I Gotta Vent!

What in the world is wrong with people. Today I saw this on Craig's List.

We are looking for a experience photographer to shoot a portrait photo for a major Asian men's magazine. The story is focusing on environmental leaders.
Please email resume and portofolio, as well as indicate which camera you use. Shoot will be next week. Compensation: $200

[I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume the misspellings are a result of language differences]

Now this automatically brings a bunch of questions to my mind.
1. If they are contracting for a one time shoot and have a portfolio, why do they need a resume?
2. What in the world do they care what camera I use?
3. And $200 compensation??? I wouldn't touch this for less than $500 because I know it will be a two - three hour shoot plus travel time.

Stepping down off soapbox and chilling!

email them and tell them their ad is contradictory. They won't get experience, a portfolio and a resume for a $200 fee.

If it's a major magazine you would think they already know a photographer, and wouldn't have to search for one on Craigslist.

LOL... I did email and ask why, if they liked the portfolio, they cared what type camera was used. I doubt I'll hear from them.

I saw an ad on CL for a wedding shooter, they wanted to pay $200 for a wedding that was a week away. A few days latter I noticed they changed it to $100 and then it got flagged. Craigslist is a never ending source of amusement.

Well, the price is too low for what they want but what's the difference between this and any other job? A portfolio can be deceiving as a photog can take 10,000 images and 9,990 are crap, so a resume backs that up to show they have worked for similar clients and delivered. Camera wise they may want/need very hi-res and want to know you're not shooting with a P&S, or just not shooting film so they know they have the images quick. Besides the price and spelling errors (translation possibly) see nothing to strange here. Well, a major magazine looking on craigslist is kind of strange, most will use better sources to find a good photographer and seems last hope - or just that no pro would take that little compensation through those other channels.

MJ, I agree somewhat. But asking for one or two references would make more sense than asking for a resume. Would you ask a mechanic or plumber for a resume before 'hiring' them to do work for you? Nope, but you might ask for a reference. And wouldn't it be better to state that you need high-rez images? I shoot with a 5D but that doesn't guarantee hi-rez images will be delivered. I don't know. The whole ad seem suspect to me.

As the sign says:

You Can Have It:

- Fast
- Cheap
- Correct

Pick Two...

Hinson wrote in post #7185067
What in the world is wrong with people. Today I saw this on Craig's List.

We are looking for a experience photographer to shoot a portrait photo for a major Asian men's magazine. The story is focusing on environmental leaders.
Please email resume and portofolio, as well as indicate which camera you use. Shoot will be next week. Compensation: $200

[I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume the misspellings are a result of language differences]

Now this automatically brings a bunch of questions to my mind.
1. If they are contracting for a one time shoot and have a portfolio, why do they need a resume?
2. What in the world do they care what camera I use?
3. And $200 compensation??? I wouldn't touch this for less than $500 because I know it will be a two - three hour shoot plus travel time.

Stepping down off soapbox and chilling!

I'd say $200 per hour + travel + all expenses and then usage rights for those rates would be one time. CRAZY because theres someone out there that'll shoot it.

are they looking for someone to show up at a predetermined place with a particular piece of camera equipment at a specific time for an unspecified reason? be careful if you decide to nibble the bait.

They're full of suspect ads (craiglist that is) but I still don't see this as that suspect, or the reasoning behind it being suspect warranted I should say. Plumbers are certified as are other similar professions like contractors, mechanics, etc. - while photographers are not, so it's easy to hire a plumber because they can't run a business without certification. If you're hiring a non-certified plumber who does it on the side just because they're good with there hands or what not, not an actual business, then you can't complain when your toilet blows up. There's a difference there comparing the professions.

When you apply for a job at a newspaper they want a portfolio and resume with references, same with magazines. So do most jobs out there. I've seen too many bad photographers out there that have a decent portfolio because they shot 1,000 images to get one right, so don't trust them alone like many other editors don't.

So all in all, is the ad suspect - yes, but the wrong reasons for it being so are being given IMO.

Hinson, please tell me you are joking, here. This has "scam" and "email phishing" and a few other things written all over it. If you answer this ad, you deserve the SPAM you get from it

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #7185596
As the sign says:

You Can Have It:

- Fast
- Cheap
- Correct

Pick Two...

http://upload.wikimedi​a.org …-Project_Triangle.svg.p​ng

Good to have hanging behind the counter, if I ever have a counter.

birdfromboat wrote in post #7185632
are they looking for someone to show up at a predetermined place with a particular piece of camera equipment at a specific time for an unspecified reason? be careful if you decide to nibble the bait.

Bingo - IMHO I think we have a winner.

440roadrunner wrote in post #7185647
Hinson, please tell me you are joking, here. This has "scam" and "email phishing" and a few other things written all over it. If you answer this ad, you deserve the SPAM you get from it

...besides scamming your wallet for too cheap where's the scam? Where's the prince asking if we can work out a deal for him to move his millions into the U.S? No clue if it's a scam, it could be one we don't see but if it's written all over it explain where.

birdfromboat wrote in post #7185632
are they looking for someone to show up at a predetermined place with a particular piece of camera equipment at a specific time for an unspecified reason? be careful if you decide to nibble the bait.

Has anyone here actually been contracted out for a magazine or another company before? Does any company ever put in exactly what a shoot will be in there ads? The answer is no as it would be letting the competition know what you're doing and you don't want that, and for info if you go back and read it again you'll see they gave the basic details all the mags give with the story on environmental leaders part. Again, no clue as there is something fishy about it but people want to jump to conclusions before actually looking into it. The only thing that's off is the fact it's on craigslist and the cost, but then again as stated they may be putting it on craigslist just knowing it's too little to offer through other agencies.