Photographers are now able to use "Exposure" in place of Cash

Brings to mind that old story of the guy taking his son deer hunting. They didn't find any deer, but the kid got all excited when he found some deer tracks on the ground. "Take 'em home, son," the dad said, "Mom can make some deer-track stew."
 
A very witty piece and right on the button. I couldn't count the number of publishers I've met over the years who, when the subject of money comes up, tell you "of course, we can't pay you much, if anything, but it'll be good exposure." I just laugh aloud at some of these people - I was hearing that tale 40 years ago when I first got involved in the magazine and newspaper business and I still hear it today...TW
 
I get tired of this whining.

Some young photographers need exposure and, can and should work in leu of cash to establish their legitimacy.
Others who have established themselves should turn down these jobs that don't pay and move on to other projects.

It's not as though publishers are killing it in the last couple decades. How many newspapers have we lost?
Evolve or fossilize. The business of photography, journalism, and publishing has changed.
Why waste so much energy lamenting?
 
f16sunshine said:
I get tired of this whining.

Some young photographers need exposure and, can and should work in leu of cash to establish their legitimacy.
Others who have established themselves should turn down these jobs that don't pay and move on to other projects.

It's not as though publishers are killing it in the last couple decades. How many newspapers have we lost?
Evolve or fossilize. The business of photography, journalism, and publishing has changed.
Why waste so much energy lamenting?
Click to expand...

Then don't read it.

Last Tuesday as a guest speaker in a college class I had to be creative in telling a group of some 18 young aspiring photographers how important it is to set a precedent right out of the gate like I did when I was just 15. One, maybe two pro bono shoots max that you can build a good portfolio from is ok, beyond that and you might as well slit your own wrists.

Times may have changed but self respect and common sense should never be subject to falling victim to broad notions that make people believe it is ok to take advantage of other people.
 
I have a solution for aspiring professional photographers:

- become amateuur photographers and learn doing some other job which is actually well paid relative to your effort ( e.g. formula 1 driver )

BTW, this could finally free you to shoot film again....
 
Darthfeeble said:
Gee, I thought it might be amusing......
Click to expand...
It was. I liked it. Bittersweet, but definitely amusing.

Then again, there's "exposure" and "exposure". If the photographer's name is there at the top, and their existing work is being promoted, that's one thing. My "Final Analysis" column on the back page of Amateur Photographer doesn't pay much, but it's one photographer, one picture, one analysis of that photographer's work.

Shooting to order, with a microscopic credit, is something else.

And letting a friend use your pictures, either out of friendship or for the fun of it, is something else again.

Like many others, I am deeply puzzled by what some people regard as "exposure", and why they imagine it will do the photographer (especially an experienced photographer) any good.

Cheers,

R.
 
Why are photographer so sensitive? Many professions are asked to do things for compensation other than money. If you don't want to just turn it down. All the moaning makes the profession look like we are all a bunch of divas. 😛
 
Roger Hicks said:
It was. I liked it. Bittersweet, but definitely amusing.

Then again, there's "exposure" and "exposure". If the photographer's name is there at the top, and their existing work is being promoted, that's one thing. My "Final Analysis" column on the back page of Amateur Photographer doesn't pay much, but it's one photographer, one picture, one analysis of that photographer's work.
.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised, it's the first thing I turn to when I buy AP!

Www.flickr.com/rmpoole
 
What Andy says.

I've pro-bono'ed (that should be a word, really) some shots when I really wanted to support the cause. Heck, I've even went along for a free ride when shooting a three-day event on human rights and democracy and equal rights for the LGBT community.

And it was free for the organisation as well as for me since I got to stand upfront when the Dutch Minister on Foreign Politics spoke to the attendants, I got to join a smaller dinner party where he was present (and shot some great pictures there too, which really forwarded me with the organisation and the Minister himself) and as a result the organisation asked me to join them in organising a second season, which involves five Skype interviews and another three-day event, in March next year.

Does it pay? No. Not in money at least. But I get to connect with a lot of folks and show them my work. And they contact me whenever they have other work that does pay. Already happened. True story.

To see the stuff I shot on day II of the event, see here: http://johanniels.com/clients/EUFrayBorders2/photos/index.html


20150314_JN3_9570.jpg

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders addressing the attendants of three-day conference 'At Europe's Fraying Borders' in Assen


20150314_JN7_3758.jpg

Later that night, after dinner a little heart-to-heart with fellow party members​
 
Gotta add, that whole three day conference was funded with less than 4K EUR, including flights and 3 hotel nights for 8 women from Europe's border countries.
I got EUR 50 for expenses and if I'd asked for more they wouldn't have been able to afford it.

Sometimes you just gotta stick your neck out and forward a cause you feel passionate about. And that does not include a single picture in a book or magazine btw because that indeed doesn't forward you at all unless it's a very exceptional picture
 
johannielscom said:
Gotta add, that whole three day conference was funded with less than 4K EUR, including flights and 3 hotel nights for 8 women from Europe's border countries.
I got EUR 50 for expenses and if I'd asked for more they wouldn't have been able to afford it.

Sometimes you just gotta stick your neck out and forward a cause you feel passionate about. And that does not include a single picture in a book or magazine btw because that indeed doesn't forward you at all unless it's a very exceptional picture
Click to expand...
Sure, but that's another issue again. Even 30 years ago I used to say that my day rate was "+/- £1000 a day": plus if it was for the money, but minus if I was working for the Tibetan Government in Exile. It rarely went that high in either direction -- +/-£500 would have been much more accurate -- but I wasn't working for "exposure" or "credit": I was donating skills to something I believe (and continue to believe) in.

That's why Frances and I were asked for pictures for an embryonic "National Portrait Gallery" for the Tibetan Government in Exile. And why we contributed them for nothing.

Cheers,

R.
 
Well it's too bad we all could not just have a laugh about the article, it's intended purpose but instead we had to hear about others "whining" so of course there is going to be pushback with that.

Doing pro bono work for a cause one believes in or for obvious inroads to really great paying work is not at all uncalled for.

But just consider this.....if "Freetography" for said exposure we're not such a huge overall market undercut, then the topic would not arise so much to the point that this site is doing a satire piece on it.

It's a big deal, it's not whining either. I have done a lot of good things to protect my self from it and continue to be very successful but I still feel really bad for a lot of yonger folks trying to break in....they ask me how they should do that and I don't always know what to tell them.
 
mfogiel said:
I have a solution for aspiring professional photographers:

- become amateuur photographers and learn doing some other job which is actually well paid relative to your effort ......
Click to expand...

yes, Yes, YES! I have great admiration for some professional photographers but one must realize it is an incredibly difficult way to make a living. And too many times, it turns out to be a meager subsistence rather than a real living.

Often one finds out they can accomplish more from a photography perspective by spending 90% of their time earning money from non photography related work to provide for 10% of their time photographing with no significant financial constraints than 100% of their time photographing. But everyone is different.
 
Indeed, there is a big difference between "pro bono" for a cause -- any decent photographer should have their own causes -- and working for what would otherwise be a paying client. You volunteer to work pro bono, and they contribute what they can to expenses, but when someone you don't know (or even someone you do) asks you to work for nothing, you have every reason to be deeply suspicious.

Even then, there are exceptions. Last week, at the request of our commune (a French term meaning a small political grouping, in this case our village and two others), Frances and I hung an exhibition each: 15 of hers, 14 of mine. It cost us a modest amount of money, mostly because of framing, and most of which we have already recouped from the sale of one picture. But it's also an exhibition in a pretty fair space and it's for the good of the community.

Cheers,

R.
 
Quite spot on, that article.

Thanks for posting.

As for Roger's post, I agree. I did pro bono work for a cause I strongly believed in (Marriage Equality here in the States), and it ended up leading to other paying work. But even if it hadn't, I felt the cause was worth my time and effort.
 
Bob Michaels said:
yes, Yes, YES! I have great admiration for some professional photographers but one must realize it is an incredibly difficult way to make a living. And too many times, it turns out to be a meager subsistence rather than a real living.

Often one finds out they can accomplish more from a photography perspective by spending 90% of their time earning money from non photography related work to provide for 10% of their time photographing with no significant financial constraints than 100% of their time photographing. But everyone is different.
Click to expand...
Dear Bob,

Highlight 1: I'd rather earn a "meager subsistence" from what I love than a "real living" from wage slavery. Most of the best photographers I know are of the same mind. Not all, but most.

Highlight 2: Not in my case. Nor yet those same photographers mentioned above.

Cheers,

R.
 
I don't work for others for free. Gave that up when I left home and had to start feeding myself. After I got married my wife was no more thrilled with the idea than I was.

I am really not as money hungry as it sounds. Just hungry. 🙂
 
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