Claudio Corvino <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes >First than all, people should be able to distinguish and appreciate value >and quality: who can't, or who don't care about it, will pay the less that >he can. Nothing new: in the early '70s I went to some factory with my 5x7" >camera taking photographs of some large installation, the customer, showing >his Instamatic camera said "I could take this photo by myself, but I'm so >busy..."
Dear Claudio It rings so true it's painful to have it put in front of us like that but thanks! I believed it right and proper to be part of my professional organisation when I joined and gained qualifications many years ago. My hope and expectations were that they would act not only as a standards setting body and spokesperson with regard to copyright issues, but would bring a far greater level of awareness of professional photographers and what they could offer to the buyers. No, I did not join committees etc., and yes I feel bad criticising, and yes I would have gladly paid a greatly increased membership fee if I felt it would have used it to advantage! Since that time I have seen little evidence of any impact in my area of work by this or any other professional body in the industry, or of any client caring a jot about our professional qualifications. True there are exhibitions but this is just not enough. The BIPP seemed far more interested in finding a meaningful name to fly over their headquarters than to be at all 'inclusive' of professional photographers. This in my opinion was what eventually resulted in splinter groups starting up, fragmenting efforts to speak with a powerful and meaningful voice on behalf of photographers in the UK. In all these years, only once have I been asked what my qualifications are or do I belong to any professional organisation. The one time was a phone call from a publicity manager (previously a BIPP member) working with a company in another part of the country. The job was a simple location shoot and he was insufficiently impressed with my qualifications....great! Well folks I am sorry to appear to ramble on and complain, but what I am getting at is.... what the hell has been going on all these years that our professional organisations have had so little impact on the buying public? Is it any wonder that the man in your example said "I could take this photo by myself, but I'm so >busy..." Now the chickens are coming home to roost 'big time' and every Tom, Dick and Harry can pop into his local Dixons, pick up a photo printer, paper and ink to stuff into it and the digital camera to take the 'snaps' Everyone is an expert photographer...huge sums of money are spent telling him he can be......just buy it now... We saw the warning signs coming many years ago with the advent of more automatic 35mm cameras, but this is the death knoll for huge numbers of professional photographers. Digital imaging has provided us with tremendous creative possibilities, fantastic control and opportunities with the one hand, but given us a major headache with the other. Cheers Richard -- For quality scans that are really right...No Messing. Satisfaction Guaranteed. New PDF on request. +44 (0)1873 890670 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.rkdi.co.uk =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
