Gobsmacked!

I've had a short email conservation with an editorial designer whose identity, for obvious reasons, I'll keep as 'ANON'.

ANON:
Hi
Would it be possible for you to supply us with the image attached at
hi-res, we are working on an interiors article for Du¢¢¢¢¢¢ and G••••••••
L∞¢# magazine and [Interior Designer] is mentioned. Obviously we will credit the photograph to yourself.

Thanks
















I replied, presuming that no budget was being offered.

ANON:
Yes, sorry no budget, it is a dps by one of our freelance writers and we
source images from various places but would have liked to use that pic
credited to you if possible.

I ignored the email and went about my business.

Anon:
Hi Brendan,

In light of us having no budget for this piece, was your final answer
no?

We would only use it as a one off, with your credit on it and not back
it up to our archive system if that helps towards my case at all......

plus I personally would be eternally grateful as I could stop ploughing
through numerous stock images to find something that comes up to the
same standard!

I replied:
Hi ANON,

Where on my website or anywhere else does it say "FREE"?
This is my business and income. Can I ask if you or any of your colleagues work for nothing? Do you get your gas and electricity for free?

Sorry but in the light of you wanting an easier option than "ploughing
through numerous stock images to find something that comes up to the
same standard" you might just need to pay!

Regards
Brendan MacNeill

ANON:
Ok, thanks anyway..... was a bit cheeky and by no means was I
downgrading anything you do by suggesting you allow us to use your image
but it was only because our writer had directed us to the interior
designer who's images were taken by yourself. I thank you for your time
and will continue with my ploughing.

Have a good weekend.
ANON

Yes you said it - 'CHEEKY'. And being pedantic they're not his images. He has low res versions that I've licensed to him. The images remain mine at all times.

Ta but No to AllMediaScotland.

There's something bugging me about AllMediaScotland's new website and their offerings. I've been checking into the site on a regular basis since it's re-launch and have been itching to place an entry in the Talent directory. Itching isn't doing though. The directory now has 8 photographers listed, each paying £20 per year  to get there. This compares to a much fuller list in the original iteration of AllMediaScotland where we paid £10 for a years listing.

But the increased charge isn't what's giving me the rash. It's the fact that AllMedia seem to be playing gamekeeper and poacher at the same time. Looking deeper into their site you'll see that they offer the services of an 'award winning team of photographers' to suit all potential clients media needs. Unfortunately there are no photographs on display to illustrate the talent on offer so we must take them on their word. They also offer various design services but again without showing a portfolio from the award winning designers or 'celebrated' magazine designer .

But here's where my rash is coming from. They price this service. For £299+VAT you get  'A photography shoot of up to two hours on location, with all expenses, including travel, included' plus either burning to disk on location (sometimes call Dump and Run) or same day post production. Now I charge a bit more than that. But not too much more, in fact per half day or day my hourly rate is lower. But I'd never offer my day or half day rate to include all travel and expenses included in that figure. Nor to commit to post production for free without first seeing a brief and knowing the nature of what's required. So if the AllMedia photographers were to run up £100 of expenses/travel their initial fee would be the ridiculously low mount of £199 in reality.

Hurrah my itch has gone. Gone because of course AllMediaScotland isn't where I should be listing my services. If someone wants to work for these rates with these offerings then fine. If someone wants to commission them then fine. (Photographers looking for a fees calculator can download one here). No it's not for me because why should I spend money to list myself on a website that's promoting competitors offering what can only be a much reduced service at what seems to be hugely reduced fees? Given today's budget led rather than creative led commissioning will anyone on the list offering an upmarket service stand any chance of getting calls?

In fact all you get for your £20 is a link to your website. That's an expensive bit of SEO. Time to rethink it?

St Andrew's Day - step aside Mr Salmond.

Well it's traditional to wish everyone all the very best for St Andrew's Day. And may I do so now?
And no doubt by the end of the day we will have had no end of reports of the success of the Homecoming campaign. I'll take the experts' opinion on its monetary and cultural value as I suspect I'll have little access to any data with which to argue one way or the other. But no doubt it's the SNP's White Paper on a proposed independence referendum that will steal all the headlines. Good or bad we'll be chewing it over for the coming months.
And to kick it off can I cheekily offer an outlandish thought? That the Chairman of Harrods, Mr al Fayed, might become the President of a Scottish Republic. He's even got the gear and the throne ready .. so why not?
Shot a few years ago for Scotland on Sunday this portrait is a consistent seller for me and proves the argument that even small creators should retain their copyright and control their IP.

Summer song or Going for a song?

I've haven't been giving this blog much attention of late so to get things rolling again I thought I'd offer you these frames from an editorial job for Conde Nast Traveller for their Room with a View pages. Just simple natural photography. Really? Well yes if you allow for 3 visits to one of the venues and computer time to blend exposures and then lots of time to touch out the builders muck caked on one of the glass windows.
Which brings up an issue I'm having with new clients (not this one)....... make images look natural, simple and easy and carefree and they perceive them as being low budget. Experience counts for nothing. Nor track record.
So when the accounts department next says they have a trainee with a camera I'll reply that I have a stethoscope/calculator/football boots but that doesn't make me a doctor/accountant/David Beckham.
Thanks to the Balmoral, Caledonian and Messoni Hotels.

Client Vendor relationship

Selling Yourself .....

.....too cheaply.

Great Rant.....

.....that I totally agree with. Now imagine that photographers didn't just give it away.