Worst looking picture that you actually sold

[Calhoun]

One of the interesting things I've noticed in the posts in this Forum is the contrast between what some people consider a keeper and what parents actually buy.

Some insist that they will only put the perfect (or near perfect) picture up for sale. Others say that parents will buy almost anything with their kid in it regardles of composition, focus or exposure.

So I was wondering what is the worst picture you ever sold?

I'll start with this one, I thought I had deleted it before it was posted for obvious reasons. Somehow it showed up on the website.

The parent not only bought a 4X6, they bought a 20X30!

[RonnieA]

It has an artistic, water-color look to it, which is a cool effect. I could see it working if hanging from a wall in a room with the same feel to it.

[ishida]

It's always a surprise to find out when other people like a photo of yours when you think it may be mediocre or not up to your own standards :confused:

[mgrover]

Here's one where I had just put the flash on the camera and forgot to set the correct synch speed. The players loved it...

http://inlinethumb59.webshots.com/40442/2926835610101997891S600x600Q85.jpg

[gti_r_done]

^ha that's actually pretty cool

[JBaz]

Oh yeah, reason why I don't delete all of the bad pictures. I cut the crap out, but I still keep a good # of pictures for those "just in case" senerios. Specially with publications. I've had clients come back asking if I had any other pictures of the same thing. I did, but they turned out a bit blurry to my tastes or have other faults. They end up going with the "crap" pictures and running those instead.

Shoot, just this week, I had a great moment shot of the head coach yelling at the umpire. I had 14 shots, picked two crisp ones for the paper. The editor didn't like them so showed them the rest. He picked another one that had great emotion, but was the only blurry one. I did some sharpening and other PP techniques to get it clean and usable, but even then, the IQ was horrible to my standards. Printing 85 lines per inch on toilet paper, masks the IQ up. :)

Not only that, but all of the modeling shots I do, the models pick the pics I think aren't flattery at all. I gave up and now just post all the pictures in my secure section, photo gallery for them to pick and choose. Saves me time and hassle.

[whiteflyer]

Here's one where I had just put the flash on the camera and forgot to set the correct synch speed. The players loved it...

http://inlinethumb59.webshots.com/40442/2926835610101997891S600x600Q85.jpg

I could see some text in the dark lower part and used in advertisements.

[carsanbballs]

I have one photo that was so bad I had to make it a B&W. Its been published twice and I've made $500.00 off of it.

http://www.raybarbour.com/oddsnends/mac/2005_02_24_CAL_BB_034.jpg

[JBaz]

where's the center of focus on that? lol. nice. Hey, what ever gets money right?

[asysin2leads]

The image is on my external HDD right now. I had a picture that was, what I thought, as horrible. During an 8-9yo soccer game. I caught the back of the jersey with only 1/2 of the name showing. The ball is only 1/2 in the shot. That would have been a deleted shot for sure. The parents happen to see it when I was uploading between games (forgot my other CF card). The raved about it, don't ask my why. They bought an 11x14 and 2-4x6's. Guess the old adage, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," rings true.

[ishida]

I have one photo that was so bad I had to make it a B&W. Its been published twice and I've made $500.00 off of it.

http://www.raybarbour.com/oddsnends/mac/2005_02_24_CAL_BB_034.jpg

Mac Court... I'm surprised that gymnasium hasn't fallen apart yet! I'm a Duck BTW ;)

[PrimaryCanary]

I was shooting a freshman football game and our team this year was undefeated. In one home game, we were up 21 points and the coach put in the backup quarter back. It was a running play, the quarter back was to roll out to his left and hand it off to the running back. The running back had lined up on the wrong side of the field though, so when the quarter back rolled out, there was no one there to hand it off too. I had a whole series (10 shots) of the quarter back getting the stuffing knocked out of him by 3 line backers. The one shot, the quarter back had his back turned to me and was half out of the frame. I put the whole series on my website just because the players were all laughing about it. Well, the mother ordered just 1 picture, and it was the one where her son wasn't looking in my direction and he was only half in the frame.

Parents are strange. I've taken shots at wrestling competitions that I would say are mostly of Player A. But Player B's parents buy the print. It's ashame sometimes, because I feel sometimes that selling mediocre prints like that sometimes hurts a photographer more than help him/her. Imagine when the parent gets home and shows the friends and family the picture. The parent might like it because it has their kid in it, but others might be like "WTF? That's an awful picture." I'm not going to turn down the money right now in my career, but I try to gently persuade the parents to a better print if I can.

[danaitch]

Worst looking photo I ever sold was a self-portrait. Cost me a fortune.
:lol:

[carsanbballs]

Mac Court... I'm surprised that gymnasium hasn't fallen apart yet! I'm a Duck BTW ;)

I love that place and I'm a Cal Bear fan.

Check out the cheap seats.
http://www.raybarbour.com/oddsnends/mac/2005_02_24_CAL_BB_106.jpg

[carsanbballs]

where's the center of focus on that? lol. nice. Hey, what ever gets money right?

What focus. :)

[jaglad]

You should all be congratulated for being paid for your efforts!!

Dave

[Jubilee32]

I think the decision goes to the fact that good pictures tell stories. What my not technically be a great photo may really mean something to the viewer. To me, that is more important than technical merit.

My grandaughter took a shot of her brother and his friend with a flashlight on the beach. Focus was barely Ok and there was camera shake in evidence but the shot was overall wonderfull. Don't have permission to post it . . . rats

[JBaz]

True, 9/10 of the picture's value is the caption that goes with it.

[rsgphotog]

you guys are my new idols {bows down on knees} :lol:

[Roy Webber]

Carnival in the Canary Islands