Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/07/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Gallery owners, as well as publishers, have public relations issues in dealing with their customers. Photog's pics are far less important to them than their own long term business with their customer base, and rightly so. They are in business for a profit and don't need a public relations fiasco -- whether that fiasco is justified or not. Although Tina does not exactly say so, it would seem her pics and possible book are intended for sale. If the money from the pics goes to the photog in this sort of project, some will argue that the photog is trying to enhance their photographic reputation and their pocketbook on the backs of the less fortunate - -- exactly what the gallery owners want to avoid. Why not make a substantial donation from the sale of each print and each book to an appropriate Honduran relief fund, or perhaps the Red Cross for use in Honduras ? Giving each purchaser a xerox of the check to the charity would make them feel at ease, as well as providing you with a future mailing list for future sales -- it would also be a great sales tool. Stephen Gandy > Tina Manley wrote: > > >Dear LUGnuts - > > > >The Project Workshop in Santa Fe with Sam Abell was very good. Sam is a > >wonderful teacher; however, I learned something that was both enlightening > >and disturbing. > > > >My project is "Las Familias" - an exhibit (possibly book) of my photographs > >of Honduran families. I learned that many galleries will not accept my > >project because it is politically incorrect - I am a photographer from the > >first world photographing people in the third world. To make the project > >more acceptable it was suggested that I involve the families in the project > >by (a) giving them a camera and letting them photograph their own lives (b) > >getting them to write comments about the photographs. (a) wouldn't work > >because the people I visit don't have time to take photographs - they spend > >all of their waking hours trying to feed their families (b) might work with > >a tape recorder but many of the people I photograph don't read or write - > >and several of the families in the project were killed by Hurricane Mitch - > >do I exclude those photographs? > > > >What do you think about political correctness? Gallery owners and > >publishers who reviewed our work seemed to think it is an important issue, > >but it honestly never occurred to me. > > > >Leically, > > > >Tina > > > > > >Tina Manley, ASMP > >http://www.tinamanley.com