tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7553278593406733377.post6553766552959196841..comments2024-03-20T00:37:30.189-04:00Comments on Photo Business News & Forum: The Upside of DownJohn Harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941161605443479300noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7553278593406733377.post-12660103391415917712007-01-27T01:17:00.000-05:002007-01-27T01:17:00.000-05:00This is definately a much needed discussion at the...This is definately a much needed discussion at the water cooler (or the Bears' Gatorade table). The idea that getting your foot in the door means taking a job with "bad" terms is bad for everyone including the "also ran". Someday said "also ran" will become a full pro and will want what is due to him/her. Because people have been accepting bad deals to get their foot in the door, the industry standard will become nothing but bad deals. This is a very real reality, as dark as it sounds, if we don't stand up for ourselves, even as a beginner. I have walked away from quite a few "bad" deals in my 4+ year career. You really have to be ready to walk away from ANY deal if a likeable compromise can't be reached. I think that too many people become married to the money/opportunity before they sign the contract. Walking away has not affected my fortunate income, nor my career status. In fact, I think it has done my career well. I respect myself and I am respected back. My work is worth something as well as every talented artist, beginner or not.<br /><br />www.FotoFrenzie.comStacie F.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09007601147483584767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7553278593406733377.post-86389856490330841262007-01-24T06:55:00.000-05:002007-01-24T06:55:00.000-05:00Great Blog. You have an interesting perspective o...Great Blog. You have an interesting perspective on the world of editorial and commercial photography.<br /><br />Please continue.<br /><br />I have the upmost respect for Mr. Burnett, he is a talented photographer, strong businessman and a fine example of a long successful career in photography - plus he has been everywhere - if only for a minute.<br /><br />A bad deal is no deal. Just walk away. In the end, you are much better off by either working through the process to try to make it work for each party, or respectfully declining.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7553278593406733377.post-45296111455634245592007-01-23T15:08:00.000-05:002007-01-23T15:08:00.000-05:00Upside? Do it on your own...sell it on your own.
...Upside? Do it on your own...sell it on your own. <br /><br />The trend of aggregating all content and ownership under one super umbrella by the producers of any 'event' is an old story.<br /><br />There is no upside to walking away. The only upside of down is to walk in an altogether different direction photographically speaking. <br /><br />Let the producer produce and today that includes photographers.Sean Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14975121659876941148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7553278593406733377.post-76889346681634601642007-01-23T14:40:00.000-05:002007-01-23T14:40:00.000-05:00First, this comment page doesn't work with Firefox...First, this comment page doesn't work with Firefox 2.0, it can't be resized and the fonts don't show up.<br /><br />Now, This is my first comment and I'm learning a lot and I'm just a hobbyist who's dreaming of turning pro but will most likely never do it. I see a lot of parallels here with other business experiences. For example, some say open source software is killing the software industry. Others say software developers in India are going to kill the software industry. The fact is there's always someone willing to work for less. And we're now in a global economy. Asian painters are already selling on ebay. I imagine if they're not already, Asian photographers will be selling on stock sites (especially microstock). And people like me dreaming of going pro will end up taking a job that a pro turned down just as an Indian programmer will accept a programming job that I turned down.<br /><br />I'm not certain of the future of the photography business. The DSLR explosition has and will continue to have an enormous impact, just as the internet has done for online commerce. I think we must accept free trade and compete on our own merits. <br /><br />David the pro photographer will get what he is worth. And how much is that? It's what he is able to get. :)Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02542050110857609773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7553278593406733377.post-23997200875233247672007-01-23T12:25:00.000-05:002007-01-23T12:25:00.000-05:00Great post! I agreed with you on image rights. Wit...Great post! I agreed with you on image rights. Without image rights, I am just a person hired to click the shutter - no more. The images we create are what define us as photographers - not our gear or our pay.<br /><br />Of course, if your priority is to put bread on the table, then I see no problem putting money before rights. I don't think we can say the other person is wrong - just different personal choice and priorities.Xpressive Studiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09216812848614369390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7553278593406733377.post-72843127211237289282007-01-23T11:48:00.000-05:002007-01-23T11:48:00.000-05:00Hi, Thank you very much for this blog, it is educa...Hi, Thank you very much for this blog, it is educational for many of us.<br /><br />I think Andrew Smith who has just posted is right. You cannot blame someone for getting a job. What may be a bad job for a top-notch photographer could be a one in a lifetime opportunity for another. This is a business rule not only applying to photography. <br /><br />Let's say I would like to be like Steve Jobs. Steve has got an offering as a CEO of a small company, perhaps that would not be a good deal for him, but it might be for me no matter how badly I want to be like Steve.<br /><br />So this time I have to disagree with you, I'd say it was good for David not to take that job (I imagine he chose what was best for him) and good for the other guy who got the job (he chose what was best for him). This is the whole concept of an open economy in the global world... Business is business<br /><br />Thank you, please keep posting, this blog is becoming one of my usual readingsGonzalo Abascalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07453305860968440976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7553278593406733377.post-22473212259376900292007-01-23T05:41:00.000-05:002007-01-23T05:41:00.000-05:00Hi John,
Firstly I want to thank you for running ...Hi John,<br /><br />Firstly I want to thank you for running this blog, which I saw linked from Strobist. I'm about six months into working full-time as a photographer so the business advice you're posting is invaluable to me.<br /><br />With regard to the Olympics job, was the other photographer aware of David having declined the deal? Because if he wasn't then all that happened is someone got a lucky break. They likely didn't know they were second (or third or fourth) choice, and the deal was acceptable to them. (Do any of us answer the phone with the assumption that we're not first choice?)<br /><br />If you regularly shoot $1,000 assignments then you'll be looking for a better deal than if you're shooting $50 newspaper shots. It's a fact of commerce that a "good deal" is relative.<br /><br />I recently quoted $200 for a family portrait which was cheap considering the work involved. The client went with another local photographer who, they say, undercut me. My price for that job was fair, yet I shoot weddings for less than half of what the other guy charges. I don't believe that either of us are undermining the other or devaluing the industry. The differing prices are just the end result of many other factors.<br /><br />At this point in my career if I was offered any major sporting event for editorial sales only and no image rights, I'd accept. It wouldn't be out of malice or greed, it would simply be taking a step in the right direction. Great deal? No. Better than not doing he job at all? Hell yes! I want to work, not sit on my backside feeling good about all the not-good-enough deals I turned down.<br /><br />Go easy on us little guys :-)<br /><br />--<br />Andrew Smith<br />www.Meejahor.comAndrew Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10149456624402352406noreply@blogger.com