Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/05/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jeromes? At 06:56 AM 8/24/98 , Donal Philby wrote: >Alan Hull wrote: >> >> Donal and Larry >> Thanks for sharing those insights into the world of photo advertising. >> I couldn't have been more wrong about 35mm and the advertising world. >> My learning curve was vertical while I was reading your posts. >> >> With those dollar numbers nobody can complain about the subject title >> of this thread, and in fact, unless my server is on the blink, the >> rest of the LUG has been struck dumb. Where can I borrow another life >> to spend as an Advertising Photographer? >> >Alan, >I don't if you would like it. Here's the thing, like much of the rest >of the culture, in the US there are a few photographers able to bring >down the giant dollars, for the rest--dregs. I spoke to friend a couple >years ago who works as VP at McCann Erickson in NYC. She told me that >the $5000/day phtoographer were starving and the $1000/day people were >getting all the work. Of course, the later weren't making much money. >The 'clip disc' craze and the growth of stock in general has turned most >photography into a commodity in the public's and art director's eyes. >Consider that my stock agency had 700,000 images submitted for >consideration by photographers in one year. Imagine trying to break >through that noise? It has become like television with 100 >channels--most everything is loud, corny, superficial, cheap and in your >face trying to get attention. > >There are a few good ad campaigns that come along where subtlety and >skill are paramount, but they are far and few between these days. > >I just found out yesterday that a former client of mine, a >multimillionaire who owns largest chain of furniture stores (including >all the buildings) in San Diego, and for whom I used to do furniture >photos for his full page newspaper ads ($15,000 a week placement cost) >has bought himself a RZ67 and some tungsten lights and is now doing all >the photography himself because he discovered (so told me the art >director who does the ads) that he resented paying me $1200 a day plus >expenses. Considering his income from the business, he must now be the >highest paid photographer in San Diego! And he is selling the photos to >the manufacturers of the furniture, who also resented paying big studio >in Los Angeles $125 a image for room sets. > >Maybe it's horses. Ya' gotta shoot horses, right? > >donal >-- >Donal Philby >San Diego >http://www.donalphilby.com >