[Leica] When should a printer refuse to print a photograph?

[jshul at comcast.net (Jim Shulman)]

They have a right to refuse whatever work they care to refuse.  You have a
right to find another printer.  Considering the state of the economy, and
especially the dramatic drop-off in print work, that must be one very
principled printer! (or they have a large client with strict moral standards
who must be placated; I've known printers who would refuse other jobs that
might offend a major client.)

Many years ago when I was in the printing industry some printers would print
skin magazines, and others wouldn't go near them.  Some printers will only
print Democratic Party materials, others only Republican.  It's just a
matter of finding a printer who can accommodate your needs.

Jim Shulman
Wynnewood, PA


-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net at leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of kyle
cassidy
Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 2:13 PM
To: lug at leica-users.org
Subject: [Leica] When should a printer refuse to print a photograph?

I got word yesterday, via Twitter, that the printers hired to do the
program for the American Repertory Theater's production of Cabaret
(which I had shot the images for) had refused to print the book
because of one of my photographs, which they found objectionable
("censurable" was the actual word they used).

It's Cabaret, you know, a play that has Nazi solders, nudity, cross
dressing, sex and drug use -- it's been playing since the mid 1960's
and Bob Fosse made a movie of it -- so I'm guessing you know what
you're getting into when you're printing the souvenir program guide.
But they were resolute. They'd print it if some text was moved to
cover certain parts of the female anatomy in one image but that was
it. I was a bit baffled -- as far as photographs go (of the sort that
might be used for the program guide in a play about Nazi's and
strippers that has a Parental Warning notice at the theater door) it
was pretty tame and certainly not something that you couldn't find in
any issue of Vogue -- I was also a bit surprised that a printer would
offer opinions usually left to the art director. My involvement in the
project was over weeks before so I wasn't on the front lines -- rather
I watched it unfold on Twitter -- and it unfolded with a big bang as
theater people, designers, and whomever else picked up the ball and
started making a loud noise. In the face of the mini Internet
firestorm the issue got resolved, like a bit of flotsam caught in a
bend in the stream that gets freed eventually by the rush of water and
the thing was gone -- but it was very interesting to watch unfold.

More thoughts on the matter and lots of photos (some possibly Not Safe
for Work, depending on where you live) are collected here:

  http://kylecassidy.livejournal.com/616860.html

and I'm very interested in your thoughts on the rights &
responsibilities of the person in the Photomat booth (so to speak) --
at what point can or should they put their foot down and say "I'm not
printing this trash."

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