Jim Gilley wrote: > To ME, railfanning is STRICTLY a hobby. <snip> > NEVER, when railfanning, do I give any consideration > whatsoever to whether a shot is saleable or not. As you know from our outings together, and as some other people don't know, railroad photography is my favorite hobby, and I feel likewise.
> To me, the ONLY reason to take pictures of trains is simply for the > fun of it. That is the only reason that I TAKE pictures of trains. However, money is the only reason that I would SELL pictures of trains. I make my living shooting other subjects. I do not compose my railroad hobby shots with any future sale in mind, for that would indeed take the fun out of it for me. And because I am having fun shooting trains when I am out trackside, I see no reason to ruin this by giving my fun away to people who will then take advantage of it and me for their own gain. Somehow that just takes the fun out of it for me too. So my hobby shots remain just that: mine. If a friend wants to borrow a shot of mine to decal a model hopper, I would just give it to them. If someone wants to reproduce my copyrighted images in a publication with the intention of turning a profit from the sale and promotional use of a compilation containing my images, then they must pay for them like anything else. I don't pay my bills by sending Southwestern Bell or Union Electric some free book copies. If I want to give something away to a business for free, I can give it to a not for profit historical society. Photographers can't afford to give their work away. And hobbyists that give their work away are doing more damage to their own hobby than they realize. And by giving your work away for nothing, you have placed a value of zero on it in the event of a loss, so please don't any of you generous 'donators' ever complain about missing or damaged slides again, because remember, this is only your hobby and you are just having fun. ...And John B. Corns wrote: > Why should we pro photogs--who definitely are in > the for- profit business--be asked to reduce or waive a fee for someone > who also is in the for-profit business? That is bass ackwards to me. Yessir, it sure is! Thanks, John. Anyone still not understand this yet? Humor Disclaimer: Gee, John, maybe they are really doing us a favor, because then we won't have to pay any tax on any income. ;) BTW, Trains Magazine's prices paid for publication are in line with many non railroad publications rates for one-time usage rights for that magazine's circulation. Sure, many other publications pay more, but if the RR book publishers paid even a fraction of this, then much of this issue would dry up. We are talking about being compensated for our work here, much more so than the fair market value of a train picture. Currently, there is no 'fair' market in the RR publishing BUSINESS. If this is all for fun, and money doesn't matter, then I demand that I be sent all railfan magazines and books for free! Sounds silly, doesn't this? But it's no sillier than giving them our work for nothing. Get a clue people, you paid for the film and the processing at the very least. And what about your postage and shipping costs? Not to mention the time you spent picking out and captioning things for those editors that are employed by the companies that you sent your slides to. The last time that I sent slides to a 'fan' magazine, I sent 140, they published eight, permanently scratched two and lost one. All for $80.00. $80.00 is better than nothing, but subtract my UPS shipping and return shipping cost, film, processing and the losses and I am still in the hole. And oh boy, what fun it is waiting to see which of your images come back and which will go to that mystery place or the sand paper drawer. Pretty damn funny now, isn't it? You use someone's image, you pay for it. Period. It has been said that everything has it's price. My price is higher than zero because I am worth more than nothing. And I have fun at my own expense. Dave Cohen Photographer ASMP Member [EMAIL PROTECTED] --> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects
