Re: [Leica] If it's so easy, why don't THEY go out and get the pictures!

["Dan Post" <dwpost@email.msn.com>]

Eric and Tina-
You guys are absolutely right! When I did weddings I was amazed at the
penurious attitude toward the photographer. The client might spend hundreds
or even thousands for flowers, food, drink, and hiring a venue for the
event, then balk at paying the one person providing any real lasting
momento! I used to tell them that when the flowers are wilted, the cake
gone, and the dress put in storage- the photographs were one of the tangible
things to share with others.
I once asked a doctor, a friend of the bride's father, who insisted on
flashing his camera as I was taking posed shots to please wait until I
finished. He argued, and I asked him how he'd like it if I showed up at HIS
office on Monday morning and started to pass out aspirin and advice to his
patients....I had waited a long time to get to do that! It does however show
the pervasive attitude of people that photography is something that anyone
can do so why the special effort to get a photographer?
I run into the same attitude at the lab. People cannot understand why their
photos sometimes do not look like those they see in magazines. They take a
picture of their child or a room in their house and cannot figure out why
their shot doesn't look like something from House and Gardens Magazine. It
evades them even when I tell them that these professionals use lots of light
and preparation (But, I've got a flash on my camera!)
As an amateur I don't envy you your profession. I do it because I have to
please only myself, but I do realize that you folks on the front line of
photojournalism, and stock shooting have to expend a great deal of time,
effort and money to secure the images on which your livelihood depends. I
just wish others would see it the same way.
Keep the faith and sorry for the long post- I know you and others are a rare
breed who happen to enjoy what you do for a living, but it's no excuse for
you not to get paid!
Dan
(Show me th' money!)
- -----Original Message-----
From: Eric Welch <ewelch@ponyexpress.net>
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Date: Monday, February 22, 1999 1:50 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 11:36:59 -0500


>At 10:58 PM 2/21/99 -0500, you wrote:
>> If everyone else volunteers their time and energy, I'm
>>happy to pitch in and help.  If the staff is receiving a salary, then the
>>photographer should, too.
>
>Tina,
>
>Good for you. This attitude is the only hope for people being able to make
>a living with photography in the future. In essence, when they say "we
>can't afford to pay for the photography," they are denigrating what we do
>as less than worthy of compensation. That devalues our work and
>photographers who agree to that only hurt our profession. So stick to your
>guns and keep telling them if their work is worth the money so is yours,
>and they can't afford not to pay for it.
>
>Eric Welch
>St. Joseph, MO
>http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch
>
>"People are inexterminable - like flies & bed-bugs. There will always be
>some that survive in cracks and crevices - that's us." -
>     Robert Frost
>