This is no editorial and I'm not preaching guys, this is reality. So I hope you guys will take a few minutes to try to genuinely understand this important issue that effects all of us:
Lara Hartley wrote: > In essense, for every free shot you give away, there is the potential of > taking money from someone who places a real value on their work. This is so true and much more. And this does NOT mean directly taking money from a pro. This means that you are corrupting the media market for selfish gain when you treat a business like a hobby. Of course they will take your cheap slides, even if they aren't that great, because you are waving a carrot in front of them. Even though a lot of you guys think that just because this is a hobby that this is OK. It's not. When you are submitting slides for publication, you are dealing with a business, a business that operates similarly and in the same business environment as the rest of the publications which you do not submit to (regardless of the 'media buy' and 'usage fee' rates), but which we professional photographers do have to deal with. So when you give your work away (you flower, portrait, wildlife, media and wedding "photographers" included), you are 'meddling' with the ethics and the market in MY business, in some cases with little regard for the ethics of what you are doing, which affects ME. So no, this issue just won't go away by ending a little thread on some list. It's problem is much bigger than the railfan hobby, but the railfan hobby thrives in publications that are businesses. And this business must be done in a business like manor and ethically, or it promotes corruption and abuse in the media industry in general. It won't kill you guys to pull your standards up off of the floor and place a value on your own work. > I ask you, if you do not put a value on your work, how can you expect > others to? Great point. Too bad some of you guys put a zero value on OUR work as well. > Did you send a delivery/submission memo with terms, usage rights and > "value" if lost on it? > > Did you send a cover letter that said in plain language what was to happen > to the images if they were not used or returned on time? > > Did you take precautions so that you would know if the images had been > received i.e a signed receipt? You don't even have to do the last one, but just don't cry if they lose your slides. You guys can do these other things with simple form letters on your computers. Are you that lazy? Don't know where to begin? Just ask one of us that does know, and we can help you. By coincidence, I just spent the last two days sitting in an American Society of Media Photographers member business seminar on just the very topics that we are discussing, so most of these issues are again fresh in my mind. There are other professional photographers on this list as well that may be able to help you guys word a couple of simple forms, or at least get you the basic content headings that you should include on even the simplest of these. Once you have an idea of what you should have on paper, the stuff is so basic that if you thought about it yourself a few minutes, you could probably do it yourself. It's all common sense. Something that is required when doing business these days. > I understand that this is a hobby for many, but if you are submitting > images for publication, then it has moved beyond mere hobby. Bingo! Hope it is starting to sink in folks. Anyone who doesn't understand what we are saying by now is way in over their heads with something they don't understand, but this does not have to be a complicated matter. You owe it to yourself to take the time to submit material to any publication correctly. Connect the dots, guys. Thanks Lara, Dave Cohen Photographer ASMP Member [EMAIL PROTECTED] --> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects
