Fong v Giannatti

http://tiffinbox.org …ing-photography-industry/

An interesting article rebutting Gary Fong's earlier post:

What do you think?

I think the rebuttal is spot on.

I think Fong came off a bit like a snob douche.

We get posts like the following on these forums all the time. I just want to repost as long as you've brought up this debate.

I totally agree with the response.

I think that Fong was on point on some items and off on others just as the rebuttal is.

Whether you like Gary Fong or think his products are hokey and gimmicky the one thing we can't argue with is his success. I've seen some of his work first hand and it is pretty damned good. I will agree on one of his comments that most photographers tend to undervalue their work, whether they are just starting out or have been in the business for years.

I have to wonder if there is some bad blood between these two.

fong has a different market, but he's mostly exaggerating to make a point. the rebuttal is pretty much the same as the original, just in the other extreme

ssim wrote in post #10159105
I've seen some of his work first hand and it is pretty damned good.
I have to wonder if there is some bad blood between these two.

I agree from what I have seen from him is great. I'd like to see a cage match

sunnydacat wrote in post #10153738
http://tiffinbox.org …ing-photography-industry/

An interesting article rebutting Gary Fong's earlier post:

What do you think?

What I've always thought - Fong is a complete tool.

I agree with some points from Gary Fong - most photographers to undervalue their work. Pricing is a hard thing to settle upon especially when starting out. Price too high and you'll get no clients, price too low and you'll be a busy shooter. So it makes obvious sense to start lower and work your way up - for new entrants to the market.

The other thing I agree with but not always do, is confidently stating your price. But that's a lack of sales pitching confidence. I prefer to throw in the price once I know the client has in their mind bought in to my service and style. If you throw in price in too early, the client can switch off.

The rest of the stuff is snobbish IMHO, and shows a disconnect with the real world. In the UK, you can easily have 2 photographers in the same post code (ZIP code for my US friends!) who operate at two vastly different pricing levels. The higher priced photographer has to differentiate on other aspects of their work than price. The higher priced photographer should be able to justify his higher price, and the lower priced photographer be willing to work at their rates. Why they should annoy each other, I don't understand: unless one deliberately undercuts the other for say £50 for the same client.


Don's response is less of a rant, and does seem pretty well thought out and is fairly difficult to argue with.