Why do so many think this way?

[villafane928]

Why do people think photographers dont deserve money. Imagine going up to a mechanic saying "I don't have money but I do have a piece of shit car if your lucky I will allow you to fix and I will let you get all the credit also which is invaluabe!"

[candleman]

1. because so many amatures do stuff for free..
2. every Dick, Tom, Harry and their respective pets each have a digital camera..
3. its now a digital world.. in peoples minds its just a digital file that costs nothing to produce
4. copyright is not valued (see how many people steal movies and music off the internet)

[calmaxgan]

candleman's points 2 and 3 are exactly what I was going to say. Because it is so accessible to more people now, the assumption is that getting a good shot is easy and straightforward... after all, don't they also think having a good camera means getting a good photo...

[windrider86]

lol, I just had a lady today who decided that I would simply include a cd of all her portraits along with a book for 85 bucks. Ha ha
And get this, she is a doctor.
Sure I'll work for free in excange for free health care

[waffles]

Originally Posted by villafane928

Imagine going up to a mechanic saying "I don't have money but I do have a piece of shit car if your lucky I will allow you to fix and I will let you get all the credit also which is invaluabe!"

I don't think that's really a good comparison. Mechanics aren't really going to do something to your car that would be recognizable to the general public. I think something more like telling a musician that they should give you their album for free because you'll play it and give them publicity fits better.

All of that being said, it's crap. Which makes it even sweeter when you find someone who's willing to pay.

[milosh]

Originally Posted by windrider86

Sure I'll work for free in excange for free health care

lol Did you get it?

I guess that's mainly because digital cameras are so easily accessible and wide-spread today, and people think that photography is just about pointing and shooting nowdays, and that everyone can do it.

[Swisstony10]

"I think something more like telling a musician that they should give you their album for free because you'll play it and give them publicity fits better"

All art-related things seem to be the same. I get invited to parties, and people often say "Oh and bring your guitar, that'll be fun!" (although now I get invited to things and asked to bring my camera along too), or I get asked if I'll play the guitar or the piano at peoples weddings and stuff. People don't put a value on the fact that I started learning to play the piano when I was 4 years old, and have spent 35 years playing and practising and working at what I do, or that I spent years teaching myself to play the guitar.. To be fair, I did play the guitar and sing for my best friend's wedding service, but that was different, because we're close and it was way more special than just having a CD.

I guess what it boils down to is that things like playing the guitar, or singing, or taking photographs, or painting pictures are seen as a hobby activity as well as a profession. I know that tinkering with cars or motorbikes is the same, but I think there are a lot more hobbyist photographers, and hobbyist guitarists than there are hobbyist mechanics or hobbyist plumbers - and because of that, people tend not to value it professionally in the same way.

[drummingpariah]

It's the same with anything people enjoy. Nobody expects a plumber to work for free, or for publicity, because you KNOW that plumber doesn't enjoy having your old toilet-water spraying all over him. On the other hand, some people enjoy working on cars and will happily help for free (or cheap). I'm one of those people.

I see the same thing with computers, and my argument is always the same: "I am a professional, and I will get you professional results. I am consistent and reliable. Your co-worker's nephew may enjoy working on computers, and may have even fixed a few, but I can promise that the quality of work is worth the money I charge."

I say this with utter certainty, because it's the truth. Many people don't even know what they're supposed to consider when looking for a computer repair person, or a mechanic, or a photographer. They know they're paying for a result, and don't realize how important the process affects the result. If one mechanic tightens down your head studs for $50 and another replaces your head gasket for $500, and both stop the leaking radiator fluid when you drive it out of the shop, which is a better deal? Which would you go with? How do you know which is the better deal?

If you're a freelancer, you have to be willing to deal with these kinds of customers on a regular basis. You either need to educate them on how the industry actually works, and let them see the value for themselves, or build a solid enough reputation that customers don't need to know specifics (like IBM as a computer manufacturer: they're extremely reliable, well-built machines that are extremely expensive, but still sell like hotcakes on reputation alone). Most freelancers aren't in the position to expect that, so customers are going to compare you to the rest of the 'photographers' they know: kids, college students, stoic people still shooting 35mm exclusively, etc. Your people-skills will be stressed again and again.

Be firm, and value yourself, and explain why you're valuable to customers. Educate them.

[beatles2]

Some people I have run in to are willing to pay , but they have seen the prices at Wallmart and think my prices are the same. NOT.

[fletch]

All very profound. However I suspect the main reason people don't say that to mechanics is because the mechanic would tell them to f@%# off.