A Phone Call

Thought you guys might like this transcript of a phone call I received today.
Hello, is that Mr Kirkham the photographer.
(Me)Yes.
This is Ms **** from *** coach tours. We were given your name from the local tourist board.
(Me)OK.
They said that you have some nice landscape images from The Isle of Bute.
(Me)Yes.
We are looking for some FREE ones for our next brochure.
(Me)Are you a charity or non profit organisation?
No, I told you, we are **** coach tour operators.
(me)And you expect me to provide you with photographs free of charge!!!!??
She then hung up!

I suspect that many of us can identify with this, even if this firm seems a little ruder than most. These days I primarily take pictures for my own enjoyment rather than for sale, but when I was more interested in selling images than I am now, I had several similar cases. One that particularly bugged me was when a small publisher produced a richly illustrated book and pleaded that it was uneconomic if he paid more than a pittance for each picture. I agreed to this providing he took a minimum number of pictures from me, which he did. The book then appeared, had a short shelf life and vanished. A year or two later, with a new cover, it was in a large retail chain. I promptly wrote to them demanding payment for use of unauthorised pictures.

To cut a long story short, I eventually got additional payment out of the original publisher as I had fortunately covered off such an occurrence in my original letter to him, but to say that payment was grudging would be a huge understatement.

Obviously the grudging publishers of 30 years ago have now moved into the coach tour business!!

Even now, I would require a fee in the circumstances you describe. Unfortunately there are far too many people out there with half-decent pictures who are only too happy to see their work in print even if they get nothing for it. All the while these people are out there there will be potential customers who will expect to get their pictures for free.

Rant over, now back to work!

David

All too typical I'm afraid, but if there weren't people out there willing to give their images away then these calls wouldn't happen.

The only shame is that you didn't have more of a chance to tell her where to go!!

Mark

The combination of masses of amateurs out there willing to give images away to publishers and others who post images online at usable resolutions is creating this situation. Semi-pro and even average pro togs are going to struggle more and more to sell images.

Not good. However, if you were a publisher and could get free images or have to pay someone a reasonable price what would you do??

Rob

Hi Phil,

. Perhaps you should have said " Of course you can use my images for free, but when will one of your coaches be coming to pick me and my friends up for our FREE weekend jolly of our choosing Think she may have still put the phone down !!

It's the same as cold callers at 7pm in the evening, totally unexceptable in my book, now I just say " yeah hang on, I'll just go get him/her they are outside, leave the phone where it is, go back 10 mins later they are normally gone

Regards

Rob

Hi Phil

I like Rob's reply - I can't believe the cheek of a commercial organisation I have never been approached for freebies except by bona fide charities and even then depending on the circumstances I usually make a reduced charge especially when I ask if they are being paid for their services!!!

David

A classic! I sometimes get the impression that a lot of folks think that if your are a photographer you have 'Mug' tattooed on your forehead. I'm going to stop myself here before going off on an anecdotal rant!.....

Paul

Only last week I received an email that normally starts by telling you just how good your images are etc etc.
I replied by saying I assume you are looking to use those images FOC and then to enlighten them that they are all for sale only.
Needles to say I havn't received a reply back.

Major.