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Credit Dont Pay Bills

Joseph C Hinson

Blog #19 of 48

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October 21st, 2014 - 04:42 PM

Credit Dont Pay Bills

The other day someone wrote on a Facebook group page which I admin that he was looking for a photograph to use on a flier he was making to advertise a speaker at an event. He said he didn't have "much of a budget" but would give the photographer "credit" for the usage. This always rubs me the wrong way for all the reasons everyone on this site knows -- credit don't pay bills. Besides, I don't need credit for this shot; I already know i took it. . I don’t think he ever understood what I meant by this. Which, I guess, is part of the problem. Someone actually made the suggestion that he do a web search and use what he finds, but the OP was at least clear he was not going to break any copyright laws. There's something to be said for that.

Do me a favor. Next time you’re hungry, find a place to eat. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It can be a local place or a chain restaurant. It can be fast food like Burger King or expensive like a Ruth’s Chris Steak House. Ask to speak to the manager and when they come out, be nice and pleasant and explain that you don’t “have the budget” for a meal, but if he gives you free food, you’ll be sure to give him credit for the meal.

My first thought was to say you’d get laughed out of the place. But the truth is the manager would probably look at you like you’re a complete moron and then walk away. He’d think you’d already wasted too much of his time and arguing with you wouldn’t be worth it. I made the decision on Facebook to engage the guy. I said that while he would probably find someone willing to give away their work, I reminded him that sometimes a trade could be worked out. The event included a paid admission that "covered only the costs involved." I missed a great chance here to reply, "Well, not all costs, obviously." But sometimes a photographer would be willing to work for a trade, even a free ticket or two to the actual event if he thought it was worth it. The guy got mad and argued that i was being "flippant" which I think to him meant I was being a jerk. I probably did not handle it well and might just should have let it slide. I was posting on Friday literally right before I headed out the door on a weekend trip.

I’m still never sure how to talk to these people. It’s a growing problem. I routinely find my images online being used without permission. One of my most viewed FAA shots has never sold, but I have made more money on it than some that do sell. How? Because when I find the shot being used without my permission, I do a Print Screen of it on their web site along with one from this web site (I do this because as soon as I send my first e-mail, the shot in question will come down off their web site.) and then send an invoice. I have found a church right down the street illegally using the image. When I sent the invoice, it took them less than fifteen minutes to get back to me and pay it. A real estate in town was using the same image. I sent an invoice to them and their web site developer and both paid me.

See, I’m risking some goodwill here by complaining about not getting paid. But this photography bit isn’t cheap. I’m not going to get into a long post about all the costs involved, but it includes gas to get where I’m going, the camera and gear used to create the photographs and the time I have spent over the years perfecting my craft.

The shot that the fellow on Facebook wanted was of a circus train. The last circus train I shot came through Columbia this year, but I missed it. I timed it wrong during rush hour traffic from downtown to the I-77 bridge just outside Columbia. By the time I caught it in good sun, I had chased it 70 miles one way to Chester, SC. That meant I had to drive 140 miles total – and gas up back in town -- get a bite to eat on the way back and then sit down to process the one or two shots I managed to squeeze off as the train passed me at 55 miles an hour.

Sure. Take it. I’ll give it to you. Not.

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Eston Henry

9 Years Ago

Kingston, Kingston & St. Andrew

Too many people don't realise how much goes into the final art product which they see. I believe the ease of appearance of a good result unfortunately causes the viewer and potential buyer to think it was too easy to cost too much money. That's the dilemma with art, the more skilled the artist the more simple and easy the work appears to have been achieved. People also don't begin to understand the financial output the artist has to fork up in order to present something of value to the buyer.