Comments on: Photographers, don’t work for free! http://www.graham-mitchell.com/blog/?p=96 Sun, 22 Aug 2010 19:58:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Erin L. Hubbs http://www.graham-mitchell.com/blog/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-11956 Erin L. Hubbs Sun, 22 Aug 2010 19:58:43 +0000 http://www.foto-z.com/blog/?p=96#comment-11956 Well said... Well said…

]]> By: Semi Pro http://www.graham-mitchell.com/blog/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-11952 Semi Pro Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:55:05 +0000 http://www.foto-z.com/blog/?p=96#comment-11952 I can say this is great because I just got done with a client who couldn't afford the session. Ok so I will only probide as shot pics and you will have to buy those of my site. Retouched will be as priced and will be delivered. Covered my buttox, right, wrong. Put the pics up so they could be purchased and haven't seen one purchase. So I am out and the time is lost. I wont do that ever again. I spent one hour at the shoot. One time rookie mistake and I thought I was being hard on them. Kudos. I can say this is great because I just got done with a client who couldn’t afford the session. Ok so I will only probide as shot pics and you will have to buy those of my site. Retouched will be as priced and will be delivered. Covered my buttox, right, wrong. Put the pics up so they could be purchased and haven’t seen one purchase. So I am out and the time is lost. I wont do that ever again. I spent one hour at the shoot. One time rookie mistake and I thought I was being hard on them. Kudos.

]]> By: Casey Lipok http://www.graham-mitchell.com/blog/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-9190 Casey Lipok Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:41:55 +0000 http://www.foto-z.com/blog/?p=96#comment-9190 Great blog! You took the words right out of my mouth. A few years ago, I had a couple come into my studio and told me they would pay me $5.00 (five dollars) if I put all the images I shot on a CF card. I told them I would be more that happy to do that. I told them all they had to do was write me a check for $12,000 so I could cover my monthly expenses of rent, payroll, supplies, and other costs. They seemed to have been offended? I don't know why? Great blog! You took the words right out of my mouth. A few years ago, I had a couple come into my studio and told me they would pay me $5.00 (five dollars) if I put all the images I shot on a CF card. I told them I would be more that happy to do that. I told them all they had to do was write me a check for $12,000 so I could cover my monthly expenses of rent, payroll, supplies, and other costs. They seemed to have been offended? I don’t know why?

]]> By: The Time Magazine Cover Photo “Ripoff” « Mark Stout Photography – Photoshoot News & Models http://www.graham-mitchell.com/blog/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-7821 The Time Magazine Cover Photo “Ripoff” « Mark Stout Photography – Photoshoot News & Models Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:04:11 +0000 http://www.foto-z.com/blog/?p=96#comment-7821 [...] Photographers Don’t Work Free [...] [...] Photographers Don’t Work Free [...]

]]> By: admin http://www.graham-mitchell.com/blog/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-6474 admin Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:42:08 +0000 http://www.foto-z.com/blog/?p=96#comment-6474 Thanks for your comments, Mark. Other might be interested to read Mark's own article which he just published about the 'free exposure trap': http://markstoutphotography.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/the-free-exposure-trap/ Thanks for your comments, Mark. Other might be interested to read Mark’s own article which he just published about the ‘free exposure trap’:

http://markstoutphotography.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/the-free-exposure-trap/

]]> By: Mark Stout http://www.graham-mitchell.com/blog/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-6421 Mark Stout Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:53:56 +0000 http://www.foto-z.com/blog/?p=96#comment-6421 It is actually worse than being asked to work for free. Yesterday a magazine asked me to PAY to be included in their publication, wanting a high quality full fashion editorial out of me. This is the second time in a week this has occurred. The claim is I will get so much exposure that models will beat down my door to shoot with me. Problem is they already are, and it is because they know I work with magazines who do pay and hope to get paying work through me. I doubt they will want to pay me to pay someone else to publish the work. When I politely said I do not work for free and cannot as a businessman afford to do so I was attacked as being "principled" and should learn that photographers must learn to see an "opportunity" when it arises. Things have become horribly inverted in the business. And it is happening because so many photographers desperate to break in are willing to give away the whole farm in the hope that they will one day be able to sell one potato. Unfortunately, if more of us don't demand what we are worth and what it actually costs to produce good work, when that day comes you will have to PAY someone to take that lone remaining potato. As for the poster who defends the "right" to license images for peanut shells or work free, I've seen this quite a bit. I don't understand it. Why would someone defend their "right" to be screwed. As if we are evil to demand what it costs to produce our work and they are righteous and good because they give it away free. It is actually worse than being asked to work for free. Yesterday a magazine asked me to PAY to be included in their publication, wanting a high quality full fashion editorial out of me. This is the second time in a week this has occurred. The claim is I will get so much exposure that models will beat down my door to shoot with me. Problem is they already are, and it is because they know I work with magazines who do pay and hope to get paying work through me. I doubt they will want to pay me to pay someone else to publish the work.

When I politely said I do not work for free and cannot as a businessman afford to do so I was attacked as being “principled” and should learn that photographers must learn to see an “opportunity” when it arises.

Things have become horribly inverted in the business. And it is happening because so many photographers desperate to break in are willing to give away the whole farm in the hope that they will one day be able to sell one potato. Unfortunately, if more of us don’t demand what we are worth and what it actually costs to produce good work, when that day comes you will have to PAY someone to take that lone remaining potato.

As for the poster who defends the “right” to license images for peanut shells or work free, I’ve seen this quite a bit. I don’t understand it. Why would someone defend their “right” to be screwed. As if we are evil to demand what it costs to produce our work and they are righteous and good because they give it away free.

]]> By: admin http://www.graham-mitchell.com/blog/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-6334 admin Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:05:39 +0000 http://www.foto-z.com/blog/?p=96#comment-6334 A related article which may be of interest was just published on Photofocus.com http://photofocus.com/2009/06/20/do-professional-photographers-need-copyrights/ A related article which may be of interest was just published on Photofocus.com
http://photofocus.com/2009/06/20/do-professional-photographers-need-copyrights/

]]> By: Mark Stout http://www.graham-mitchell.com/blog/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-5980 Mark Stout Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:32:24 +0000 http://www.foto-z.com/blog/?p=96#comment-5980 Many thanks for this. I always like to see more voices join in the protest on the war against photography. And it is a way. More and more clients are counting on the artist to be an artist, not a business person, and not know what his/her work is worth or act to defend his rights and income. Those selling low end microstock are key examples of this. If they were business people, if they were PROFESSIONAL, they would also be professional enough to realize this is not a fair pricing/use model and does not even support the cost of replacing the camera alone when it wears out. The game has reached unprecedented levels. Each week I am contacted by one or more "clients" with a new angle as to why i should work free. It is easy for me to say no. These are not clients, they are criminals. Unfortunately, many will find some photographer who will agree to do it on the hope it will lead to paid work. It NEVER does. Such crooks will simply move on to the next SUCKER when you demand your worth. This happens only because so many of us entering the business don't know the business, don't know what it actually costs to do business and don't take the time to find out. Thanks for helping to educate more of us. Oh, and by the way, I thought my work was great until I looked at your portfolio. I have some more work to do! Mark Stout http://markstoutphotography.com Many thanks for this. I always like to see more voices join in the protest on the war against photography. And it is a way. More and more clients are counting on the artist to be an artist, not a business person, and not know what his/her work is worth or act to defend his rights and income. Those selling low end microstock are key examples of this. If they were business people, if they were PROFESSIONAL, they would also be professional enough to realize this is not a fair pricing/use model and does not even support the cost of replacing the camera alone when it wears out.

The game has reached unprecedented levels. Each week I am contacted by one or more “clients” with a new angle as to why i should work free. It is easy for me to say no. These are not clients, they are criminals. Unfortunately, many will find some photographer who will agree to do it on the hope it will lead to paid work. It NEVER does. Such crooks will simply move on to the next SUCKER when you demand your worth.

This happens only because so many of us entering the business don’t know the business, don’t know what it actually costs to do business and don’t take the time to find out.

Thanks for helping to educate more of us. Oh, and by the way, I thought my work was great until I looked at your portfolio. I have some more work to do!
Mark Stout
http://markstoutphotography.com

]]> By: Akin Abayomi http://www.graham-mitchell.com/blog/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-5977 Akin Abayomi Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:16:21 +0000 http://www.foto-z.com/blog/?p=96#comment-5977 My view of the Photography industry has evolved over the last few years, I started of thinking clients were overpaying for a photographers service but after taking classes and see what it takes for an image to be produced, I now have the feeling that they don't charge enough. It all take time and education, Photographer need to educate their client and educate each other, that's the only way to bring back value into the industry. My view of the Photography industry has evolved over the last few years, I started of thinking clients were overpaying for a photographers service but after taking classes and see what it takes for an image to be produced, I now have the feeling that they don’t charge enough. It all take time and education, Photographer need to educate their client and educate each other, that’s the only way to bring back value into the industry.

]]> By: Antonio Barros http://www.graham-mitchell.com/blog/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-5975 Antonio Barros Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:09:51 +0000 http://www.foto-z.com/blog/?p=96#comment-5975 This is so true! Why do young designers, young brands, new websites always think they are allowed to have photography work for free? It is very comfortable for them to cut this costs in the budget. Why can't they just plan in advance photography costs in the business plan? This is so true!

Why do young designers, young brands, new websites always think they are allowed to have photography work for free? It is very comfortable for them to cut this costs in the budget. Why can’t they just plan in advance photography costs in the business plan?

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