Losing business to amateurs

[Mr. Innuendo]

"Retired" doesn't equal "wealthy" automatically, but the OP explained that she is retired in her 40s because she's already made a buttload of money - enough to be able to provide photographic services for free while still restoring a villa in France. That kind of wealthy. So no, it wasn't assumed that she's wealthy - it was one of the known facts.

I didn't see the part about the villa. What do we know about it? Is it hers? A family property?

I also haven't see where it said she'd retired in her 40's. Then again, my eyes started glazing over after the umpteenth post blaming the woman, so I had a difficult time culling through the whole thing.

The bottom line is pretty simple, I think: The photographer was lax in maintaining a successful relationship with the university, and may have gotten a bit complacent and took the relationship for granted.

If the school was paying him in the area of $15K a year, it was up to him to make sure they knew he and his work were worth it...

 

[limr29 2]

-Snip- He had no idea what happened, so he went to them and asked, another photographer, and to be honest she does a pretty good job, went to them and said she would do it for free, she retired from a six figure job last year and just wants to shoot things.

It wasn't a matter of him sitting back and waiting to see what happened, it just happens. I don't know the exact details, but he is always hustling around, making calls and trying to stay ahead or at the very least even with all the other young freelancers in the city. What does happen in our business is that you could do a shoot on a Saturday and Monday they hire someone else, it usually comes as a huge surprise, especially if you're doing a good job for the client. It's tougher on the photojournalist side with newspapers dropping staff, sending out the writers with cameras or accepting cell phone shots.

One of the biggest challenges of most photographers is being able to buy new gear, losing 15k is the difference with being able to buy another camera body, or trying to get another year out of the one you're using. Someone that has a stable bank account, because of a steady pay cheque can afford to just go out and buy what they want. This person that is working for free, is also restoring a family owned villa in France, money isn't an issue for her. She will start to find that it won't be a very friendly place among the other photographers when word gets out that she's a poacher. There is no respect for people like this.

The photographer I mentioned in the original post is in his mid twenties, he lost the job to woman in her 40's who had the money to retire. I was just adding a post to start a conversation on how things are for a friend of mine and another example of how photography is changing.

 

[Mr. Innuendo]

Doesn't change my opinion.

The guy lost the job. Period. Now, I suppose if there's an inclination to not blame another "pro", then blaming the woman is appropriate. Aside from that, though, I don't see a reason to not place a rather large chunk of responsibility on the guy who allowed the job to slip through his fingers.

I make a pretty good living, but if I have a client who gives me $15K a year in exchange for my services, well, that's a client I'm speaking to very, very regularly...

 

[vintagesnaps]

I'm wondering the same thing as John, maybe there's something we don't know about why they gave what seemed to be contracted work to a - volunteer? not sure what to call it. Colleges have alumni groups, athletic booster clubs, etc. that use volunteers but those I think are nonprofit affiliated groups.

Someone (Alan K. I think) mentioned if the photographer was ever injured etc. which I'd think could be another concern. We don't know if she has insurance; not sure if/how the school would cover someone they gave a pass or access regardless of being a paid employee or not. Guess it's the school's responsibility and their problem if this doesn't work out.

And Leonore you meant 'boat load' didn't you? lol

 

[West -]

I bet the guy was a lousy photog and should have been fired after submitting his original/first photos. The university probably decided that they be better off having a 10 year old shooting with his rebel than wasting money on this chump.

 

[limr29 2]

Doesn't change my opinion.

The guy lost the job. Period. Now, I suppose if there's an inclination to not blame another "pro", then blaming the woman is appropriate. Aside from that, though, I don't see a reason to not place a rather large chunk of responsibility on the guy who allowed the job to slip through his fingers.

I make a pretty good living, but if I have a client who gives me $15K a year in exchange for my services, well, that's a client I'm speaking to very, very regularly...

Fair enough. Never suggested that you would change your opinion. Just thought the last comment about the assumption that "retired=wealthy" could be cleared up for you.

 

[limr29 2]

And Leonore you meant 'boat load' didn't you? lol

I probably did! Actually, what I really meant to write was "sh*t ton" but I knew it would just be censored out.

 

[tecboy]

Is sport photography very challenging? Last time I was shooting race cars, it was very hard. I just don't understand why this lady would shoot for free.

 

[limr29 2]

Is sport photography very challenging? Last time I was shooting race cars, it was very hard. I just don't understand why this lady would shoot for free.

Because she can and because she wants to. I imagine that the kind of person who can retire in her 40s is the kind of person who is used to getting what she wants.

 

[pgriz]

Hey, hey, hey now! Leonore, you never answered my question! No, it wasn't important in the big-picture-kind-of-way, but still. Post #179 FYI.

 

[limr29 2]

Hey, hey, hey now! Leonore, you never answered my question! No, it wasn't important in the big-picture-kind-of-way, but still. Post #179 FYI.

D'oh! I didn't see the post. I'll work on that etymology for you. I can't say for sure at the moment, but I suspect it has something to do with the influence of too much Black Russian...

 

[tecboy]

If I'm a retired millionaire or earned a little over $900,000 on my saving account, I would still charge that university for about 10k and donate the money to the charity.

 

[limr29 2]

Oooh, I might actually have a defense! The difference between a buttload, boatload and shitload. | Strung Together Morphemes

Mostly it appears that the original form of the idiom is "boatload" but enough people mistook it for "buttload" that now the latter terms has become an idiom in its own right.

Maybe it's a New York regionalism? I honestly didn't even notice that I'd typed it.

 

[Josh66]

He had no idea what happened, so he went to them and asked, another photographer, and to be honest she does a pretty good job, went to them and said she would do it for free, she retired from a six figure job last year and just wants to shoot things.

So he gets screwed out of trying to make a living by someone that has decided to poach clients at a price photographers can't compete with, free, and she doesn't see anything wrong with it. This is what pisses me and so many other photographers off.

If anyone thinks that amateurs with full time jobs, that can afford to buy the best gear and then shoot for free because they can afford to, doesn't affect other people that are just trying to stay in the business. They have no idea what they are talking about. This is just one example.

I'm late to the party and haven't read any of the other replies yet - but what exactly *IS* wrong with it?

Certainly, this can't be the norm...

A $15k/year hit is pretty big, but there isn't exactly anything that can be done about it. What do you propose? Licensing of some sort, having to prove that you're running a business?

 

[robbins.photo]

I also haven't see where it said she'd retired in her 40's. Then again, my eyes started glazing over after the umpteenth post blaming the woman, so I had a difficult time culling through the whole thing.

Bourbon helps. I would recommend going with somewhere between a shitload and a buttload.