Worst "I want a Pro, but don't want to pay" listing I've seen in a while

[jerry_schuler]

If you've spent time self employed in any field, you will find people like that all over the place. It's not limited to photography. Just be thankfull they didn't try the Al Capone muscle tactic on you.

[bryantan]

There are also good listings on Craigslist. My jaw dropped when I saw this one, but it's too bad that they are too few and far in between.

 

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/crg/804858462.html

[bryantan]

It is the first one I've ever seen that offers a decent day rate.

[k5083]

My sympathies are with the pros on this one, but they hurt their own case with some false and silly statements that Joseph W. pointed out.

 

One is the idea that an amateur must be less competent than a professional, i.e., you get what you pay for. Not true. As to customer service and the business aspects of the business, yes. But as to the actual photography, there are many amateurs who would be ashamed to let their work sink to the level of the average pro.

 

The other is the idea that you are being exploited even if you don't realize it. This is the Marxist notion of "false consciousness." In this connection, I agree with Joseph that Ralph's "pain and suffering" comment nails it. Fun is value; those who will do and supply photography for fun are in no way being exploited; and while the existence of such people creates a competitive problem for pros, they can avoid the problem by taking gigs to shoot things that are not fun. I imagine that a listing on Craigs to go cover the war in Georgia for $50 a day wouldn't attract a lot of candidates, even if expenses were covered.

[thomas_hardy1]

August Horvarth said:

 

"My sympathies are with the pros on this one, but they hurt their own case with some false and silly statements that

Joseph W. pointed out."

 

 

 

 

Years ago I worked with a nurse who told her pro photographer husband that I dabble (in so many words) in photography.

I finally met him one day and thought we were having a very superficial but cordial chat about photography...I am an

amateur and would not presume to talk authoritatively especially to a man I knew was a pro.

 

Out of the blue the guy says "how 'bout I come up here one day and start doctoring on patients!" I don't think he was

joking.

 

I can usually diffuse a situation like that but at that point all I could come up with was ....well, uh, hmmm....

cough....oooh kay and then walk away.

[robertshults]

"There are also good listings on Craigslist."

 

That's true, which is why I periodically check in and how I stumbled upon the listing that began this thread.

[jbs]

<<<<August Horvath [Frequent poster] , Aug 20, 2008; 05:03 p.m.

 

The other is the idea that you are being exploited even if you don't realize it. This is the Marxist notion of "false consciousness." In this connection, I agree with Joseph that Ralph's "pain and suffering" comment nails it. Fun is value; those who will do and supply photography for fun are in no way being exploited; and while the existence of such people creates a competitive problem for pros, they can avoid the problem by taking gigs to shoot things that are not fun. I imagine that a listing on Craigs to go cover the war in Georgia for $50 a day wouldn't attract a lot of candidates, even if expenses were covered.>>>>

 

So, the $50 is what, then? Sometimes I shoot a gig that is not "fun" but I still charge an honest rate. If others choose to charge more or less given their joy factor it shouldn't have anything to do with payment for a professional gig, for profit.

This man will likely infer you are a "staff photographer" ( http://www.olmissouri.com/index.php?view=article&catid=1%3Alatest-news&id=484%3A08-mu-olmreturn&tmpl=component&print=1&page=&option=com_content&Itemid=11 ) but most if not all of the hired "joytographers" will be unaware of this. This might fall into the realm of "obscuring the reality" eluded to under the concept of "false consciousness". If this is for fun, there should be no payment.

 

BTW, I have shot many times for free when I felt the urge to contribute to a non profit or to help my community, I have nothing against that. I would just like this to be called what it is (joytography) and not a paid gig for a professional photographer.

[markci]

<i>Look at golfers. How often do you imagine the PG tour players sit around crabbing because millions of people play golf each day, without getting paid for it? </i>

<p>

That's got to be the most pea-brained analogy I've heard in some time.

<p>

PGA tour players get paid BECAUSE there are millions of golfers that their sponsors can peddle their products to, and for no other reason. Playing golf isn't a job that needs doing, and amateurs aren't competing with professionals for some finite amount of golf that needs to be played.

[markci]

And it's true -- there are "employers" like that in just about every field, including software development. There are web sites where people post small (and sometimes not so small) programming jobs for prices you coudn't get me to start up Visual Studio for. I think mostly they get done by people in India, or else college kids.