Hi Keith > People are going to take their own pictures anyway, whatever we say or feel ...
Its like the DTP revolution in the early 1990's - anyone with a copy of CorelDRAW! and a PC suddenly became a design expert... Its glaringly obvious when a 'have-a-go' has a go because the output is frequently terrible. > Businesses are going to need to perceive real value in > 'getting someone in' to do the work. Smaller businesses, in > they can do it for themselves, and own the images outright. Well, it doesn't help when the likes of Barclays Bank in the UK published a small business guide that actually stated that using a professional photographer was expensive and that they would be better off using a skilled amateur to save some money. There was a huge furore about that but it underlines the fact that people lack an appreciation of the skill and all the elements involved. I have a client and you may recall my post seeking a specialist to photograph marine products - I'm still wrangling with him because he won't commit sufficient budget to properly shoot the products and resolve licensing. The figure I provided he baulked at and told me it was extortionate, now he has gone off to some amateur cowboy with a D30 and a 50 mm lens who has shot these products god knows where and he has wasted �1000 in doing it. The perspective is all over the place and its not consistent so the catalogue as a collection of these awful images will look even more amateurish. I should add that this is a company who is an official supplier to yachts and cruiser manufacturers whose boats start at �150,000 and stop in the millions, their products are very well made. My biggest problem is that he doesn't see anything wrong with the images, he agrees that they're not the best but thinks they'll be fine. I don't know if he is just being obstinate to save face but I'm just too embarrassed to work with the shots, people might think that I took them! I've resisted delivering a well aimed slap on several occasions to make him see sense but there are always going to be people like this and they will where possible buy royalty free because their view is that its their money and they can choose how to spend it. Hopefully they will always be in the minority and one would hope, reap what they sow. Alex =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
