Nicole,
You just stated in your reply about the tip jar idea that "I volunteer my time to help keep events like these free". That is not accurate as to the way you described it initially.
You said the store offered you the shoot for a $75 store credit. That is a fee no matter how under valued it might have been. Jim and I both wrote our opinion on that matter. Even though it felt like you were working for free, you did negotiate that arrangement. So, putting a tip jar stating you're working for free may not sit well with the store. It is the store that made the photos free to their customers, not you.
You also stated that the store would provide you a table to display your photos and business on. Therefore, the donation box on "your table" should not have been an issue. Embarrassing, perhaps, but it was a point of the agreement.
Which brings me to my main point... CONTRACTS!!! You should have prepared a written agreement in order to keep that points of the agreement clear. This would not leave it up to memory as the details of the agreement.
If you want to be taken seriously as a photographer, the way you conduct the "business side" of the business is as important as your talent as a photographer. I can almost guarantee you that your talents as a photographer were near the bottom of the list as to what the store manager was looking to hire. He was looking for anyone who could shoot an "in focus" photo for a "free" 4x6.
Now, one way you could have made this work to your advantage is this. Tell the manager that your sitting fee for such an event is $500. And that if you here to shoot the event, the agreement would be between the store, rescue group, and you.
The difference between the $500 and the $75 would be a donation write off to the rescue group. You would have a contract between the 3 parties agreeing to your fee, and donation of time and expenses. Those in turn could be used as non-profit donations on your taxes.
If they like working with you and the quality of your work, then then next event can be negotiated at a higher rate, still setting the $500 fee as the baseline. You could negotiate $150 in cash, and the $350 balance as your donation to a non-profit (still a write off).
I know you want to get your work seen, but you also want to be seen as a professional.
Doug
