“I have no idea why, but there seems to be an idea that photographs should have no value and be free.
This attitude is from both in front and surprisingly, behind the camera. News organisations, PR companies,
random strangers at events and so on think that they should get photographs for free, or in best case scenarios, for peanuts.
I’ve often wondered if the same person ever tries the same tactic at a clothes shop or a car showroom?
Part of it is that most people have a camera of some sort or another,
and feel they can take photographs and therefor photographers shouldn’t charge.
I would hazard a guess that even more people can read and write;
do these people go into a bookshop and demand free books or go to the newsagent and demand free papers and magazines?”
From Edmond Terakopian’s Blog. Read the hole article: Are There Any Other Free Professions?
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It’s hard, especially for young beginners, to find a balance between establishing their work and getting a living out of it. A balance between doing the work we love and paying the bills at the end of the month.
Part-time jobs are often a solution in the eternal strive to fit in a 24/7 shift enough time to work on personal projects and on salaried ones.
A few years ago, just back from a self assigned shooting, I received an email from an important international PR and advertising agency (with clients such as BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Buell, Harley Davidson, Yamaha and Shell to name a few). One brief sentence that sounded like “Hi Edoardo, I just wanted to know if you have any pics you could send me.”
The immediate feeling of excitement for the chance of having my pictures published get immediately replaced with the bitter taste of the fact that “buy” was not a word written in the email.
I am so sorry but after 2.000 km to get on location, one week of work under sun & rain, endless km on foot fully loaded with equipment and a couple thousands of shots there is nothing that “I could send you”.