I like what Jim Gilley said. I suppose Lucas will think that by this post I am off the meaning of this list, but I want to say this anyway. I'll start by saying that I have learned a lot by simply reading and absorbing what many of the well-known photographers on this list have offered, and I usually keep quiet about it because I would rather just absorb the information.
But what Gilley says rings true with me. Since photography is personal to every person on this list, let me offer an analogy in support of his thesis. The analogy has nothing to do with photography and everything to do with his point of view. I am (among other things) a professional musician. I have been one for nearly 40 years. As a professional musician, I don't "give it away." I will play any engagement that pays "scale or better." (That's Union scale, for the labor-challenged here). I don't turn down any kind of job, even though the bulk of my playing income is from symphony orchestra work. Now, if someone (even an acquaintance) asks me to play without pay for his wedding, I want to know if the florist, the caterer, the church, the officiant, the photographer, the limousine driver, etc., are donating their services. If they are, I may consider it. I've never had to consider it. You all know that none of these other people donate their services. Why should I? On the other hand, if my acquaintance has a friend who performs music as a hobby (and that is NOT someone I would call a musician, but that is another object of discussion) and that friend is willing to play for his wedding without pay, should I become a one-man informational picket line in protest? I think not. Win some and lose some, then move on. I don't even think for a minute that I should be angry at my acquaintance. Now, knowing that I have an avocational interest in photography (as generally expressed in railroad photography), that same acquaintance asks me to photograph his wedding. Do I have a dilemma? Again, I think not. After all, he takes what he gets, he accepts the work of a hobbyist, and in this example the professional photographer wins some and loses some. While we can't control other people's choices, we can try to influence them. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. That's the way it is. If my acquaintance wants me to photograph his wedding, I'm flattered (no shame there) and willing to do my best for him. If he doesn't like it, see the above paragraph. Our own personal feeling is that what we offer in our field is the best in that field. I am the best violist for the job. Any amateur violist couldn't possibly do as well by my acquaintance at his wedding. The violist says the photographer couldn't possibly do as well with the music. The photographer says that the violist couldn't possibly do as well with the pictures. Maybe, and on both counts. There are very few people who know the product of my photographic efforts. Save for one program of steam in Turkey, I have never shown publicly beyond my old model railroad club. I think it follows that people like us really are genuinely flattered by attention given to our efforts. I also know that there are a lot of amateur musicians who are genuinely flattered by the attention given to their efforts. They are not really competing with me, and even if they are, so what? I think we ought not to begrudge either the professional or amateur approach. And, someday, even if after my death, my slides will be seen as important. Or they won't. Ken Harrison --> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects
