Monday, January 28, 2008

Andy Rooney Moment

Good ol' Harlan - people feel the same about photography - why should I pay you $X when I can just go buy a camera and do it myself? I've actually had people who wanted to license an image who, after rejecting my price, asked me for advice on how to shoot it themselves.

And the stuff about them not sending copies is true - I run about 50% - I've let newspapers and other entities run things for free, just asking for a copy for my files, and they only send it about half the time. Even one of my book covers which paid fairly well they never sent me my two copies, despite it being in the contract, and ignored my messages and the model's messages despite repeated nagging.

While we're on the subject of pet peeves - people who ask for advice and information have about a 50% "thank you" rate including people who should know better. Or they'll thank you months later when they have a followup question. Guess how often I answer the second question? I'm really getting very cynical - I get tons of email asking about lighting and such including from people with high end portrait studios. I'm going to have to write a little pamphlet and start charging for it or something.

Anyway, enough of me, watch Harlan Ellison rant away, he's better at it...
Posted by SFN at 2:19 PM

2 comments:

John Winston Smith said...

This is wonderful little diatribe. Any advice on how I can write one like it for all the jerks who never comment on my nude posts in various Usenet fine art newsgroups but who are like dogs howling at the moon when I post a single non-nude off-topic picture? Or how I can write one for all the models with mush (or was it kelp) for brains who never show up for shoots? In exchange I promise I will buy two copies of your pamphlet when it comes out. Thanks in advance. :-)

-jws

P.S., Mostly just writing to let you know that I enjoy posts. Where can one find the Harlan Ellison rants that you mentioned?

3:07 PM
Doug Wade said...

When I was on deviantart if I took a break from posting nudes and posted vacation pictures or whatever I'd get people removing me from their watch list. It's very sad.

It's kelp.

If you don't see the video, you should be able to see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE

I heard Safari shows the video but not my text, so maybe you have the reverse. Or if you want to read HE ranting, see if The Glass Teat is still in print.

4:05 PM

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