A New (But Familiar) Way of Working

I’ve spent the last few weeks thinking a lot about the "admin" side of Rising Dice.

If you’ve read my previous posts, you’ll know that "Business" with a capital B isn’t really what I'm here for. I started this because I love photography and I love board games. The moment it starts feeling like a 9-to-5 job filled with quotes, invoices, and chasing emails is the moment I’d rather just go and watch another episode of Haikyu!!

But if 2025 showed me anything it’s that doing 28 shoots a year as a "side project" is a lot. To keep this sustainable, and to make sure I’m still keeping myself honest to what I wanted Rising Dice to be, I’m making a few changes to how it all works.

Introducing "The Pack"

Up until now, I’ve just shot the game.

Sometimes that meant 10 images, sometimes it meant more. That lack of structure made it hard for me to plan my time and hard for you to know what you were getting so I’m moving to a system where images are delivered in packs.

A Pack is pretty simple, it’s 10 high-quality, finished images. 

Think of it as a focused set such as a a Gameplay Pack (action shots of the game in progress), a Themed Pack (cinematic, moody shots that capture the "vibe"), or a Media Pack which is a custom package of images perfect for crowdfunding campaigns and social media.

You can read more about packs and how they’re made up on our website.

By working in blocks of 10, I can make sure every single image gets the attention it deserves without the scope of the shoot spiralling out of control, which I’ll be honest did tend to happen!

The Tier Model (and the £0 Pack)

The core of Rising Dice isn't changing as I still want to help indie designers and small studios get the kind of high-end photography that usually costs a fortune.

So, we now have an Indie Tier, which, if you are a first-time designer or a small studio, your first Pack is £0.

No catch and no "peculiar" hidden fees, it’s my way of paying it forward and supporting those folks bringing something new to the world, and if you need more than 10 images, additional Packs are £200.

I’m also introducing a Partner Tier for established studios where, if you’ve got a bigger operation and a dedicated marketing budget, it's £200 per Pack from the start.

To be clear though, this is an honesty-based system so I’m not going to ask for your tax returns. You’ll be asked to self-certify based on where you are in your journey and, if you’re a big publisher, pay the £200 so I can keep doing the £0 shoots for the person working on their first prototype at their kitchen table.

There’s information on our website about how these tiers work, so give it a read.

An Agreement From The Start

Along with the Packs, I’m introducing a bit more structure to the "pre-shoot" phase.

I’ve put together a complete Project Agreement and extended Discovery Form which will really help bring clarity to the whole process. We’ll talk about your goals first, I’ll suggest the right combination of Packs to hit those goals, and we’ll sign a simple agreement so we both know the deal before I even take the lens cap off.

It covers the practical stuff like how many images you're getting, where I’m shipping the game back to, and a clear understanding of the photography process before during and after the shoot.

Because I'm a one-man shop, getting that agreed early is what allows me to work quickly and keep the studio running smoothly without getting bogged down in endless revisions.

You Can Still Use Them Everywhere and Forever.

One thing that is absolutely not changing is the Perpetual Commercial License.

Once we’re done and the license is signed, the images are yours and you can use them on your website, your Kickstarter, your retail box, or a billboard in Times Square (though tell me if you do!). No complicated restrictions, no "per-use" fees or anything else that can really bog you down with what you can and can’t do with the images you have.

Why now?

I’m doing this because I want Rising Dice to be here for a long time and, by adding a tiny bit of structure and a way for larger projects to contribute, I can make sure I’m not burning out which, I’ll admit, is where I felt at the tail end of last year.

It keeps the fun parts like the shooting, the playing, and the creating, at the front, where it belongs while keeping me true to what I originally set out to achieve with Rising Dice.