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

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Tina/Reimbursement/Value Placed on Work?
From: "Joe Stephenson" <joeleica@flash.net>
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 18:45:05 -0700

Dear Bob,
I have had somewhat similar experiences when taking photos for people
without expecting payment. Now I insist on no payment, an agreed upon trade,
or an agreed upon price. It keeps things clear and everyone ends up happier.
Your friends probably had no idea of the work that went into the photos they
saw and were probably trying to do right by you. Most people have a very
limited idea of what is invovled in making a quality print. Their experience
is turning in a roll or two of film from a P&S camera and getting a bunch of
4X6's back in a a few days.
SIncerely,
Joe Stephenson

- -----Original Message-----
From: RBedw51767@aol.com <RBedw51767@aol.com>
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Date: Monday, February 22, 1999 4:26 AM
Subject: [Leica] Tina/Reimbursement/Value Placed on Work?


>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.  I must have spent at least 40 hours
in
>the darkroom working on these prints.  There was a lot of waste as I am a
>novice with the enlarger.  When I delivered the prints to the parents they
>were overwhelmed with the results and stated that they were much better
than
>they anticipated.  When the subject of money came up I told them that I
don't
>charge for my work but if they wanted to buy some paper for me to please
see
>my friend at the camera shop.   Several days later they brought me a pack
of
>25 sheets of paper.  This would hardly cover the cost of the film.    It
was
>not the money, it was the principal.  I spent two hours making the pictures
>using $20,000 of equipment, spent days in the dark plus paper and
chemicals.
>No telling what my total cost was.    They were totally ignorant of the
costs
>and they reimbursed me what they felt it was worth.   Since taking those
>pictures I have received calls from five other couples to take pictures of
>their kids.  I don't think so.  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.
>
>Bob Bedwell
>
>
>
>
>
>
><< 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
>  >>
>