UnoMundo Photography wrote:
I received an email 4 days ago.

the usual ...we love your work.blah blah blah


we have a national beauty competition winner traveling to Vegas.Would you photograph her TFP.
No I said...money,  price of gas , children....
The competition was on TV, I saw it, so if they have money to get to Vegas, they have money for a shoot.

reply this AM
[b]"Yes we found several TFP Photographers.
Thank you for your time."[/]


Is this like glamour, nature, commercial ?   Has this evolved to its own category.
Are there people out there who never wish to be paid?

They found several photographers who were stupid enough to do TFP for this event and they exploited them.

Oliver Cole wrote:
NEWS FLASH!!

General Motors having lost millions of dollars this year has decided based upon the SUCCESSFUL online photography business to give away its cars & trucks!!!

GWAFC now stands for "guy/gal with a free car"

Oliver

That's nothing new. Oprah does it all the time.

Click Hamilton wrote:
I'm a %$#$$ TFP photographer and I'm happy to be that way. I meet lots of nice people all the time, and open many doors of opportunity.

I measure my benefit in other ways that are more important to me than money. I also don't waste my time with the exploitative types who asked you to shoot in Las Vegas for free for their commercial benefit. That's just plain rude.

Stressing over money kills the thrill of doing lots of things we otherwise do with passion and conviction. Most models don't have much money anyway. Most ad agencies are stressed out in legal arguements or problems with cranky customers who expect the ads they pay for to actually sell something. Most photographers can't earn much money billing themselves out as photographers for hire, so why smash your head about it? Trying to earn money and pursue art at the same time seems incongruent to me.

If you want to make money, there are far easier ways. If you want to make money with your camera, there are still far easier ways than by being a photographer. Use your skill to create something of value, then sell that. Big difference.

I shoot what I like, with whom I like, when I like, and I have never charged anyone.It let's me enjoy what I do and focus on making the best images I can. As the expression goes, "I work for myself" .. and emphasis on upon "FOR." The value of this high quality time is more precious to me than others would be willing to pay me to take it away from me.

This is an easy decision for me.


Different Drummer

Bingo...

Billy Pegram wrote:
I got the same e-mail and said no...but you can contact Mundo photography.

ROFL! Bravo!

Jim Ball wrote:
I'm not a full time photographer.  I shoot weddings/events and portraits for money.  I work with models TFP.  For me, photography is like playing the piano.  The paid gigs are the concerts, the TFP shoots are "piano practice" to help keep and improve my skills for the paying gigs.

I would equate TFCD shoots to jam sessions.

Chuck Holliday wrote:
its 2006, not 1956.

sorry old guys, they cant go back in time and take away digital photography.

sorry old guys, they cant go back and tell everybody under 30 who wants to be a photographer "you cant do it because youre too young and the other photographers need to clog up the field so they can make money instead of you"

larry bird is not coming back through that door. babe ruth is not coming back through that door. nelson rockefeller isnt coming back through that door.

its 2006.

Chuck, you miss the point entirely. This is NOT about digital.
The theme here is that the lexicon now has defined "TFP Photographer".
That is someone like you who does NOT care if he is paid.

That people NOW expect photography for  free!  that is the point!
read slowly Dude, you might get it.

ericphotonyc wrote:
"You get what you pay for." - John Arbuckle

And often we pay through the nose and get nothing. Paying money guarantees nothing, except that you will have less money.

UnoMundo Photography wrote:

Chuck, you miss the point entirely. This is NOT about digital.
The theme here is that the lexicon now has defined "TFP Photographer".
That is someone like you who does NOT care if he is paid.

That people NOW expect photography for  free!  that is the point!
read slowly Dude, you might get it.

actually i did read it, but the thing that i was making a point of was the fact that TFP arguements normally lead straight into the core reason of it, which most people point towards the rise of digital photography and the parody of quality photography in the process.

but yeah everybody now expects it for free, its no secret, i think that these day in times though, looking at the talent level thats aspiring around, its often better to just work with companies or artists who appreciate good service instead of good photography. its definitely a difference and alot of these aspiring whatever whatever whatevers dont really know that.

Billy Pegram wrote:
I got the same e-mail and said no...but you can contact Mundo photography.

That was funny, Billy.

My beef is that there is now an official term "TFP Photographer" . Like nature, or travel photographer.
I dont expect to make money photographing beginning models people. I make money from the artsy fartsy stuff that I create and sell.

Chuck Holliday wrote:
its 2006, not 1956.

sorry old guys, they cant go back in time and take away digital photography.

sorry old guys, they cant go back and tell everybody under 30 who wants to be a photographer "you cant do it because youre too young and the other photographers need to clog up the field so they can make money instead of you"

larry bird is not coming back through that door. babe ruth is not coming back through that door. nelson rockefeller isnt coming back through that door.

its 2006.

Got some issues, Chuck? 

Chuck Holliday's MM Profile wrote:
Mogul / Photographer / Branding Consultant
As of August 2006, based in both Miami Beach, Florida and New York, New York

Mediums include "high energy" urban fashion, "trendy" glamour, editorial influenced, and sport/swimsuit - content that can be published or gross income. I've recently been hired to work under a highly regarded celebrity photographer (entertainment) based in Los Angeles.

This thread is about getting paid for your work, which is not as old fashioned a concept as you are intimating.
   How does one become a mogul without income?
   You appear to be on a career track, but you support people working for free in your field. I find that an interesting dichotomy.

   For the record, I am an old guy who keeps at the forefront in tech. I have shot only 2 rolls of film since I bought my first digital SLR, I actively encourage young photographers to pursue their dreams, but I also point out that if you do not place value on your work, neither will anyone else.

   Tangentally, I am thankful regularly that the door swings only one way for Nelson Rockefeller, and I expect the place he currently resides is even hotter than Southern California today.