Comments on: 6 Real-Life Stories Where Photographers Were Expected To Work For Free

By: Peruch

Peruch — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:41:45 +0000

Please email me at cperuch@.my.wgu.edu

By: Peruch

Peruch — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:38:04 +0000

Hello, I would like to use this resource for my thesis. Please let me know soon. Thank you, 1. Topic: Film vs. Digital Photography 2. Research Question: Has the technology of digital photography changed what photography is? Research suggests that digital technology has significantly changed professional photography because its high flexibility in area of editing, plus how no prior experience is needed for digital photography, and how many individuals expect photographers to work free of cost. Sanschagrin, G. ( 2010 ) 6 Real-life stories where photographers were expected to work for free, PhotoShelter Retrieved from: http://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/09/6-reallife-stories-where-photographers-were-expect.html This source narrates stories of six professional photographer who were expected to work for free. It describes how this is done by anyone to everyone from big companies like BBC, a UK broadcasting company, Fortune 500 magazine in USA, Public Relations and Design Company in Spain, to individuals. The source also encourages photographers to stay strong on this subject because though they aren’t being paid they are getting valuable experience and exposure. The source is credible because the author Grove Sanschagrin holds two associate degrees that in Photographic Illustration and Visual Communication Photojournalism respectively. He has worked for Chicago Tribune, Quokka Sports and Alpick.com. He is also the founder of S2F Online Inc. Currently he is the Vice President and founder of PhotoShelter and Executive Producer at SportsShooter.com. The reason for using this source lies in the fact that it supports the third point of the research which is regarding the fact of how many people expect photographers to work free of cost (Sanschagrin, 2010).

By: Aries

Aries — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:08:33 +0000

There are situations where I will donate my services for free to family and friends. Especially to network and promote myself at large events. Recently a friend had an art exhibit and I donated my photography services to him at no charge. Took photos of everyone at the 4 hour event and of his art per his request. Spent another day sorting/processing/editing the images and then posting to my website for him to view and share with others. Then he sends me an email telling me to take all the photos down because he is worried about copyright infringement on his art, and he and other people don’t like some of the photos of themselves and he wants to review and approve of every single picture before I re-post. I feel like telling him to get over himself. I think he is forgetting that I did this for FREE and have put a lot of time into it. Never again! I’m not going to put even more time into it at this point as I have already wasted pretty much two days on this. Not too mention the copyright infringement threw me for a loop. It’s not like I’m selling photos of his art. No one sees my photo site except a handful of family, friends, and people I have taken pictures of. He is a starving artist. You’d think he would want to get his art out in public view as much as possible. Instead he is worried about someone profiting off a picture of his art somehow which is delusional as far as I’m concerned. He can’t even make a living selling his originals! And he is not Brad Pitt. He shouldn’t be so critical and controlling over ever photo taken of him. I could understand getting this kind of behavior from a celebrity artist/actor, but not from an average Joe.

By: A Parry

A Parry — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 08:37:01 +0000

For the record, the BBC do not collect fees based on the number of TVs in a house. You need a TV license in the UK to use one but its a flat rate per household.

By: Grover Sanschagrin

Grover Sanschagrin — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 09:27:50 +0000

@michael – that’s the best comment I’ve seen in ages. Loved it!

By: Bryan

Bryan — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 09:16:35 +0000

I have a principal at a local high school that has blocked my efforts to do any work there, he instead uses a friend to do all the work, he as much has admitted that. Calls by parents objecting to the use of this out of town buddy has been ignored, and the school board position is hands off. Yet he has not forbade the clubs and organizations to continually hit me up for donations. I politely decline stating that I cannot fund their projects because I have no way of offering my services. If it were that I had a chance to at least bid on services I would donate, but I have to make a choice and I chose to support who supports me.

By: michael

michael — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 09:14:44 +0000

To paraphrase the Bard, "The fault dear photographers is not in our client base but in our own profession..." With the infusion of so many "hi, my name is Sarah, I'm a housewife, mother of 3 and my PASSION (lol) is photography!I bought this camera at Wal Mart two months ago and GAWD I love that P (that stands for photo) button!!! Anyway I specialize in weddings, bridal, maternity, infants, children, high school seniors, corporate, commercial, boudoir, sports, ballet recitals, Kung Fu competitions, wanted posters for the FBI, documents for 'unregistered workers' (wink, wink), insurance claims, adultery (except where the guy your wife is fooling around with is really hot and I don't like your politics anyway), tattoo artists, strippers and of course, my favorite PETS! oh and PLEASE become my fan on Facebook!! My goal is to have more people like me than actually know about a real artist like that Jerry Ulsman guy - ewww who wants pictures from old men anyway?" is it any wonder that prospects have stopped taking us seriously? I've had on line inquiries, phone calls that are just unbelievable. I've done this as a profession since 1984 and I wonder if I'm not a dying breed soon to be replaced by the part-time-weekend-wonder. Here's links to 2 videos that might make this a little less painful... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3qVT4L_ctc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hpJ1iPD5RQ

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 11:07:35 +0000

The reality is that is what is going on EVERYWHERE in this horrible economic condition our country is in. AND in this day and age of electronics, it is all “in the air” “doesn’t take long” “anyone can do it” “take an unpaid position, you can put it down as an internship, at least it shows you are working” …and the banks, and big companies are NOT spending, just taking our money and sitting on the interest- aaaaahhhhhh, so frustrating. And we pay the taxes to support the IRS who hires more examiners to audit more little people to pay more, to support the jobs of the government, who are hiring contractors, …

By: Edward

Edward — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:16:12 +0000

I remember starting out, getting low ball offers (and still happy when I got the pitance to keep me going for another week or two) it was a couple years before I could demand (well get) proper coin. But I encourage shooters to do free stuff on their own terms, I would do things for some charities and things that I thought would make me a better shooter (a piece on milking venomous snakes oddly served me well later in my career). When I finaly made it ‘big’ (could buy things like a car with my job) and was working overseas I would get interested in subjects and do personal projects often taking much reduced fees so they would get good play or placement. But I see the young guys shooting for peanuts, some shooters get mad, but those peanuts mean a lot more to them and let them chase the dream a little longer. Starting out, of all the young photographers I knew when I started there are only a couple of us still at it. To this day I still can’t eat noodles as I lived off mister noodles for months at a time. So yes I hate the cheap bastards who spend 1000 dollars for a guy to put cds in a machine for dinner music then ask you to subsidize a multi million dollar company. But lets not get on those who take those jobs. I love what I do and suffered years to get here, I wish the young guys trying to make it all the best, this career and love has been central to the best and worst moments of my life.

By: Brenden Allen

Brenden Allen — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 23:16:34 +0000

Nice one Tomas Chan. Dont bother commenting. You are an attorney for crying out loud. Leave to the rest of us to comment who actually struggle with this problem..