Do I just say no?

You know Bosscat, sometimes life is a ****. Unfortunately, photography is heading towards free pictures. Once the Internet and social media met digital photography...well the horse got out of the stable. With the millions of digital cameras out there posting billions of images online for all to see and take, the photo has just become a very cheap commodity. Specialization will survive for a while, but if some hobbiest giving away a shot to a friend affects your business...I think you are in trouble.

Which part of people will always take a free meal do you not understand?

Not many places can survive against free.

Bosscat wrote in post #12731714
Which part of people will always take a free meal do you not understand?

Not many places can survive against free.

I totally understand...but that is the photography world of the digital era. Photos are taken for zero cost and are distributed with zero cost. If you compete against this...well good luck.

I hope you freebie wannabes are really proud of yourselves!

Funny but last I checked my gear bag has about $10,000 worth of stuff in it, so I guess maybe I should replace it with some zero cost gear at the local photo store, and get some zero cost fuel from the gas station.

There is always a cost to everything.

Bosscat wrote in post #12731888
Funny but last I checked my gear bag has about $10,000 worth of stuff in it, so I guess maybe I should replace it with some zero cost gear at the local photo store, and get some zero cost fuel from the gas station.

There is always a cost to everything.

That's the problem. The people who give away their photos don't look at those costs. They bought their equipment for relaxation...sort of people don't equate their $1500 golf clubs as a cost every Sunday when they hit the links.

Hogloff wrote in post #12731903
That's the problem. The people who give away their photos don't look at those costs. They bought their equipment for relaxation...sort of people don't equate their $1500 golf clubs as a cost every Sunday when they hit the links.

Then there are the people that drop $20K or $40K on a nice fishing boat but don't do charters, they just use it for their own enjoyment and take people out for free.

I've got a decent amount of $ invested in gear, but I'm not expecting to (or trying to) recoup that cost through my photography. I am completely aware there are costs in me being able to take photos, but those are costs I consider sunk in my hobby.

Maybe Monday morning I'll start doing free tax preps, home repairs, auto repairs and lawn care, and while I'm at it, I'll even farm numerous crops and livestock and do it for free too.

That should take care of my bankroll before say noon......and help put a few people out of work too.

GREAT IDEA!!!

Thanks everyone for your input and opinions, I think no matter what I did in this situation there will always be someone who disagrees. I dont know what the right thing to do is either, that's why I asked here.
Oh thought I should mention, I am female. Do I take photos like a bloke or something?

Whippeticious wrote in post #12715480
I am an amateur photographer, and not looking to become professional. For the first time I've been asked to put some photos I took onto a disc for someone, she's offered to pay me for them. I dont know this woman, I dont want to be nasty and just say no, but I'm not sure if I should charge her, and if so, how much is fair, and if I put them on a disc am I giving away my work to someone else to do with as they please.
It's not something I've investigated because I just take photos for fun, I haven't been in this position before.

This is the part that I would be concerned with.

There's no way to know if she's just a fan, or if she's someone who's just trying to surreptitiously get the rights to use the photos for her own purposes. For this reason alone, even if you decide to give her the photos (which I don't think you should do), I would make sure that there is no permission given for the photos to be used for any commercial or promotional purpose, and that she cannot give the photos; prints or digital files, to anyone else...

The ironic part there BreitlingFan is that I got burned worst of all by somebody I did know.

Somehwere along the way things have gotten to the point they are, and I have my thoughts on where it all went wrong, but can't say as I will be deemed a biggot, racist etc etc by the mods on here.

I don't understand why you are second guessing this situation. A total stranger has offered to buy your images. Your not going to know and or understand the whole COB thing before she loses interest in wanting them. Offer her $20 per image on CD delivered, with Personal Use Only license and go buy yourself something with your cash. Explain the (written) license and say, you cannot use these images for commercial gain, promotion or any other profitable reason. You can also not manipulate, re-distribute or copy, without written expression by me (you), otherwise, next time we meet will be in a court of law. Just as a kicker, let them know the images are registered with your gov's copyright office. It may be a deterent if there was any alterior motive from the purchaser.

If you feel guilty enough, declare it on your tax return.

It's not that difficult. Interest from the buyer is rapidly decreasing every day you procrastinate.

Hogloff wrote in post #12731397
You know Bosscat, sometimes life is a ****. Unfortunately, photography is heading towards free pictures. Once the Internet and social media met digital photography...well the horse got out of the stable. With the millions of digital cameras out there posting billions of images online for all to see and take, the photo has just become a very cheap commodity. Specialization will survive for a while, but if some hobbiest giving away a shot to a friend affects your business...I think you are in trouble.

I see comments like this often, but photographers still manage to get paid and, in many cases, still manage to earn a living.

I agree that people giving their photos away for free will continue to grow in its' frequency, but I don't necessarily agree that it's going to be the death knell of professional photography.

Look at it this way: Say you want a guitar. You can buy yourself a nice Martin or Taylor or Collings and have a great guitar. Or, you can maybe get one for free from your neighbor who, as a hobby, does a lot of woodworking and can figure out how to build a guitar.

Which guitar is going to be better quality?

Which product is going to be something that you would want to pay money for?

The product which is produced by the builder with far more experience, and the proper tools with which to create it, is going to have a greater value. Sure, you can get a free guitar from your neighbor, but there will be a lot about that guitar which isn't quite what you'd hoped for. There will be things about it which will make you say "Damn, if I just hadn't been so tight with the wallet, I could have a real guitar".

I think, to a large degree, this type of scenario can be used for any type of product. People will always know what the good ones are, and they'll be willing to pay to get them...

If she wants to pay, charge her! It's simple as that, unless you have something against the $$$.

Hogloff wrote in post #12731397
Specialization will survive for a while, but if some hobbiest giving away a shot to a friend affects your business...I think you are in trouble.

A hobbiest wont spend $10k on gear. When they do they are not giving their skills and photos away for free anymore. Amateurs cannot produce the same consistent quality as professionals. If they can they become pro soon enough, buy gear and charge to buy even more.

The billions of photos on Flickr don't concern me in the slightest not do they affect my photo income. You're right that if they did, I'd be a pretty poor photographer.