birding-aus

What value a photo?

To: Cheryl Ridge <>
Subject: What value a photo?
From: Dave Torr <>
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2012 14:47:48 +1000
Some fair points Cheryl - but what you forget of course is that a lot of
people donate their time and skills (and money) towards organisations - so
a photographer who donates photos to an organisation is no different to a
web site designer who donates their time to setting up a site for a "needy"
cause - in neither case does this mean that they cannot make money out of
commercial work, and indeed it may provide an avenue into new
opportunities. Some people charge for everything, some do everything for
free and some aim for a happy mix of the two.

On 21 July 2012 10:47, Cheryl Ridge <> wrote:

> Thanks to those who have chimed in. Thinking more on this...
>
> I guess the desire/expectation and availability of
> freebies goes beyond photography. Interesting reading.
>
> But my own experiences vary from 'donating' images for
> educational purposes to actually getting paid for images
> in books or interpretive panels etc. Or sometimes there
> might be a trade/barter arrangement. All good.
>
> I've been thinking about the value of photos in society.
> A world without imagery would be a pretty dull place not
> to mention affecting an organization’s ability to market
> themselves, a great bearing on advertising and sales,
> education, conservation, news reporting, memories,
> recording history and events.
>
> Imagine if all photographers giving away freebies
> suddenly exclaimed "fair suck of the sav" and
> put a stop to certain things, could be interesting.
>
> Take photo competitions as an example. Some terms and
> conditions are unbelievable. Some competitions seem to
> be a front for an "image grab" - to stockpile eyecandy to
> promote their own business/market their products/generate
> traffic/income or even distribute or onsell to others!
>
> And really why can’t photographers stand up and be counted
> amongst other people who get compensated somewhat for their
> time/effort/product? Office workers, builders, rangers,
> graphic designers, editors or publishers, retailers,
> hobbyists, craft makers, printing firms.
>
> Is a photographer’s time/product worth less?
>
>
> (my apologies if the formatting is a little strange!)
>
>
>
>
>
> --- On Fri, 7/20/12, Cheryl Ridge <> wrote:
>
> > From: Cheryl Ridge <>
> > Subject: What value a photo?
> > To: 
> > Date: Friday, July 20, 2012, 11:53 AM
> > Hi folks
> >
> > It can feel nice to help a project out,
> > especially if it is for a "good cause"
> > and seeing one's name in print (credit line)
> > can be a buzz.
> >
> > But is there a general expectation that bird
> > and nature images should just be supplied
> > freely to whoever asks?
> >
> > There will always be those who cheerfully
> > give their images away because they see
> > themselves as JUST an amateur or it is
> > JUST a hobby for them.
> >
> > Bird and nature photography is a hobby for
> > me yet I do find myself thinking more about
> > the 'value' of an image and now take a step
> > back before sending off a high resolution
> > image to someone.
> >
> > First I will try to establish if they
> > are seeking donations/freebies, their
> > intended audience and what they plan
> > to do with the finished product. Based
> > on their response I decide if I can
> > help them.
> >
> > If necessary I take the opportunity to
> > mention that photographers have their
> > own expenses, time and skills associated
> > with the image not to mention things like
> > petrol/accom costs, photography permits
> > in some cases, wear and tear on equipment
> > even insurance.
> >
> > I am hoping other bird/nature photographers
> > might be willing to share their experiences or
> > thoughts with regard to giving away images.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Cheryl Ridge
> >
> ===============================
>
> To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
> send the message:
> unsubscribe
> (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
> to: 
>
> http://birding-aus.org
> ===============================
>
===============================

To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to: 

http://birding-aus.org
===============================

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the birding-aus mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU