I am amused and delighted by the discussion about fair market value of railroad photographs. I certainly see the point of the professional (i.e. those who earn their living via) photographers. However, being contrarian by my very nature, I thought I would offer a different perspective.
To ME, railfanning is STRICTLY a hobby. I am NOT implying that this is good or bad, but instead, am simply offering it as a fact of MY circumstances. NEVER, when railfanning, do I give any consideration whatsoever to whether a shot is saleable or not. To me, it just does not matter. I do this ONLY because I want to, not because it will buy me my next meal. Indeed, a professional photographer could not afford to take most of the shots I do, as there would not be sufficient return to justify the investment (in plane tickets, rental cars, motels, etc). I would hate to think how much I have spent on certain shots. To what end? Why, only to further my enjoyment, of course. To me, the ONLY reason to take pictures of trains is simply for the fun of it. To be sure, the results of an outing ARE a bit of a test of one's technique, but they are, as with the end of life itself, just the final destination, NOT the journey. Tis the journey itself that provides the satisfaction for me. In the event someone in the publishing business wishes to make use of my photographs, I am generally happy to provide my work for whatever I am offered. In some cases (many, actually), there is NO reimbursement whatsoever. In others, there is perhaps the token nickel or dime payment, or perhaps a free book. I do NOT lament this, but quite the contrary, am pleased to receive anything, as that is merely the icing on the cake, as it were. I will take train pictures whether or not I receive anything for my efforts; hence anything I may obtain is a pleasant and unexpected gift. In fact, were I more argumentative (evil grin here), I MIGHT suggest that MY motives in photographing trains are more pure than those of the pro, since I do this simply for the love of it, and NOT in accordance to the whims of the almighty dollar. Of course, since we're all friends here, I will NOT make that claim, but merely offer the concept for debate. One other factor to consider is that the fan publications, be they books or magazines, rely on the fan community as a source of material. Why? Because they CAN. There are a lot more hobbyists out there than there are professionals. Given this, and the fact that the fan pubs rely on the hobbyists, where is the logic in a pro complaining that there is no money in this market? Not to be a snot, but hey, if the grass ain't green enough for you, find another pasture. To drift off course a bit, I certainly agree that some (perhaps even many) fan pubs are pretty lame when it comes to content. Yet they still sell. So why blame the publisher? I ask you, whom is the greater fool, the publisher who produces junk that sells, or the idiots who waste their money buying it? Ok, look at it from the accountant's perspective, then. To conclude, I would argue (perhaps that's too strong of a word) that if you aren't happy you can't make a living as a railfan, then find something you can make a living at, and keep your precious train pictures locked away in your vault, waiting for the day when someone will pay you what you want. In the mean time, nobody will miss them, as there will be a thousand times as many fans offering their similar work for free. Such is the nature of the hobby. My purpose here was NOT to be insulting (though I'm pretty good at that), but simply to present an alternate view to those previously expressed. Cheers: Jim [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.eesoft.com/rr -- updated today 10/16 "It is not worth an intelligent man's time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that." -- G.H. Hardy --> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects
