I've given up helping!!

Done... finished.... Don't care....

Some might say that I never started, and to them, I say ... "shut up".

Here's the long story short.

Guy contacts me, wants to hang out with me for a shoot and observe... sure no problem. I tell him up front I will not an cannot pay him. He doesn't care. Fine. We do shoot, goes fine. He's fine and seems nice and very willing to help.

After the shoot I looked at his portfolio and saw a car I wanted to shoot (not his car, someone elses car). Proper etiquette says to me that I should ask him first before I go to the car owner and ask to shoot his car. Guy says sure, gives me the contact info.

Here's the part that got me...

He says, "Hey can you let me shoot it for (high priced magazine) and pass on my information and let me talk to the editor?"

Uhh... NO. How about that? You want to take my idea, shoot it and then get paid for it and make a contact all on my back and I get paid nothing? F-that. It's not YOUR car! But it's my BUSINESS.



It suddenly dawned on me... I'm training my competition. That's--F'd up.

I worked my ass off to make that contact and made a relationship with that editor. I'm not going to make my job that much harder because you are too lazy to do it for your damned self. Once again F-that.

Before you guys get all huffy with me... If i were in the twilight of my career and winding down... sure, I'd be more prone to helping out, but in the crescendo of it? No F-in likely!

Ugh. So now you know why I'm a lot less "helpful" these days.

~Eric

tl;dr - Guy tried to usurp my business.

[Dennismc]

Max,

Theres Helping and theres being taken advantage of (as a fool even) That guy was out of line! period. Maybe hes just to wet behind the ears or just an ass, either way he needs to learn a lot more still!

Dont give up on being you cause of a jerk. (yes I know some will say takes on to .....) LOL

Short story, when I did my first group shoot, all I had was a couple hot lights and they sucked! Photog in the same section of building as me, offered to let me shoot with his Einsteins and a spare trigger. Only requirement? We dont shoot the same poses with the same model and no over the shoulder, which I knew not to do anyway.

Was a great time, learned a TON! He is now a good friend, partner in my new studio venture and we shoot a lot together, and collaborate on many shoots..

Its all in the guy you are helping, not the helper. Sorry you got a jerk! Ever in my neck of the woods, hit me up, I wont even bring a camera, just observe!

Dennis

[SusanH1970]

I'm all for helping someone who is not in my area at all (like, across the country, lol) for free. But, when someone local contacts me and asks me if I can show them the ropes, my standard answer is, "Sure, my mentoring fee is $xxx.00 per hour. When would you like to start?" They usually change their minds pretty quickly.

I forgot to mention this was almost 6-8 months ago... just got around to being angry about it LOL

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by maxharvard

I forgot to mention this was almost 6-8 months ago... just got around to being angry about it LOL

Hahaha...that's pretty funny! Delayed reaction anger...a whole new concept for shrinks.

Originally Posted by SusanH1970

Hahaha...that's pretty funny! Delayed reaction anger...a whole new concept for shrinks.

Ya, i was so busy at the time I just threw it away and got peeved... but the more I think about it... F-that!

I'm way too busy to be teaching my competition.

[IABoomer]

Originally Posted by maxharvard

I forgot to mention this was almost 6-8 months ago... just got around to being angry about it LOL

Here I was naive enough to think you just calmed down enough to type out this message without breaking your keyboard. Silly me.

Originally Posted by IABoomer

Here I was naive enough to think you just calmed down enough to type out this message without breaking your keyboard. Silly me.

Other way around... anger rising....

[mosgood]

I wouldn't have given that guy the info either. I don't know whether I'd laugh or get super angry at such a stupid request. That's just plain wrong!

Good for you for telling him to take a hike!

Originally Posted by mosgood

I wouldn't have given that guy the info either. I don't know whether I'd laugh or get super angry at such a stupid request. That's just plain wrong!

Good for you for telling him to take a hike!

I didn't tell him anything... I just deleted the email and haven't spoken to him since.