Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/02/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> Tim: > > >They'd need it if the going rate was between $75.00 and $200.00 per job > >total > > If money is such an important issue, then why would you *want* to try to win > a job that pays that in its entirety? > > I'd think that if money were equated that closely with success, you'd be > better off working for yourself than somebody else. > > What am I missing? What you're missing is - there's not much point working for yourself as a photojournalist if you can't sell your work to a publication.$200 is the standard assignment rate from the NY Times. The photographers IS working for themselves as an Independent contractor - this is what the client pays - and that's now one of the higher rates. A rate that hasn't changed in oh - close to 20 years, when it was a decent rate. This is why you will hear people on here who work in the industry crying woe about the death of photojournalism as we know it. Can you think of one really compelling image that came out of the 'war" in Afghanistan? I can't - why? Apart from US military censorship, virtually no publication will pay photographers for quality images. Rather, on the whole, you get a large flock of young, eager photographers willing to work for peanuts - and in the process, generally producing mediocre images. I was looking at my new Robert Capa: The Definitive Collection and his long, incredible series of images covering the Spanish Civil War (and I am in no way comparing those two wars...). You would be unlikely to find anyone paying for a photographer of such caliber to cover any conflict in such depth today - with one or two possible exceptions. My last few assignments for the NY Times have allowed me to negotiate my own fee - but recently I have turned down jobs at their $200.00 as they stick to it more an more (and that rate includes all the post-production work - scanning/editing/Photoshop work and transmitting - all at my expense). More and more photographers are refusing to accept such rates - which just means more mediocre images in the end. Tim A - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html