Is it ok to turn out bad work if its free?

PWard wrote in post #11585590
just don't do what these two gals did...

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=vIiH9uxdE5M

hahaha epic.

Essentially two questions with two answers

1 - It's never OK to produce bad work
2 - It's never OK to work for free

but I guess it depends on how much pride you place in your work and how much you value your reputation.
If you don't care about either of those, I suppose your competition won't mind.

philwillmedia wrote in post #11590171
Essentially two questions with two answers

1 - It's never OK to produce bad work
2 - It's never OK to work for free

but I guess it depends on how much pride you place in your work and how much you value your reputation.
If you don't care about either of those, I suppose your competition won't mind.

I think its okay to shoot for free when you're starting out. Even if you're interning for free for another photographer or shooting for friends or something like that... you have to get experience somewhere and few people will let you do that while paying you. Most people started out shooting for free in some respect. I don't think anybody INTENDS to put out bad work... it just happens because you're not as experienced. Some people are self aware enough to know that their work is bad even if they are trying their best to put out good work.

1. Always do you absolute best with what you've got.
2. Never show your bad shots and miss shots.
3. Much of the "business" is by word of mouth. So let your photos speak for themselves.

Go ahead, pump out junk prints, even if there free.

It's kinda like slitting your throat.

1-st, your name is associated with crap, not fit for lining a bird cage.

2-nd, your crap was associated with the word free and it's hard to raise prices from free, with a history of crap.

Oh my work ethics have changed greatly and my products much improved.

It's hard to improve word of mouth, about a bad product!

randplaty wrote in post #11592305
:p I think its okay to shoot for free when you're starting out. Even if you're interning for free for another photographer or shooting for friends or something like that... you have to get experience somewhere and few people will let you do that while paying you. Most people started out shooting for free in some respect. I don't think anybody INTENDS to put out bad work... it just happens because you're not as experienced. Some people are self aware enough to know that their work is bad even if they are trying their best to put out good work.

This seems to be the best take. Thanks for a polite and non condecending response.

philwillmedia wrote in post #11590171
Essentially two questions with two answers

1 - It's never OK to produce bad work
2 - It's never OK to work for free

but I guess it depends on how much pride you place in your work and how much you value your reputation.
If you don't care about either of those, I suppose your competition won't mind.

1. Yes
2. HUH?

Its ok to work for free when you start out. Produce great free work and the paid work will flock to you.

Doing bad work free won't ruin you. Doing bad work and charging a lot for it might ruin you, but probably won't. It'll just be harder to get work by word of mouth.

What is most likely to ruin you is doing good/amazing/awesome work free.

JakAHearts wrote in post #11592471
This seems to be the best take. Thanks for a polite and non condecending response.

I don't think anyone is trying to be condescending to you. You have received some helpful advice and a variety of opinions. I'll just say this in addition to what I have already posted, keep shooting, keep asking questions here and elsewhere (I know I did and I didn't always like the responses to my questions but all were helpful in creating my own opinion), and, in the end, you will know when it is appropriate to start charging for your work.

ps. If we wanted to be condescending, we would tell you that you spelled "condecending" wrong. Haha. Just kidding.

viewing-the-invisible wrote in post #11597241
I don't think anyone is trying to be condescending to you. You have received some helpful advice and a variety of opinions. I'll just say this in addition to what I have already posted, keep shooting, keep asking questions here and elsewhere (I know I did and I didn't always like the responses to my questions but all were helpful in creating my own opinion), and, in the end, you will know when it is appropriate to start charging for your work.

ps. If we wanted to be condescending, we would tell you that you spelled "condecending" wrong. Haha. Just kidding.

HAHA So I did huh.

Yer right I was, just like the question was!

Geeze, I coulda said, now that's a really stupid question to ask, but I didn't.

Ok to turn out "BAD WORK"? What the he¡¡ kind of answer did you expect?

No. You become know for it. Always do your best, regardless of amount being paid.

PWard wrote in post #11585590
just don't do what these two gals did...

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=vIiH9uxdE5M

Awesome.

TopHatMoments wrote in post #11598607
Yer right I was, just like the question was!

Geeze, I coulda said, now that's a really stupid question to ask, but I didn't.

Ok to turn out "BAD WORK"? What the he¡¡ kind of answer did you expect?

Lets see some pics from your first paid gig and let us decide if it was a stupid question.

Lmao nanner nanner boo boo, a stupid question is still a stupid question, no matter the outcome of another stupid question.

Banter all you want, facts don't change just because a gaggle, goose up to one train of thought, or another.

My first paid gig was film, always curtailed by my gramp, just looking for a reason to thump my ear!
When I started, that question would have never dared leave your thoughts, if you had it.

When you know your work is bad by your own assessment and you still want to pump it out, when will you strive for better work. If better comes with practice and since it is digital, why not leave it on the hard drive or just delete it, till you start seeing something worthwhile!

Your friends will say it's nice when it's not and if all your searching is praise, there's always a mirror.