Unpaid work

[petemc]

A UK based magazine is looking to get me to do some work for them. They can't afford to pay for the images, but they can afford to pay expenses. Its only a cheap magazine, £3-4. I'm tempted to agree to do the job. It would be nice to see my work in print, nice to know its all around the country. Its just with reading more about professional photography, going to seminars and things everyone always reminds me that I shouldn't be giving away my images. I have one client who always wants things for free and I keep telling him that he has to pay. I kind of feel like I would be going back on my principles taking this job. But then its a feather in my cap.... What do you guys think?

[brivett]

If a free local paper can pay for pictures... any magazine can pay something...

[saravrose]

If a free local paper can pay for pictures... any magazine can pay something...

have to agree... if you start giving things away when do you stop? I would ask for a pay even if minimal for the work that you'll be doing. If it's a magazine that is published they are circulating some kind of income and therefore should be paying for work they want done. If it's a smaller publication my first thought would be that there trying to see how cheap they can get a photographer for.... just a thought..

sari.

[RichardtheSane]

I would say that camera equipment is an expense that would need covering for starters...

My gut is don't do it. Will the magazine be eternally grateful for you putting a lot of time into the publication that makes them money? Unlikely...

Think of it from another point of view. The feather you would get in your cap is "Yea, we've got this great photographer, he shoots for free and only charges expenses - Here's his number..."

Get my drift?

Although, if you claim expenses... you could put down wear and tear on your shutter finger... :lol:

[chtgrubbs]

I doubt the writers, editors and graphic artists are working for free, nor is the printer printing it for free, so you shouldn't work for free either.

[IndyJeff]

I would ask how big are the images going to be. Then ask to think it over. Either call or have someone call and ask how much to place an ad in that magazine the same size, or nearest to it, as your image will be.

Now you tell me why they can't pay for your images?

[KennyG]

They are trying it on. How much you get paid is a matter of negotiation, but you must insist on them paying you for your work. Once you start on the given for free slippery slope there is no easy way back up.

Oh, and £3-4 is not a cheap magazine.

[LMP]

Oh, and £3-4 is not a cheap magazine.

My thoughts exactly ! I'd say this is the average price for almost any glossy mag you can pick up in any WH Smith. If I were in your postion I'd be turning them down, as Barry says if a local free can manage it then so can the mag ;)

[jopfin]

How many ads are in this mag? If the answer is more than 2 than they can afford to pay you for your images. Thats how they make money, in part. They should not only pay your expenses, but also pay for the work your doing for them..................Joe

[llaamaboy]

A UK based magazine is looking to get me to do some work for them. They can't afford to pay for the images, but they can afford to pay expenses. Its only a cheap magazine, £3-4. I'm tempted to agree to do the job. It would be nice to see my work in print, nice to know its all around the country. Its just with reading more about professional photography, going to seminars and things everyone always reminds me that I shouldn't be giving away my images. I have one client who always wants things for free and I keep telling him that he has to pay. I kind of feel like I would be going back on my principles taking this job. But then its a feather in my cap.... What do you guys think?

My advice my be different that some of the others ...
Where are you in your progression as a photographer? It might be that the trip is part of "paying your dues" and may well be worth the experience. In other words, you could be paid for your photograhy with the unusual circumstances and job. It does, in a sense, get you out of your box. The experience may well be worth the price you paid for all those seminars.

My advice to you is to follow what you think you should do. You go to seminars, do you bring back even one concpet and morph it into what is you the photographer? Other photograhpers might be in different circumstances and as such their advice is given from there perspective.

Most of the advice is sound for established photographers. Is that you? Or do you need different experiences to become an established photographer? That needs you to answer.

Hope that helps :D

[cdifoto]

All photographers, no matter how experienced, deserve to be compensated fairly for their efforts and wear and tear on equipment. Not to mention the purchase of the equipment itself.

"Can't afford to pay" is the biggest line of bull that just about every publication pulls. They make plenty of money from advertising and circulation...they can afford to fork over some money for photos. If they can't afford to fill their pages with images, they should fill it with text.

[Seefutlung]

as a former press guy ... I'd say do it as it seems you are not yet a professional with an established reputation. This may be a 'real' step in establishing your professional reputation/status. What other activity would you be doing in this time period that would help your photography more than an assignment and getting published? So they find another guy to do the assignment for expenses ... next time when/if they have a paying assignment ... you think they will call you or the other guy who helped them earlier?

[PIXI_666]

if its for experience go for it...if not and u dont get paid then i think they are being a bit dodgey

[10102668]

i think it's not bad to be free for one time,see how it goes and show off your work, gain some reputation. so probly good in the long run.

[primoz]

Gee I just love this "we can't afford to pay for photos". Do they tell this to company whos printing their newspaper too? Do they accept ads from companies who "really can't afford to pay for ads"? Do they give newspaper to people who "really can't afford to pay for magazine"? I guess not. But for photos it's always "we really don't have budget for photos" Then have newspaper without photos, if you don't have budget for photos. It's just as simple as that. But as long as there will be people willing to work for credit, then there will be newspapers "without" budget for photos and will still have photos.
Personally I don't give photos for free.... never! If it's small newspaper then price is lower, but I still charge them. Whoever needs photos can and is able to pay. Every single newspaper can pay for photos. But question is do they want to pay. And if they don't, I turn around and walk away. I can't go to store and buy bread and milk with byline.

[Rumjungle]

Whoever needs photos can and is able to pay. Every single newspaper can pay for photos. But question is do they want to pay. And if they don't, I turn around and walk away. I can't go to store and buy bread and milk with byline.

Well put...I wish I read that earlier 'cuz I could have used it. I was just asked last week to submit one of my photos to be the lead image (1/2 page) in an article of a national magazine for free. Their reason was that they already had a suitable image, but just not quite as good. I told then 'no' and they offered me a byline. What you said would have been better, but I just said 'no thanks'. Although it would be nice to see my name in there.:confused:

[dewmuw]

I've just been doing the annual reviews for all my staff. Wonder what reaction I would have got if I had said to them - great work this year but I can't afford to pay you! ;)

Getting people to work for you for free is a nice trick - but magazines rely on photographers being desperate to get their photos shown. If you were an airline pilot and BA said "sure we like your flying - how about the Singapore route - but we can't pay you." You'd turn them down in a flash.

[Seefutlung]

... because the owners/editors feel that anybody can take a picture. I've seen an internet photo site displaying "Dog Photography". Not pictures of dogs... but pictures by a dog. (on a side note ... I've never run into an internet site of Dog Stories...)

Gary

[symes]

The reality is photos make or break most publications yet some haven't figured this out yet...your photos are worth money don't let them tell you they don't have a budget...or you will get yourself into a situation where they will always come to you without a budget and when you finally stand up for yourself and say I need X amount of money if you want that, they will come back to you and say..."Oh WOW, that's high." better to wait...if your work is that good you won't have to worry at all...