[Leica] Brain picking

[leica at rcmckee.com (R. Clayton McKee)]

Quoth the tedgrant at shaw.ca :

> Others may have different suggestions. Just don't give it away! There
> are far too many pseudo photographers today who give pictures away all
> the time just to get published and their name in print! That means
> people as we have on the LUG who earn their living from selling
> material are being robbed because of this give away crap. As I
> said.... The President of the magazine get's paid! Why shouldn't you?
> Particularly in a case such as this when they've already praised your
> photograph and are drooling to get their hands on it! Charge them!


What he said.

My camera store likes me (after twenty years they should...)  I'm a 
good customer, a general-purpose nice guy, sometimes even a good 
emergency backup sales clerk when I'm there and they're swamped.  I'm 
on a first name basis with everyone there.  They even insult me when 
I walk in, just like any other staffer....  They're as much friends 
as suppliers.

But they still insist that when I walk out with merchandise, they get 
paid.

When they'll will give me my cameras and gear for free, when the gas 
station on the corner will fill my tank for free, when I can get 
beans and tortillas without paying for them, when the landlord will 
smile and wave and say "hey, don't worry about the rent this month, 
we're good..."

Then I'll consider subsidizing large many-million-dollar publishing 
conglomerates out of my middlin'-low-five-figures income.  Until 
then, it's not gonna happen.

Find out what the use is, figure out what it's worth, and then ask 
yourself if you'd be willing to write that magazine a check for that 
amount, just as a charitable contribution or because you're a nice 
guy or whatever.

Then type up the invoice.