Is there any money left in photography?
Discussion
I know I shoot for fun and not cash but surley years ago something like this would be a big break...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grantgb/2157600943/
...UPS wanting to use in a presentation for Chrysler. But after droping them a mail, "no budget". The poor woman putting the campain together has offered to pay for it out of her own pocket as it's what she really wants. Is that how these corporations want to work
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grantgb/2157600943/
...UPS wanting to use in a presentation for Chrysler. But after droping them a mail, "no budget". The poor woman putting the campain together has offered to pay for it out of her own pocket as it's what she really wants. Is that how these corporations want to work
Why should tehy pay for a specific photo when management don't see it as being any different to the £10 stock photo CD they could use instead?
Our designers use them at work, and i hate it because for less money they could just hoof me out of the fron door into town and they'd get something much better back, and unique.
Our designers use them at work, and i hate it because for less money they could just hoof me out of the fron door into town and they'd get something much better back, and unique.
Hey mate.. thats a cool photo, but OTT for me, but if you have someone interested.
When i started photography, ie this summer
, i made it my goal to do it because i wanted to, and because i want to. The money side of it doesnt bother me, except when i spend £1000 on a new lens. But thats because i want to, and feel i need a lens like that.
Dont get me wrong, if you can make money, then do it. I have a friend who makes greetings cards and i gave him a few photos to use and got £100 off it, and for doing other bits, taking photos of friends car, blowing them up and framing them, sell them off. Things like that have almost paid for my 350D, which is great. But Everyone is trying to sell photos. There is deffinatly money in photography, but with the modern day kit, you dont need to be a pro to do this.
Take things as they come mate, copyright everything you do, and always advertise to the places you take photos at, and to the people you take photos of. You never know what will come of it, if you dont.
When i started photography, ie this summer
, i made it my goal to do it because i wanted to, and because i want to. The money side of it doesnt bother me, except when i spend £1000 on a new lens. But thats because i want to, and feel i need a lens like that.Dont get me wrong, if you can make money, then do it. I have a friend who makes greetings cards and i gave him a few photos to use and got £100 off it, and for doing other bits, taking photos of friends car, blowing them up and framing them, sell them off. Things like that have almost paid for my 350D, which is great. But Everyone is trying to sell photos. There is deffinatly money in photography, but with the modern day kit, you dont need to be a pro to do this.
Take things as they come mate, copyright everything you do, and always advertise to the places you take photos at, and to the people you take photos of. You never know what will come of it, if you dont.
nick_bbb said:
I know I shoot for fun and not cash but surley years ago something like this would be a big break...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grantgb/2157600943/
...UPS wanting to use in a presentation for Chrysler. But after droping them a mail, "no budget". The poor woman putting the campain together has offered to pay for it out of her own pocket as it's what she really wants. Is that how these corporations want to work
I'm not sure that there is, long term. There are bazillions of images out there and a vast array of enthusiastic amateurs anxious to create more them. Technology is improving to the point where the mechanics of getting a good image are getting easier and easier to learn - so it is "only" the creative or temporal value that's left.http://www.flickr.com/photos/grantgb/2157600943/
...UPS wanting to use in a presentation for Chrysler. But after droping them a mail, "no budget". The poor woman putting the campain together has offered to pay for it out of her own pocket as it's what she really wants. Is that how these corporations want to work
Given access to so many, perfectly good free/virtually free images its hard to see people paying for really good ones.
The sad thing is images produced by talented (and therefore often professional) photographers are like chalk and cheese with the morass of adequate images captured by their less talented brethren - its just that their value is being eroded by them, and worse, so many people wouldn't know a good photograph if it slapped them in the face.
That and when there is "no budget" then often there just isn't. Its how Companies control costs...and spend money on useless stuff at the same time.
I sell software. Welcome to my world.
It's true that the value of photography seems to be being eroded by the availability of royalty-free imagery. There are, however, some jobs that just don't have a budget. From the email you linked to it sounds like they just want to use the image once, and for a single internal use only - how much of her own money will she pay?
nick_bbb said:
I know I shoot for fun and not cash ...
...UPS wanting to use in a presentation for Chrysler. But after droping them a mail, "no budget". The poor woman putting the campain together has offered to pay for it out of her own pocket as it's what she really wants.
If you're not in it for the cash consider what else they might be able to give you that would be easy for them to give and of some value to you (old fashioned bartering):...UPS wanting to use in a presentation for Chrysler. But after droping them a mail, "no budget". The poor woman putting the campain together has offered to pay for it out of her own pocket as it's what she really wants.
- free parcel deliveries?
- could they get something cool from Chrysler for you?
You might also consider that it is good promotion for you to be seen by Chrysler; they may actually be a richer seam of photography revenue (in a subject you enjoy) so you may wish to treat is as a strategic investment by giving the image rights to UPS to use in this one presentation.
Sorry I didn't means this thread as a "what should I do" thread , it was more an observation of the state of photography. I guess it just reafirms my choice to not give up my day job and move into photography.
Goldeeno said:
When i started photography, ie this summer , i made it my goal to do it because i wanted to, and because i want to. The money side of it doesnt bother me, except when i spend £1000 on a new lens. But thats because i want to, and feel i need a lens like that.
Dont get me wrong, if you can make money, then do it. I have a friend who makes greetings cards and i gave him a few photos to use and got £100 off it, and for doing other bits, taking photos of friends car, blowing them up and framing them, sell them off. Things like that have almost paid for my 350D, which is great. But Everyone is trying to sell photos. There is deffinatly money in photography, but with the modern day kit, you dont need to be a pro to do this.
Take things as they come mate, copyright everything you do, and always advertise to the places you take photos at, and to the people you take photos of. You never know what will come of it, if you dont.
Goldeeno, I know your new so you may not know where I'm coming from, I've worked with quite a few magazines been published in a few books and a few other things. I gave up working for magazines as I got fed up with a reluctance to commision anything but buy on spec and constantly chasing them for money. Working on photography is totally different to doing it as a hobby as you move into 90% sales, marketing and debt collection and 10% behind the viewfinder. Even when you are behind the camera you're restricted as to what type of shot to take to meet the art directors requirements. I decided I like taking photos too much to do it full time so focus on my day job and take photos of what I want to in my spare time. I get my enjoyment for sharing my work and plan to do that off the internet with a small gallery show this year. , i made it my goal to do it because i wanted to, and because i want to. The money side of it doesnt bother me, except when i spend £1000 on a new lens. But thats because i want to, and feel i need a lens like that.Dont get me wrong, if you can make money, then do it. I have a friend who makes greetings cards and i gave him a few photos to use and got £100 off it, and for doing other bits, taking photos of friends car, blowing them up and framing them, sell them off. Things like that have almost paid for my 350D, which is great. But Everyone is trying to sell photos. There is deffinatly money in photography, but with the modern day kit, you dont need to be a pro to do this.
Take things as they come mate, copyright everything you do, and always advertise to the places you take photos at, and to the people you take photos of. You never know what will come of it, if you dont.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE
The guys a bit of a nonce, but the message is the same here for photographers IMO.
The guys a bit of a nonce, but the message is the same here for photographers IMO.
Andy M said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE
The guys a bit of a nonce, but the message is the same here for photographers IMO.
LMAO The guys a bit of a nonce, but the message is the same here for photographers IMO.
True.I agree, there is a conflict here between the aesthetic view of one department v's the percieved "value" from another department. Unfortunately the ones with the purse strings in this example are not ones ones who see the value in your image.
I'm definitely one who says don't undersell your work but also I see the flip side which says if there really is no budget then don't cut off your nose because the target for this particular image may turn around and say "Wow we really like that, who is that guy". It could be an opening for more work, you never know.
A previous suggestion was to barter and I'd second that, adding a few packages for them would cost them virtually nothing but could save you a decent amount of postage, all depends if UPS deliveries would work for you.
To answer your original question long term I think there is a future in professional photography but I would say I think it will become harder and harder to make a decent living. Whilst technology is making the technical side of photography easier and easier in terms of focus and exposure, there is still the artistic side that is a gift / hard work as appropriate and that separates what is a technically well focussed and well exposed image from one that really grabs you. Hopefully there will be enough people who are left who will pay for the difference between the technical and the artistic.
Chris
I'm definitely one who says don't undersell your work but also I see the flip side which says if there really is no budget then don't cut off your nose because the target for this particular image may turn around and say "Wow we really like that, who is that guy". It could be an opening for more work, you never know.
A previous suggestion was to barter and I'd second that, adding a few packages for them would cost them virtually nothing but could save you a decent amount of postage, all depends if UPS deliveries would work for you.
To answer your original question long term I think there is a future in professional photography but I would say I think it will become harder and harder to make a decent living. Whilst technology is making the technical side of photography easier and easier in terms of focus and exposure, there is still the artistic side that is a gift / hard work as appropriate and that separates what is a technically well focussed and well exposed image from one that really grabs you. Hopefully there will be enough people who are left who will pay for the difference between the technical and the artistic.
Chris
UPS, no money, my arse.
trying to get a photo for free is not really on for a company as large as UPS. even if they use stock photos they still have to pay for it. the guy hase probably been told to look for cheap source and looked on flickR. I'd not be suprised if he has not left messages on other pages
trying to get a photo for free is not really on for a company as large as UPS. even if they use stock photos they still have to pay for it. the guy hase probably been told to look for cheap source and looked on flickR. I'd not be suprised if he has not left messages on other pages
I've come to an agreement that will make use of UPS shipping services to allow me to indulge in my love of Root Beer 
Also I will be credited on the poster so the Mopar guys will know where it came from and if there are any Mopar goodies from the meet they will hopefully wind there way to me. As has been said they could get a stock image for 10 bucks so not the worse result.
Also I will be credited on the poster so the Mopar guys will know where it came from and if there are any Mopar goodies from the meet they will hopefully wind there way to me. As has been said they could get a stock image for 10 bucks so not the worse result. While people are prepared to do work on the cheap it will always be difficult for professionals to compete. The trick is to find yourself clients who recognise good quality and are prepared to pay a fair price for it. If someone won't pay me the going rate then I'd rather spend my time more productively by doing paperwork or marketing. In short, I'd rather put my feet up than under-sell myself. Doing that does nobody any favours and undervalues not only yourself but the medium of photography. Sure anyone can take a photograph, but not everyone can take a fine photograph and deliver the goods.
poah said:
UPS, no money, my arse.
trying to get a photo for free is not really on for a company as large as UPS. even if they use stock photos they still have to pay for it. the guy hase probably been told to look for cheap source and looked on flickR. I'd not be suprised if he has not left messages on other pages
There is a world of difference between a company having money and a member of staff being authorised to spend it.trying to get a photo for free is not really on for a company as large as UPS. even if they use stock photos they still have to pay for it. the guy hase probably been told to look for cheap source and looked on flickR. I'd not be suprised if he has not left messages on other pages
nick_bbb said:
I've come to an agreement that will make use of UPS shipping services to allow me to indulge in my love of Root Beer Also I will be credited on the poster so the Mopar guys will know where it came from and if there are any Mopar goodies from the meet they will hopefully wind there way to me. As has been said they could get a stock image for 10 bucks so not the worse result.
Also I will be credited on the poster so the Mopar guys will know where it came from and if there are any Mopar goodies from the meet they will hopefully wind there way to me. As has been said they could get a stock image for 10 bucks so not the worse result. 
I'll take my commission later .... nick_bbb said:
I've come to an agreement that will make use of UPS shipping services to allow me to indulge in my love of Root Beer Also I will be credited on the poster so the Mopar guys will know where it came from and if there are any Mopar goodies from the meet they will hopefully wind there way to me. As has been said they could get a stock image for 10 bucks so not the worse result.
thats good Also I will be credited on the poster so the Mopar guys will know where it came from and if there are any Mopar goodies from the meet they will hopefully wind there way to me. As has been said they could get a stock image for 10 bucks so not the worse result. Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff