Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/22

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Tina/Reimbursement/Value Placed on Work?
From: Alex Hurst <corkflor@iol.ie>
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 12:31:27 +0000

Bob wrote:

>I am not a professional photographer but I certainly understand the value that
>people place on outstanding photography.   Recently I was asked to photograph
>the children of an acquaintance.  I am a real sucker for chlldren and I get a
>tremendous amount of enjoyment capturing their activities.  If my work shines
>it is in this area.  On this day I took about 120 pictures and of those there
>were around 50 that were exceptional.

Wow! That's a strike rate of over 40%. When it comes to portraiture, I
reckon to get two or three really good shots per roll of 36.

<big snip>

>  I would rather ask to take pictures of
>children and give them to them than to be depressed when I learn how much
>value they place on my work.  For me, when business is brought into it the
>enjoyment deminishes.   I appreciate the commitment that our professional
>photographers have made and hope that situations like the one that faced Tina
>are not common occurences.

As a fellow amateur, I take exactly the same view. It's more rewarding to
give the shots away.

Last weekend I was up in Tipperary taking shots of the Tipperary Hunt
mostly with an R3 and a 135 Elmarit. Even got a grab shot of the fox
streaking in the opposite direction!

It was suggested to me that I could make a penny or two selling the shots
to these well-heeled and well-mounted ladies and gents.

Far from it. I'd rather give them a set of prints from the photo-lab and
the negatives, and tell them to sort out further prints for themselves.
That, of course, is after digitising any neg that I felt to be
outstanding...... :-)

Slan

Alex

Alex Hurst
Cork Florists
19 Winthrop St, Cork
Republic of Ireland
Tel: +353 21 270 907
Fax: +353 21 271 248
email: corkflor@iol.ie
Website: http://www.flowerlink.com/corkflorists
Home website: http://homepages.iol.ie/~corkflor/