[Leica] RE Cost of pictures

Tue Sep 4 19:47:44 PDT 2018

On average I make $1500 per day on a photography job. That’s almost always shooting,downloading,editing and delivery of images by end of day. Throw in a few direct from camera social media images as well.

Last week I sold 5 images through Getty and I made $5.75.

Currently I don’t have a “job” until Friday.

I only buy Leicas used.

Chris Williams
www.dcdocumentaryphotographers.com
www.zoeicaimages.net
504-231-6261

> On Sep 4, 2018, at 6:17 PM, Ted Grant via LUG <lug at leica-users.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Tina,
> Well all I can say about "money earning photography today?" It absolutely sucks compared to "being an in depend business 20 years ago? Maybe even 10 years ago?
> Let me put it in a monetary fashion compared today to the yesteryears....... When I would receive a day rate of $500 per day, plus $250.oo for down days of no shooting. Plus purchase cost of every roll of film shot! Plus all processing and a contact sheet for every roll! Some documentary
> month long assignments. Sometimes several months in a row and quite possible 9 or 10 months in a year! Quite often for a variation of clients.
> Stock material sold through an agency some years would be close to $40,000 a year on a good year. And I didn't really work at stock as my time was nearly always assigned work!
> LEICA's were a piece of cake to buy. TODAY? NOT ON YOUR LIFE! Why?
> Well the number one reason as far as I'm concerned?????
> Those telephone cameras that everybody and their mothers own and use them quite often? Quite well for publications.
> Their photography is quite well done for the pictures required these days. Plus the "seller?" :-( quite often give their pictures away for merely a "credit line" under the photo. In turn cut publication rates to almost nickels & dimes. OR NOTHING!
> Photo books of how to do it being published are almost null & void! Why? Because you can learn so much off the TV screen down loading lectures and lessons for almost give away prices.
> Even photographer hired positions are far and few between. Do I have an answer to correct this new life style??? NOPE! :-(
> I suppose one could be factious and say " Just stay an amateur and have fun!!
> cheers. Dr. Ted Grant O.C. 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+tedgrant=shaw.ca at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Tina Manley via LUG
> Sent: September-01-18 7:09 AM
> To: Leica Users Group
> Cc: Tina Manley; Lawrence Zeitlin
> Subject: Re: [Leica] RE Cost of pictures
> 
> That wouldn't work for me!!  I currently have 10,000 images with my largest
> stock agency.  I'm lucky if they sell 10 a month!  Prices for stock have
> gone from an average of $500 per sale to $20 per sale.  If I didn't have
> digital and had to pay for film, I would never be able to afford my Leicas!!
> 
> Tina
> 
> On Sat, Sep 1, 2018 at 12:20 AM, Lawrence Zeitlin via LUG <
> lug at leica-users.org> wrote:
> 
>> As a point of interest, the latest issue of Science magazine, the journal
>> of the AAAS, reports on the annual number of photographs taken. “In the
>> early 1800s, the first ever photograph was taken, an unassuming picture
>> that required days of exposure to obtain a very grainy image. Over one
>> million photos were taken during the US Civil war of which 100,000 survive.
>> In the late 1800s, photography was used for the first time to see the
>> movement of a running horse that was too fast for the human eye. In the
>> following years photography played a pivotal role in human history, ranging
>> from creation of the national parks in the USA all the way to documenting
>> NASA’s first moon mission  In the 1900s, roughly 10 billion photographs
>> were taken per year. Facilitated by the explosion of the internet, we will
>> approach 2 trillion images this year - roughly about 1000 images per year
>> for every person on the planet.”
>> 
>> As a frequent reviewer of art and photo shows in the TriState area I have
>> noticed several results of this plethora of images. First, figurative
>> images are almost impossible to sell. Unless directly ordered by the
>> recipient (i.e. a portrait or picture at ones children or a prized
>> possession) the chance of selling any image approaches zero. Second, we
>> have run out of wall space to exhibit images. It is virtually impossible to
>> book a display space unless reserved far in advance. Modern houses have too
>> many windows and too little blank wall space.
>> 
>> I can conceive on only one simple fix for too many images. Raise the cost
>> to at least one USD per exposure. Use film instead of digital. Currently it
>> costs only pennies to take and print a picture. At current rates a year’s
>> worth of photos requires only a few dollars of expense. The price of a new
>> Leica kit is  thousands of times more expensive. Does anyone have a more
>> sensible solution?
>> 
>> Larry Z
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Tina Manley
> www.tinamanley.com
> tina-manley.artistwebsites.com
> http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley
> <http://www.alamy.com/stock-photography/3B49552F-90A0-4D0A-A11D-2175C937AA91/Tina+Manley.html>
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> _______________________________________________
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