A Monkey's Revenge - My Blog

Freetards

http://www.starnow.co.uk/Casting-Calls/Photographerswanted/photographer_wanted_for_theatre_show_publicity.htm is a very good example of the type of freetard activity I am referring to. Here is another.

These kind of 'opportunities' are becoming more and more common I'm afraid. Personally I think it reflects very badly on the company or organisation that places the advert. They clearly think that photographers can survive on fresh air and that it isn't a profession at all but rather a calling. I remember the same thing being said about nursing. Why pay nurses adequately when they do it for the love of the job?

Think cynical exploitation and you would be somewhere near the truth. To students and newbie professional photographers I would say this.... value your training and your professional experience. Freebies are very unlikely to lead to further paid work or networking opportunities. More likely you will make a name for yourself as a numpty who will work for nothing. So turn down these 'generous' offers. Move on to clients who value their professional status as much as you value yours.

To the giver of these bountiful opportunities- well, apart from the obvious knee-jerk reaction of 'why don't you crawl into a corner and die', I'd ask what they think it says about their attitude towards people. Photographers are humans too, surprisingly,(well, most of them are). They have families and friends who buy things and visit theatres, etc. Do you really want to be alienating people who may be future customers or might influence customers?If I dropped into the Eagle and Thistle for a pint, would you expect me to pay for that? Tickets to your Manchester theatre show?

In this life,(and possibly the next), you get what you pay for. Pay a proper professional to take your photos and you will get experience, use of expensive photographic gear and lighting, post production on properly calibrated equipment, reliable and on-time delivery of the results. Get an amateur or unqualified student to do the work for free and you might just get lucky. Or you might get third rate, poorly lit results, a large bill and a whole bunch of legal troubles if the uninsured newbie trips over the ming vase in the foyer.

In short, treat others as you would hope to be treated yourself. Act professionally and treat others with courtesy and respect. What goes around comes around and freetards will find that eventually their cheap behaviour will bite them on the ass!

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