On 8 Nov 2004, at 16:23, David Tingey wrote:
So maybe even if a photo is just good enough to meet the requirements, then it is perfect for the job. However, it may not be perfect for another job, because it may not reach those higher standards.
Even so, this may not be a perfect answer, and doesn't alter the fact that undoubtedly standards have dropped - and not just in photos!
Quite often in my life as a photographer , 'perfect' is a cross between time , cost , and quality . I have shot press stuff and 'wired' it (look it up !) within an hour of shooting , having snatched the neg (look it up !) from the wash and dried it with a hairdryer printed it not as well as I could have done. I have taken 200 portraits in an hour , of a 'saleable' quality (school photography) . I have shot room sets , cars etc. for ads and books , all of these could have been better given more time . I suspect that non of them were perfect .
We all do the job to the best of our ability give the constraints inflicted on us as professional photographers .
Glyn and David are right , Glyn saying we should protect our living , and why give away expertise , and David saying standards have dropped . Digital has made photography more accessible to more people , including our clients , some of mine are happy to shoot stuff themselves for , say, catalogue purposes , but they know its not good enough for an Ad. No amount of me telling them its a false economy seems to have made much difference , some of them just like doing (shooting) it !
We just keep going after more different clients to fill the gaps. Its not going to stop changing , and I suspect that I will just have to keep up !
What I have noticed is that we are all our worst enemies with regard to a lot of our problems , e.g.. deadlines , it seems to be very hard to say NO! But some of my best and most loyal customers are ones where at some point I have said no , a few left me in disgust , but they are the same ones who didn't pay on time , or where more demanding or whatever , the ones I have retained are great .
a printer once said to me "funny old thing about deadlines ! there is always time for a reprint if the job isn't quite right .
Janus
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