limited, but we're taking advantage of a buyer's market.
Rather than scrambling to locate Easter items in October, we have six months to work with the plastic and ceramic items we purchased in the spring. Hopefully, we'll find additional uses for the items as well.
Find timeless items
Many "fad" items are sold each year. Ignore those items on the bargain shelf and look for classic, repetitive items. Also look for items that could be useful for other shoots.
Colored lights, fall leaves, artificial pumpkins, plastic grass, fake snow and other non-perishable items can be used for non-holiday illustrations. While everyone needs to avoid items with printed dates (particularly on New Year props), commercial stock shooters also need to avoid items with logos and trademarks.
However, any shooter could use a fog machine all year. They're available this week for about 20 percent of next year's price. For the price of a single fog machine, a wise PJ can buy the machine, fog juice, cleaner and some ghoulish props this week.
If a studio specializes in children's portraits, they could scoop up all the leftover costumes and reap the benefits throughout the year. If children get to dress like a princess, cowboy, firefighter or bumblebee, they don't care what day of the year it is.
Likewise, early November is greeting card portrait season. Photo greeting cards become family keepsakes. Clients need enough time to have the cards printed, addressed and mailed. If these aren't shot and at the lab by Nov. 15, there's going to be problems.
Smart PJs can offer portrait specials and stay busy through Thanksgiving Day. The smartest PJs already have a box of props from last year. They probably picked up discounted Bing Crosby CDs one year to put subjects in the mood as well.
Enough for now,
Showing posts with label save money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label save money. Show all posts
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
A penny saved...
Benjamin Franklin is one of my favorite people of all time. He said and did much. He stated, "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy," but that's a tangent I won't follow today. ;-}
Instead, let's discuss one of his other highly-quoted statements. It is, "A penny saved is a penny earned."
Over the years, people have misunderstood this powerful business statement. Additionally, Ben didn't get it entirely right. I'll explain why in a moment.
It's basic business
While some marketing genius convinced people that Ben's statement is about opening a savings account and letting someone else use their money, it's not. It's actually the exact opposite.
What Ben meant was any penny you don't waste equates to earning a penny. Pennies don't mean much anymore, so think of it as $10. Basically, not wasting $10 is the same as earning $10.
Still not convinced? OK. Load $10 into the paper shredder. Once it's pretty confetti, do you need to earn the same $10 to pay bills? Probably.
As businesspeople, PJs must understand each dollar we don't waste is a dollar we don't need to earn elsewhere. Better yet, every buck not wasted is profit.
Ben was wrong?
I said Ben didn't get this concept entirely right. Here's why: it costs more to earn money, than it costs to spend it.
Think about what earning money entails. There's overhead involved in equipment, communications, utilities, travel, taxes, etc. These expenses come from somewhere. They come from PJs' earnings. It easily costs $10 (or more) to earn $20.
Therefore, Ben's statement relates to the PJ biz as "$10 saved is $20 earned."
Yes, it's all a write off, but it takes more time. Use the same time wisely.
Big biz
As businesses become larger, it takes more money to earn money. However, any incremental cutting of waste creates substantial rewards. It's worth more than earning the same amount because it costs nothing.
We understand this principle when it comes to manufacturing. If a magazine reduces one centimeter of paper waste, those centimeters add up to reams in short time. The amount saved in one press run could easily offset the entire editorial expense for the magazine.
Let's ignore how the newsprint hedge system works today. Instead, think of cutting costs as a way to earn money.
How this affects PJs
PJs work with extremely large, profitable companies. Since Ben was a printer, it's fair to say most buyers of our work understand exactly what Ben stated.
It's also fair to say publishers understand our work is often negotiable. Sure, we have a point where we walk away forever, but they can squeeze most PJs fairly hard before most PJs drop a publisher.
This is precisely why it's important to understand Ben's simple statement. This is how the industry operates. Publishers look to save a penny wherever they can. If a publisher pays less for content, it's profit.
Publishers may try to cut "non-essential" (from their point-of-view) expenses such as mileage, transmission fees, digital fees, use fees, etc. All of these are essential to a pro PJ's survival, but publishers are trying to save pennies.
They're smart businesspeople. They're doing exactly what they should be doing.
Meanwhile, PJs must battle these attempts to encroach on our fees. As I stated, fees are negotiable. Part of the negotiations involves walking away from bad deals. If PJs accept bad deals, they must work doubly hard to earn the same amount. This is a recipe for hardship.
If we're smart businesspeople, we do exactly what we should do. We set fair prices, and stick to our prices. Publishers still buy images. They pay the full price because it's a cost of doing business (a full write off).
Like I said, publishers are smart. They try to cut expenses wherever they can. If they find PJs willing to work for less, they'll occasionally save those pennies. If they find pro PJs won't back down, they pay the fees and look to save pennies elsewhere.
The publishers did their job by trying to save pennies. Cheap PJs failed to do their job if they accept low offers. It's not the publishers' fault, it's the PJs'.
Legitimate costs
Every tiny expense involved in making any image is legitimate. It's a business expense to someone. It should be the publisher's expense because they need the images.
If a shoot is 10 miles from a PJ's house, charge the mileage. Otherwise, PJs are PAYING the publisher $18.20 to make an image for the publisher (.455 x 20 miles = 9.10 * 2 [Ben principle] ). A 100-mile gig costs $182.00 - enough to buy a new lens or some quality filters.
In turn, these purchases are a write off for a pro PJ, so the after-tax purchasing power of any 100-mile trip is about $364 [(546/3)*2]. This is 36,400 wasted pennies if mileage wasn't properly charged to the client.
It's up to the PJ to either PAY to make images for a client, or get new equipment. It's the same amount of money. I choose to buy new gear with my money and let the publishers pay their share of my car expense, which is a total write off for them.
Alternatively, they can spend $600 to fly another PJ into town. Then, they pay this other PJ for her/his time, rentals, etc... It'll cost the company more in the long run, so they'd rather hire a local shooter and pay these fees if all things are relatively equal.
My point is: clients pay fees if the fees are reasonable and understood up front. If a client wants to walk away from a deal over a $30 expense, it probably isn't a client worth keeping. I'll happily give them the phone number to an area high school to hire someone in their price range (yes, I've done this before).
While some may think this is irrational, consider I frequently have gigs in Houston and Lake Charles. Both are about 90 to 100 miles from Beaumont.
Are either of these cities lacking PJs? No.
Do clients specifically hire me and understand my fees? Yes.
Editorial work costs money. Publishers don't spend this money because they want to be good people. They pay to create a product to sell to their customers. Smart publishers create better products to sell more copies or get more viewers. Better products cost more money, but create more income.
In this sense, the penny invested earns two cents. Likewise, the pennies "saved" by the competition probably cost them those same two cents. So, how much does a cheap publisher really save? Nothing, they actually waste this money. According to Ben's principle, this costs twice as much.
What it means
Today, we understand a buck saved (by a PJ) is the same as a two bucks earned. We can look for bargains while purchasing, and we can cut waste to earn more money. Most importantly, we can ensure clients reimburse our expenses and pay other legitimate fees.
We know publishers must try to save some bucks, and it's up to us to reject low offers. This is because our work is valuable and considered an "investment" rather than "waste."
Just as PJs invest in better equipment to improve the quality of our work, publishers invest in quality PJ work to improve their product(s). Investing in quality PJ work yields extra income for publishers. It's the cost of doing business.
It costs nothing extra to hire good PJs because it's a business expense. The publisher is reimbursed by the government (via taxes) for our fees. Meanwhile, they get additional readers by acquiring high-quality images.
Therefore, quality PJ isn't a "waste" of money for the business while hiring an unqualified shooter is. The penny invested returns two-fold while the penny wasted is lost forever.
This is why the thought of putting money in a savings account is backwards to what Ben meant. The bank invests and doubles money while only paying small dividends to the savings account owners.
Meanwhile, the business principle of not wasting money and using it to earn money is as valid today as it was when Ben sipped his beer.
Enough for now,
Instead, let's discuss one of his other highly-quoted statements. It is, "A penny saved is a penny earned."
Over the years, people have misunderstood this powerful business statement. Additionally, Ben didn't get it entirely right. I'll explain why in a moment.
It's basic business
While some marketing genius convinced people that Ben's statement is about opening a savings account and letting someone else use their money, it's not. It's actually the exact opposite.
What Ben meant was any penny you don't waste equates to earning a penny. Pennies don't mean much anymore, so think of it as $10. Basically, not wasting $10 is the same as earning $10.
Still not convinced? OK. Load $10 into the paper shredder. Once it's pretty confetti, do you need to earn the same $10 to pay bills? Probably.
As businesspeople, PJs must understand each dollar we don't waste is a dollar we don't need to earn elsewhere. Better yet, every buck not wasted is profit.
Ben was wrong?
I said Ben didn't get this concept entirely right. Here's why: it costs more to earn money, than it costs to spend it.
Think about what earning money entails. There's overhead involved in equipment, communications, utilities, travel, taxes, etc. These expenses come from somewhere. They come from PJs' earnings. It easily costs $10 (or more) to earn $20.
Therefore, Ben's statement relates to the PJ biz as "$10 saved is $20 earned."
Yes, it's all a write off, but it takes more time. Use the same time wisely.
Big biz
As businesses become larger, it takes more money to earn money. However, any incremental cutting of waste creates substantial rewards. It's worth more than earning the same amount because it costs nothing.
We understand this principle when it comes to manufacturing. If a magazine reduces one centimeter of paper waste, those centimeters add up to reams in short time. The amount saved in one press run could easily offset the entire editorial expense for the magazine.
Let's ignore how the newsprint hedge system works today. Instead, think of cutting costs as a way to earn money.
How this affects PJs
PJs work with extremely large, profitable companies. Since Ben was a printer, it's fair to say most buyers of our work understand exactly what Ben stated.
It's also fair to say publishers understand our work is often negotiable. Sure, we have a point where we walk away forever, but they can squeeze most PJs fairly hard before most PJs drop a publisher.
This is precisely why it's important to understand Ben's simple statement. This is how the industry operates. Publishers look to save a penny wherever they can. If a publisher pays less for content, it's profit.
Publishers may try to cut "non-essential" (from their point-of-view) expenses such as mileage, transmission fees, digital fees, use fees, etc. All of these are essential to a pro PJ's survival, but publishers are trying to save pennies.
They're smart businesspeople. They're doing exactly what they should be doing.
Meanwhile, PJs must battle these attempts to encroach on our fees. As I stated, fees are negotiable. Part of the negotiations involves walking away from bad deals. If PJs accept bad deals, they must work doubly hard to earn the same amount. This is a recipe for hardship.
If we're smart businesspeople, we do exactly what we should do. We set fair prices, and stick to our prices. Publishers still buy images. They pay the full price because it's a cost of doing business (a full write off).
Like I said, publishers are smart. They try to cut expenses wherever they can. If they find PJs willing to work for less, they'll occasionally save those pennies. If they find pro PJs won't back down, they pay the fees and look to save pennies elsewhere.
The publishers did their job by trying to save pennies. Cheap PJs failed to do their job if they accept low offers. It's not the publishers' fault, it's the PJs'.
Legitimate costs
Every tiny expense involved in making any image is legitimate. It's a business expense to someone. It should be the publisher's expense because they need the images.
If a shoot is 10 miles from a PJ's house, charge the mileage. Otherwise, PJs are PAYING the publisher $18.20 to make an image for the publisher (.455 x 20 miles = 9.10 * 2 [Ben principle] ). A 100-mile gig costs $182.00 - enough to buy a new lens or some quality filters.
In turn, these purchases are a write off for a pro PJ, so the after-tax purchasing power of any 100-mile trip is about $364 [(546/3)*2]. This is 36,400 wasted pennies if mileage wasn't properly charged to the client.
It's up to the PJ to either PAY to make images for a client, or get new equipment. It's the same amount of money. I choose to buy new gear with my money and let the publishers pay their share of my car expense, which is a total write off for them.
Alternatively, they can spend $600 to fly another PJ into town. Then, they pay this other PJ for her/his time, rentals, etc... It'll cost the company more in the long run, so they'd rather hire a local shooter and pay these fees if all things are relatively equal.
My point is: clients pay fees if the fees are reasonable and understood up front. If a client wants to walk away from a deal over a $30 expense, it probably isn't a client worth keeping. I'll happily give them the phone number to an area high school to hire someone in their price range (yes, I've done this before).
While some may think this is irrational, consider I frequently have gigs in Houston and Lake Charles. Both are about 90 to 100 miles from Beaumont.
Are either of these cities lacking PJs? No.
Do clients specifically hire me and understand my fees? Yes.
Editorial work costs money. Publishers don't spend this money because they want to be good people. They pay to create a product to sell to their customers. Smart publishers create better products to sell more copies or get more viewers. Better products cost more money, but create more income.
In this sense, the penny invested earns two cents. Likewise, the pennies "saved" by the competition probably cost them those same two cents. So, how much does a cheap publisher really save? Nothing, they actually waste this money. According to Ben's principle, this costs twice as much.
What it means
Today, we understand a buck saved (by a PJ) is the same as a two bucks earned. We can look for bargains while purchasing, and we can cut waste to earn more money. Most importantly, we can ensure clients reimburse our expenses and pay other legitimate fees.
We know publishers must try to save some bucks, and it's up to us to reject low offers. This is because our work is valuable and considered an "investment" rather than "waste."
Just as PJs invest in better equipment to improve the quality of our work, publishers invest in quality PJ work to improve their product(s). Investing in quality PJ work yields extra income for publishers. It's the cost of doing business.
It costs nothing extra to hire good PJs because it's a business expense. The publisher is reimbursed by the government (via taxes) for our fees. Meanwhile, they get additional readers by acquiring high-quality images.
Therefore, quality PJ isn't a "waste" of money for the business while hiring an unqualified shooter is. The penny invested returns two-fold while the penny wasted is lost forever.
This is why the thought of putting money in a savings account is backwards to what Ben meant. The bank invests and doubles money while only paying small dividends to the savings account owners.
Meanwhile, the business principle of not wasting money and using it to earn money is as valid today as it was when Ben sipped his beer.
Enough for now,
Friday, July 27, 2007
Emulate a Web site with Blogger
Kahtan Alamery is using Blogger in an interesting way. He's linked together various blogspot locations (different URLs) to act as a standard Web site. This way, he pays no hosting fees nor throughput fees if his site becomes popular. His example should help out most beginning or generally frugal PJs.
Kahtan stated in an e-mail,
For other PJs considering this option, include contact information on the blog to make it easier for clients to hire you or buy your work.
Enough for now,
Kahtan stated in an e-mail,
"I started to use Google's Blogger as a back up platform for my Photographs and while I am on the road for extended period of time.Check out his work at www.kahtan6.blogspot.com
I can upload all my photos to the blog and the files automatically group in folders at Picasa which links back my photos to the blog page. Once there I can use the (slide show embed) as a link back to the blog page.
I used to pay $40 a month to maintain a website.
This is a cheaper and better way to showcase my work, I have my work on line for free, my photographs are organized and archived and I can switch the format from a slide show to blog format in less than a minute when I am on the road and want to turn my blog back to photos and text entries."
For other PJs considering this option, include contact information on the blog to make it easier for clients to hire you or buy your work.
Enough for now,
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Go garage saleing for bargains
Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise
Chuck Wright of Beaumont hunts for bargains during a garage sale in Beaumont on Saturday, March 17, 2007.
Janna Fulbright talks with buyers during her garage sale in Beaumont. Spring makes a good time for cleaning out clutter. It also provides comfortable weather for both garage sellers and buyers.
Garage sales are one of the best places to pick up used photographic equipment. If a photographer is unloading their equipment at a garage sale, it's probably priced below anyone's wildest dreams. Estate sales typically have better quality equipment, but it also tends to cost more.
I've picked up most of my antique cameras at garage sales along with a nice copy stand and various other items. It takes a little digging to find the gems, but most sales have something of interest to PJs.
The trick for PJs isn't to look at the items as what they are. Instead, look for items similar to photographic equipment.
For example, I picked up some lightweight music stands many years ago. To me, they were small, emergency light stands and fill-card stands. However, they only cost about $3 each and take half the space.
When checking out a garage sale, it's a good idea to immediately ask the seller if they have any photographic equipment for sale. They'll know where it's located. They may also offer some equipment that isn't on display.
Not too many folks put a studio strobe system or entire darkroom in a garage sale because they know most people A) don't know what it is B) wouldn't know how to use the equipment C) aren't willing to pay a fraction of what it's worth.
But, if you talk to the spouse while the other isn't paying attention, you might get the bargain of a lifetime. ;-)
Another good place to find bargains is pawn shops. As I've mentioned before, my first SLR camera rig came from a pawn shop. The camera (a Nikon FM) still works, and I still carry the manual 50mm lens I got with it.
Later the same year, I missed an opportunity that I'm still kicking myself about. The same pawn shop had a good condition manual Nikon 600mm f/4 lens (with the steel reinforced case) for $500.
I said I'm still kicking myself.
On the good side, I got a Nikon 100mm f/2.8 for $99 and this groovy four-lens, 3D, 2-frame, point-and-shoot camera for my collection at other pawn shops.
Because photography is the No. 1 hobby, there's always going to be someone getting rid of decent equipment. They're either selling it because they've lost interest, need money or upgraded and no longer need the older equipment. In all three cases, the buying PJ is in a great position and cash talks loudest.
Enough for now,
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Save money with 36 exposures
Here's another infrequent money-saving photo tip for 35mm film shooters. Always shoot 36-exposure rolls.
If a PJ shoots 24-exposure rolls, they're wasting money and time. At a sampled dealer, a 24-exposure roll of Fuji film costs $1.79 (7.46 cents p/frame) while a 36-exposure roll of the same brand costs $2.09 (5.81 cents p/frame)*. The cost difference is 30 cents per roll (about 4 frames), so the PJ basically gets six free frames per roll with 36-exposure rolls.
It doesn't sound like much. But, when a PJ is accustomed to shooting seven to 10 rolls per day, it adds up quickly.
In reality, the PJ still fires at least 72 frames per assignment (two rolls of 36 or three rolls of 24). The real cost difference for the same number of frames is $1.19.
More importantly, the processing (or chemistry) fees are enormous. This is where the grocery stores – and even some camera shops – make the real money. They charge about $2 for each roll of film (12, 24 or 26 exposure) processed without prints. For each two rolls of 36-exposure film, the cost is about $4. For each three rolls of 24-exposure film, the cost is about $6. However, the same 72 frames have been shot. The PJ just lost $1.40 plus tax.
This also adds up when a PJ is accustomed to shooting 7 to 10 rolls per day.
Now is anyone wondering why some grocery and camera stores only sell 24-exposure rolls? They want to make a higher profit from PJs (above standard markup). The specific additional profit on each small assignment is $2.59. If PJs want to make a profit, they'll find the shops which sell 36-exposure rolls of film.
* For this comparison I used consumer film instead of professional press film. Press film at this same store cost $2.79 per 36-exposure roll. There is no such thing as 24-exposure professional press film because nobody would buy it.
Enough for now,
If a PJ shoots 24-exposure rolls, they're wasting money and time. At a sampled dealer, a 24-exposure roll of Fuji film costs $1.79 (7.46 cents p/frame) while a 36-exposure roll of the same brand costs $2.09 (5.81 cents p/frame)*. The cost difference is 30 cents per roll (about 4 frames), so the PJ basically gets six free frames per roll with 36-exposure rolls.
It doesn't sound like much. But, when a PJ is accustomed to shooting seven to 10 rolls per day, it adds up quickly.
In reality, the PJ still fires at least 72 frames per assignment (two rolls of 36 or three rolls of 24). The real cost difference for the same number of frames is $1.19.
More importantly, the processing (or chemistry) fees are enormous. This is where the grocery stores – and even some camera shops – make the real money. They charge about $2 for each roll of film (12, 24 or 26 exposure) processed without prints. For each two rolls of 36-exposure film, the cost is about $4. For each three rolls of 24-exposure film, the cost is about $6. However, the same 72 frames have been shot. The PJ just lost $1.40 plus tax.
This also adds up when a PJ is accustomed to shooting 7 to 10 rolls per day.
Now is anyone wondering why some grocery and camera stores only sell 24-exposure rolls? They want to make a higher profit from PJs (above standard markup). The specific additional profit on each small assignment is $2.59. If PJs want to make a profit, they'll find the shops which sell 36-exposure rolls of film.
* For this comparison I used consumer film instead of professional press film. Press film at this same store cost $2.79 per 36-exposure roll. There is no such thing as 24-exposure professional press film because nobody would buy it.
Enough for now,
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Save money with a film puller
Photography is expensive. When PJs first start, it's really expensive.
One of the cheapest and most useful items a film-based PJ can carry in the bag or vest is a film puller
. It's a tiny set of two thin spring-steel leaves. It allows PJs to grab film inside the canister and pull it back out. They cost about $5. If the PJ saves only one accidentally rewound roll of film, it pays for itself.
What a film puller does
Film pullers allow PJs to change film speeds during assignments while only killing a frame or two on the roll. Although this isn't the best way to accomplish changing speeds, it works.
If a PJ shoots 10 frames on a 36 exposure roll of 100ISO film, then s/he needs to go indoors to complete the shoot, it causes a problem. Either the PJ needs to rewind the film and lose the other 26 frames (but still pays the same to have it developed [in chemistry or lab fees]) or use a different camera body indoors. Nobody trots around with nine different camera bodies, so frames get wasted.
However, if the PJ has a film puller, s/he can rewind the film, mark the number of frames shot, and come back to finish the roll later. It's important to mentally note the frame number before rewinding the film. It's equally important to store partially exposed rolls of film separate from unexposed film (to avoid accidental double exposures).
When PJs are back to a same-speed environment (light level), use the film puller to recover the film tab. Load the camera with the already exposed film. Set the camera to manual at the highest shutter speed and stop down the aperture (f/22ish). Cover the lens with a lens cap, coat or hand and fire the same number of frames plus one more for insurance. Depending on the type of camera, there should only be one or two dead frames. Point-and-shoot folks need to completely block light from the lens because the flash will probably fire.
Additionally, PJs who process their own film have a much easier time if they square the film before going into the loading room. It's impossible to machine process without having the tab pulled, but you don't initially need the film-pulling machine professionals use (BTW, a $5 puller often works better).
Art photographers and PJs working on illustrations can deliberately double expose film with the help of a film puller. If the camera doesn't have a shutter reset and the camera has a stable loading pattern, the artist can place multiple elements on the same frame by reloading the film.
How to use a film puller
With the film inside the canister, rotate the spool to tighten the film. When it's tight, there's an audible click each time the film tab passes the exit slot. PJs need the film tight to insert the puller and grab the film.
Place the leaves of the puller in the back position with the ends even. Insert the puller inside the film slot of the canister. Pull the bottom leaf back while letting the top leaf remain fully inserted. Place the film against your ear and rotate the tightly wound spool slowly. As soon as it clicks, stop turning. Slide the other leaf forward inside the canister.
At this point, the film is between the two metal leaves. Bend the puller against the outside lip of the film exit slot to put pressure on the film. Quickly yank the puller out of the canister. The film tab should come out with the puller. If it doesn't repeat the steps listed.
Enough for now,
One of the cheapest and most useful items a film-based PJ can carry in the bag or vest is a film puller
. It's a tiny set of two thin spring-steel leaves. It allows PJs to grab film inside the canister and pull it back out. They cost about $5. If the PJ saves only one accidentally rewound roll of film, it pays for itself.What a film puller does
Film pullers allow PJs to change film speeds during assignments while only killing a frame or two on the roll. Although this isn't the best way to accomplish changing speeds, it works.
If a PJ shoots 10 frames on a 36 exposure roll of 100ISO film, then s/he needs to go indoors to complete the shoot, it causes a problem. Either the PJ needs to rewind the film and lose the other 26 frames (but still pays the same to have it developed [in chemistry or lab fees]) or use a different camera body indoors. Nobody trots around with nine different camera bodies, so frames get wasted.
However, if the PJ has a film puller, s/he can rewind the film, mark the number of frames shot, and come back to finish the roll later. It's important to mentally note the frame number before rewinding the film. It's equally important to store partially exposed rolls of film separate from unexposed film (to avoid accidental double exposures).
When PJs are back to a same-speed environment (light level), use the film puller to recover the film tab. Load the camera with the already exposed film. Set the camera to manual at the highest shutter speed and stop down the aperture (f/22ish). Cover the lens with a lens cap, coat or hand and fire the same number of frames plus one more for insurance. Depending on the type of camera, there should only be one or two dead frames. Point-and-shoot folks need to completely block light from the lens because the flash will probably fire.
Additionally, PJs who process their own film have a much easier time if they square the film before going into the loading room. It's impossible to machine process without having the tab pulled, but you don't initially need the film-pulling machine professionals use (BTW, a $5 puller often works better).
Art photographers and PJs working on illustrations can deliberately double expose film with the help of a film puller. If the camera doesn't have a shutter reset and the camera has a stable loading pattern, the artist can place multiple elements on the same frame by reloading the film.
How to use a film puller
With the film inside the canister, rotate the spool to tighten the film. When it's tight, there's an audible click each time the film tab passes the exit slot. PJs need the film tight to insert the puller and grab the film.
Place the leaves of the puller in the back position with the ends even. Insert the puller inside the film slot of the canister. Pull the bottom leaf back while letting the top leaf remain fully inserted. Place the film against your ear and rotate the tightly wound spool slowly. As soon as it clicks, stop turning. Slide the other leaf forward inside the canister.
At this point, the film is between the two metal leaves. Bend the puller against the outside lip of the film exit slot to put pressure on the film. Quickly yank the puller out of the canister. The film tab should come out with the puller. If it doesn't repeat the steps listed.
Enough for now,
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