When I was a kid, there was this retailer in town named Tom Peterson. Early in his career, Tom would run late night commercials on Portland Wrestling. These were really poorly produced commercials, starring non other than Tom himself hawking his low priced merchandise.He used to sell the cheapest brands on the planet, most I can't even remember except Xonix. They were an electronics manufacturer from nation unknown. You could get a stereo with everything for like $100 and a free gift. Tom's motto on those late nights was "free, is a very good price." Yeah it is, if you don't mind a free piece of shit. Hey, sign me up for some of that free shit, I'm on board.
The reason I mention this, and why this is the title of my blog, which will actually, kinda be, a photography post, is that it seems that most folks like my work, but they want it for, yeah, you guessed it, for free. Now when I was first starting out, I didn't mind giving up some of my work for free. When you first start any endeavor, especially one like photography, giving away your work at least gets your name out there. People who like your work will theoretically tell other people and therefor you may get some paying work.
Well, two years into this I'm getting paid gigs. Not frequently, but I'm starting to get some work. Unfortunately, for every one person or place that's willing to pay me, there is another who doesn't. Now I can appreciate not wanting to pay for something you place no value on, or something that is so ridiculously priced that you balk. Hey, I liked Napster too. But I'm trying to make a fucking living.You don't need to sell me on the economy and how bad things are, I'm a byproduct of the thieves who ruined this country and should be in jail, but that's another blog and I don't have an answer anyway. And all the while I do my due diligence and send out three resumes a week so I can freeload off the government teat for $392 a week. Tell ya what, go make 60k a year, go on unemployment, and then tell me I'm on vacation.
Anyway, I know people are struggling, I know people are looking for a good deal. But I have to tell you all something. I will work for trade. If the trade interests me, and I can use it to feed my family, or put me up in a hotel, I'm down with that. But I'm not working for free. Let me type it slower, I'M NOT WORKING FOR FREE. I don't mind helping a struggling band, or sharing some shots on facebook for their use. But if anybody wants some shots to use professionally, than I would like to get paid.
I'm sure there are some hard working bands willing to work for free. I know photographers who will work for free. Well after awhile, all you end up doing is hurting the people who take this seriously, are trying to pay a mortgage or feed their kids. You working for free brings the price down for everybody. Whoever you are, do it for awhile, then put your foot down. This is your work, you own it. It's only fair that if somebody wants to use it, they should pay for it in some way.
Look, I'm never going to get rich doing this. Everyone with a digital camera thinks they're a professional photographer. The appreciation for the art is at an all time low. People with iPhones take nice pictures, they don't take great pictures, sorry. Try one in a dark club sometime and get back to me if you think that's the case. All I'm trying to do, is provide something that I think I'm pretty good at, that you might find valuable. I'll never say I'm the greatest this, or the greatest that. Photography, writing, whatever, is a lifelong learning process and I still have a long way to go.
There used to be a saying and maybe it's still used today, "cash, grass, or ass, nobody rides for free."
Please keep that in mind next time you ask me to just give you something I worked hard to produce.
There is absolutely nothing wrong about wanting to get paid for providing a service. Also nothing wrong with encouraging others who are in the photography “business” to charge a fair price for their service instead of giving it away for free. But, in any market a service is worth only what people are willing to pay for it. What I experienced years ago when the economy was much better was that most people, even then, were not willing to pay much at all for my photography.
ReplyDeleteBut I was able to make some money on a part-time basis by changing my focus and taking and selling stock photography. There is lots of info. available on this subject. For starters this is a good article: http://www.diyphotography.net/how-to-make-money-from-micro-stock-photography. It wasn’t the type of photography I wanted to do, but when you start making some money with it, it grows on you.
I wish you well. You may be one of the very few who manage to actually make a living with photography. I was not, but it was all for the better. I went on to make a good deal of money in another business venture. Enjoy your blog.
Kevin, Thank you for your thoughts. It seems that with the proliferation of the digital camera it has made things easier for everyone to take a nice picture. I've been told my many to start taking 'stock' type shots and submitting to IStock and the like. I probably need to work on a portfolio of those types of shots and see where it goes. I hear it can be a good way to get an income stream, but I fear that too is over-saturated. Not sure I'll ever make a 'living' at this, but between photography and doing a little writing it's at least something, and right now, that's all I have. Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment, I appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteJim