Comments on: Devaluation of Photography

By: zimmer

zimmer — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 01:14:00 +0000

Some people are recouping it like this: Lifestyle Phtography, Opening Offer. Free 7x5" Portrait worth Ã‚Â£50 with every order taken...

hmmm....Tel: o776 7732 241...I won't be wasting the call...

and this on 4x3" glossy cards pushed through the door....

oh, and Anthony Baker's has ceased to be on the Nantwich Road (retirement, I assume), so an opening there for a budding studio photographer, maybe? ;)

By: Tom BBKVale

Tom BBKVale — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 12:32:01 +0000

I see this more and more and its worrying. Photography costs for a reason, your paying for time, skill, expensive gear. None of that can be recouped at .77

By: Denyerec

Denyerec — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 15:51:41 +0000

The main problem is that there feels like there's a "If you can't beat them join them" mentality applied to the industry. I don't WANT to sell out for .77 a pop, but the chances of getting proper purchases feel slimmer everyday.

I think for the bulk of photogs the most money can be got from exploiting people's vanities; weddings, portraits etc. They can't necessarily buy a photo of themselves off the 'net for a quid ;)

By: Martiankeeper

Martiankeeper — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 15:33:00 +0000

It might also be worth pointing out that these websites go in for the "mass market" appeal .. you aren't selling your creativity for 77 cents ... you are hoping 100 people buy them .. that way you are selling it for over $70 .. which can't be that bad can it??

Also agree with Andrew.. you target "mass market" at consumers. They are happy to steal from Google / surf the web .. cos' it's just for themselves so they don't care. Businesses have to go for quality, and need to worry about pesky things like Copyright theft.

The other way to go is "on hire" photography, where people pay you for your services direct (classic example is the clichÃƒÂ© portrait or wedding photographer)

I suppose it depends on your scruples .. if you feel your work is being degraded by selling it online cheap, then don't do it .. it's your work, you can do whatever you like with it.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 27 Oct 2005 23:34:09 +0000

77 cents for a photo appeals to the home consumer user, or the cheap-ass (ie, learning) student web developer.

Businesses on the other hand wouldn't waste their time searching a database of 77 cent photos; They want quality and they're willing to pay for it.

The way to go (in my experience) is to have a yearly subscription; As many pictures as you want (or xxx hi-res pics per month).