While Emily's knowledge and advice are well taken, they are not very practical in my case at least. Let me explain...the local newspaper has an opening (which I learned about from my neighbor who had just left the job) I have taken portraits of the editors daughter at my part time job (Sears Portrait Studio)...I think this might be an interesting job and great experience...So the next time I photograph said child, I ask the editor about the position...she tells me I should come in a fill out an application...after getting reassurance that they can work around my Sears schedule (a job that I love and have done for the last 7 years,) I go in to the newspaper office and fill out an application...I meet the other two photographers (both full time) I am then told that they are on a hiring freeze....I am told what it pays..which is next to nothing....and that the job is mine if I want it as soon as the freeze lifts...(or sooner if the other two very overworked photogs can get through to the board).....Now, if I were to walk in there and demand all the the things that Emily says I am entitled to....they would promptly show me the door....and hire someone who will work for it. When my neighbor got the job, he was 6 months out of high school and had no more experience than his high school photography class. (singular word there). Do I want the job to get rich? No...Do I want the job to put food on my table...No. Are there 10 other photographers in Logansport Indiana that will suffer because I am accepting the amount of pay (and "bennies" or lack there of)? No. There are THREE portrait studios in Logansport...one is a local guy who had done quite well for himself...then priced himself out of a large amount of clients when factories started closing and he kept raising his prices...also a complaint was that people were under the impression that he would be personally taking every photograph..then he hired 5 photographers out of school and sent them to do his high priced weddings and senior portraits and baby portraits etc...then guess what happened? We (Sears Portrait Studio the second of the three studios) started getting his customers..How do I know? They have told us over and over again that they could not believe they had been paying his prices when our photographers were at least as good if not better than the ones he had working for him. So, either we are really good, or his photographers are not..doesn't really matter at this point does it? So..here I sit..can't Wait for that darn hiring freeze to be lifted...so that I can do what I love every day and gain some knowledge and experience along the way..and see my name in a credit line! (sure don't get that at SPS) .might not look bad on a resume for the next step up whenever and whatever that may be.
Sorry Emily...certainly would not want to lower the industry standards...but don't want to miss an opportunity either
Angi
P.S. By the way..the third Studio in town is Rich Voorhees...anyone familiar with him? google...
From: luis <chilled_delirium@mailstation.com>
Reply-To: photoforum@listserver.isc.rit.edu
To: List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students <photoforum@listserver.isc.rit.edu>
Subject: Re: magazine publishing rights help
Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2003 12:11:20 +0000
I would like to congratulate Leslie on getting this job. It's a great opportunity and a break that a lot of people would love to get. My advice is to focus on the assignment at hand, and forget everything else for now.
When someone like Leslie or Angi comes to us with happy personal news, I think the least we can do is to affirm, congratulate and wish them luck in this new endeavor.
The well-meaning, wet-blanket carpet-bombing by some here is stifling, and a turn-off. Perhaps sending a few URLs and answering questions in a friendly, gentle manner might work better than a sententious, preachy, dreary, guilt-laden and seemingy endless jackhammer lecture series ? I wonder how many of us did our first job for top-rate pay ?
We all have something to learn from each other. In Leslie's case, her deep commitment to her own photography & her own way of working are things we can all learn from. The conventional wizdom uttered here as gospel, of journalists carrying cases and cases of lights is so old school. Some of the top PJs in the world work with less hardware than many here take for a Sunday stroll.
I would refer anyone interested in this to look at _Sam Abell: The Photographic Life_. It's a great read about the life of a top pro, who by the way, rarely used flash, and for most of his career used two bodies, one with a 28mm the other, an 85mm.
--- Luis
Ps. Eugene Smith was a master of subtle flash techniques, but used mostly small flash units with minimal w/s output.
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