Friday, July 27, 2007

US Presswire - Friends Don't Screw Friends

Over 15 years ago, I shared with a friend of mine that I was being signed to Black Star under contract. I was, as a young photographer, excited to say the least. I shared it with exactly two people. One of them called Black Star and offered her services to them. They called me and told me, and reiterated that they wanted to use me. Whew I thought. When I asked my "friend", she responded "well, we'll all be competing against each other eventually, so it's ok."

Then, that same mentality hit someone else upside the head. For many years, Bob Rosato and Tom DiPace were good friends. The sports photographer community is very tight knit. It's not closed, but you do need to earn your stripes. DiPace had a very lucrative contract with what was then Baseball Weekly, and now is Sports Weekly. When I say lucrative, however, don't get it twisted. I am not talking that Tom was driving a Porsche or anything. I mean that it paid well and fairly, and the contract didn't screw him like many other contracts out there do. Tom was, to many, the king of the independent sports photographers, footing his own bill to travel and for film and processing, and he earned back those expenses and then some. Bob, during the initial phases of the USPW startup, trained his sights on Baseball Weekly, and made outreach to Tom's editors, essentially pulling the plug on DiPace's deal, striking an almost mortal blow to Tom's business. As diversified as Tom was, he of course, has survived. However, when Tom sought Bob out to discuss it, Bob's response was "Tommy, if it wasn't me, if I didn't do it, someone else would have." While DiPace, to his credit, chose the high road, and has not sought out to sling mud on the issue, he certainly had every right to do so, from my perspective.

US Presswire - Introduction
US Presswire - A Conflict of Interest
US Presswire - Friends Don't Screw Friends
US Presswire - Contract Analysis
US Presswire - The Client's Perspective
US Presswire - The Freelancers Perspective
US Presswire - Closing Thoughts

Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

But "friends do screw friends" - which is why I refuse to post under my own name. I've had "friends" run to my client and pitch an idea, I've had "assistant friends" tell another "photographer friend" about a problem or concern on a shoot.

People gossip, the look out for themselves first and many refuse to be professional.

When you act that way, eventually, it bites you in the tail. (Karma, I guess.)

I learned my lesson long ago and rarely if ever, comment on other photographers, other clients, other work or a problem in the industry. I try to be as professional as I can, in every situation.

"Friends do screw friends" - I have a pretty good idea who this is. She has done it to others.

Anonymous said...

Par for the course Bob Rosato does not know the word friendship. He is out for Bob and only for Bob.He thinks he is high and mighty but he's just a crook.Finally people will see
what bob is truly like. He doesn't care who you are he will step on you just for the money no matter how long you have been friens.

Newer Post Older Post