→ groozi [sales + web]

Score This: Photog 1, Cheapskate 0

We’re all pretty tired of being asked to shoot on spec, shoot for a low fee with the promise of more work, and that sort of nonsense. These two ads appeared on the Seattle Craigslist over the past two days. I think you’ll enjoy reading…

Need Photographer (originally posted March 10th)

We are a 5 person construction company and need to update our website and brochure with NEW images of our staff. We would like to give an opportunity to the right photographer to take our company images. Ideally we need a formal and an informal picture, also a landscape shot of our company vehicle. Basically these pictures will help us get off the ground and renovate our website.

If you do a good enough job on our company portraits then you will ideally be awarded a future PAID contract to take pictures of our job sites (once we get a job!). We will want to have the rights to be able to use the photos on our website and brochure/print media. You will get a boost to your portfolio!

Experience in corporate photography along with a portfolio is a MUST or your email will be disregarded. We are looking at scheduling the shoot within the next week so be prepared to move fast!

And then a clever photographer posted the following:

Need Construction Crew (originally posted March 12th)

We are a 5 person photography company and need to update our photography studio and shooting space with NEW office spaces for our staff. We would like to give an opportunity to the right construction crew to build our new company digs. Ideally we need a formal and an informal working space, also a landscape crew for our out side shooting area. Basically these structures will help us get off the ground and renovate our old space.

If you do a good enough job on our company building then you will ideally be awarded a future PAID contract to build structures of our photography clients (once we get a job!). We will want to have the rights to be able to exploit you as we see fit just for credit and a great job! You will get a boost to your structure building skills!

Experience in corporate building along with a portfolio is a MUST or your email will be disregarded, after all beggars can be choosers. We are looking at scheduling the construction within the next week so be prepared to move fast!

I don’t know who the authors are, if they care to be identified, I’ll add proper attribution if they contact me. What do you think?

44 comments
  1. Shared items on October 19, 2011 says: October 19, 20116:11 am

    [...] Score This: Photog 1, Cheapskate 0 from: groozi.com on October 6 2011 [...]

  2. Wing Wong says: October 7, 20115:21 pm

    Very funny, smart, and witty.

    Another kind of, not really related example is a sales person that is your friend trying to sell you on the same thing you already have but cost more, like insurance, but says I am your friend can you help me out so I can make a living!!! Why do you think I am trying to save money fool, so I can make a living!!! Or can you refer me to 10 people? Wait so now I am working for you for free and you are guilting me into look for referrals because I didn’t buy from you!?

    Some times it is hard to settle for an honest living, when that dream seems so real. EX: Thinking that doing the photography for free will pay more dividends later than taking a job for horrible pay.

  3. [...] Groozi has Score This: Photog 1, Cheapskate 0 [...]

  4. John Hryniuk says: October 6, 20112:53 pm

    TOOOOOO FUNNY… I love this. I don’t come across too many potential clients like this anymore thankfully but they still crawl out of the woodwork from time to time.
    I just posted this video on my blog about a writer who keeps getting people asking him for free stuff….. http://blog.johnhryniuk.com/

  5. Emily says: October 4, 20118:35 pm

    This happens to writers as well. “What? Why do you expect me to pay you for something I could do on my own? How about if I let you do it for free and THEN if I need it again, I MIGHT consider paying you.”

    If you didn’t need someone to craft your writing for you, you wouldn’t be looking for it for free. It takes time to write and proofread, and I value my work highly.
    Emily´s last blog ..Because we mustMy ComLuv Profile

  6. Colleen M says: October 4, 20114:53 pm

    Love this! I made the mistake of creating a website for some friends on the grounds that I would be paid “later”. That never happened! Needless to say, I learned my lesson :)

  7. Josee Talbot says: October 4, 20112:48 pm

    Sad thing is, these kind of ads exist because some photographers go for it, thinking it will pay eventually… But more than often, after the first unpaid contract, nothing more will come! Too many aspiring photographers, too little job opportunity.

    I find the second ad very funny!!!! Well answered and hope those construction guys saw it!!!!

  8. Rob G says: October 4, 20118:58 am

    Brilliant….May I convert this to one for IT? where because I’ve worked in the Technical field and have supported many large companies’ IT infrastructures and computing systems over the years, I get asked to do “fix my home computer work” pro bono… Mom, Dad, and Sisters are the ONLY ones who get freebies, the rest of you fools better pay double the going rate or go get GEEK SQUAD. =)
    Rob G´s last blog ..PhotoMy ComLuv Profile

  9. Indira Kenndy says: August 15, 20111:19 pm

    Yet another incredibly insightful entry. If you could please update us about this story, that would be wonderful.

  10. Sherri Paxton says: April 20, 20116:31 pm

    That’s pure genius! I’m a graphic designer as well as a photographer and I can’t tell you how many “jobs” I’ve had to say no to, because I don’t work for free. I usually say, “no thanks, my portfolio is fine without you”.

  11. geoff hodgkinson says: April 14, 20116:54 pm

    Brilliant! I’m a graphic designer, and I’ve had a similar experience on numerous occasions.

  12. Eleanor Gannon says: March 14, 20113:48 pm

    Absolute genius! It’s sad when people think photography is a trade that doesn’t have as much value because “all you need is a camera.” So I’ll work for free with the possibility of being paid for other work in the future… um, no thank you, I’ll just stick to the work I get paid for.

  13. LA Headshots says: March 7, 20119:16 pm

    How clever! I’d love to find out who the authors are.

  14. Ed says: March 7, 20113:59 pm

    Blake, That is brilliant. I loved it. Thanks for sharing, I wish we could post this somewhere where all future idiots could see, just how ridiculous their requests sound. I’m just not so sure they would get it though, B/C they obviously just “don’t” get it! Thanks for the laugh!

  15. Joe Poniatowski says: January 27, 20112:45 pm

    What a clever response. Touché!
    Joe Poniatowski´s last blog ..FreeBSD and the Addonics NAS AdapterMy ComLuv Profile

  16. MURRAY says: January 21, 20112:57 pm

    These tassers obviously thought someone would be stupid enough to fall for this sort of scam otherwise they would not have chanced it. It’s a good warning to everyone to watch out for these clowns. What galls me is that they state quite openly that the applicants must have a lot of experience or will be ignored. Someone at that level in their career would not even bother to read the ad!

  17. Tsu Dho Nimh says: January 19, 20112:46 pm

    ROFLMAO! I absolutely love it, and will steal the idea the next time someone asks me to write something “for the exposure”.

  18. Sam says: January 17, 20114:10 am

    Nice find.
    I saw this the other day which sums it up nicely:
    http://jhische.com/sneakpeek/workforfree.jpg

    Blake J. Discher replied

    I saw that as well, great visualization!

  19. Paul Indigo says: January 16, 20117:18 pm

    The perfect response. Excellent.

  20. Liang says: April 27, 20102:04 pm

    What a great comeback!

  21. Sheila Smart says: April 17, 20108:05 pm

    Classic. I was recently approached by a national broadcaster in Australia who wanted an image of mine for the website. When I quoted a reasonable fee, I was advised “we don’t have a budget for photography”. My response was that they apparently had a budget for the web developer, the producer and her salary, so why were photographers expected to donate their work? Of course, I received no response.
    Sheila
    Sydney, Australia
    Sheila Smart´s last blog ..Converting images to black and white or monochrome My ComLuv Profile

  22. antonio says: April 1, 20101:04 pm

    AWESOME…

    I hate bottomfeeders that think we should work for free

  23. Jim Goldstein says: April 1, 201012:18 pm

    Pure genius! Love it.

    Joel Dean replied

    I love Harlan Ellison’s video about a request for free use of his work: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE

    Graham Barclay replied

    Class!

  24. James Markus says: April 1, 201010:32 am

    Blake, this is such a good illustration of the inane ideas people have about photography pricing – that I would love your permission to link this page on my site. Never-the-less thanks for sharing it!
    Jim

  25. Roy Booth says: April 1, 20105:00 am

    as they say on the Mastercard ads – PRICELESS

    There are some people out there who have the gift of the witty and cutting reply, these authors are amongst them. As for the original construction crew, there’s also a name for them ‘Money grabbing Bar-stewards’ don’t even think of asking THEM for a discount.

  26. Patrick Matte says: March 30, 20107:29 am

    Very clever answer indeed. Sadly, photography is more of a non-tangible concept for some people and that’s why the word is treated as such. And there will always be a photographer-wannabe to do this kind of job for free.

  27. Barrie Spence says: March 30, 20103:25 am

    You might appreciate this ad for “Free wedding photography”: http://dundee.gumtree.com/dundee/93/52198193.html.

  28. f2point4 says: March 29, 201011:56 am

    Love it!

    Would like to join M Glenn in request to share this with anybody who offers a boost to my portfolio at my own expense. Kind of as free PR for the photography studio that wrote the ad. With a view of paying a modest fee for their next effort, if this one catches the imagination of enough people. :-D

  29. Danne (@dcarlbom) says: March 29, 201011:25 am

    This was one of the best answers to cheapskates I’ve seen in a long while.

    Made me laugh :)

  30. [...] morning, this wonderful post about working for free came across my Twitter feed. It is a great reminder of just how ridiculous it is to ask people to [...]

  31. Rich Dyson says: March 29, 20109:58 am

    So fantastic. Sad thing is that I imagine more photographers applied than builders.

  32. Paul Cook says: March 29, 20108:52 am

    Haha! Absolutely brilliant! Need to remember this for some replies!

  33. Photog: 1, Cheapskate: 0 | friskyGeek says: March 28, 20105:39 pm

    [...] Brilliant response to those “need photographer but will not pay” ads that pop up all ove… [...]

  34. Mark says: March 28, 20105:10 pm

    Class

  35. M Glenn says: March 28, 20101:58 pm

    I would like permission to share this on as many sites that seem to support giving away photography as possible.

    Thank you

  36. Adrian Shanahan says: March 28, 20101:07 pm

    Fantastic

  37. Kyle Tunney says: March 28, 201010:46 am

    Haha that’s brilliant. Great ad posted by the photographer!!

  38. Fractals says: March 26, 20105:48 pm

    POsted to friendfeed, that will feed twitter and facebook – spot on – there should be more people that respond like this.

  39. Nicholas McIntosh says: March 15, 20109:19 am

    Awesome. I just posted this to my facebook fan page.
    Cheers Blake!

  40. Carolyn Potts says: March 14, 201011:47 am

    Hopefully, this light-hearted but spot-on-response to what’s really being asked of photographers by other supposedly creative (but oblivious) clients, will make its way virally into some other creative forums. Thanks, Blake, for both finding it posting. May it spread widely and quickly. I’m posting a link on my blog back to this post today!

  41. uberVU - social comments says: March 13, 20103:09 pm

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by blakedischer: Score this: Photographer 1, Cheapskate 0. Been abused in a negotiation? Here’s some comic relief, blog: http://ow.ly/1iG8u...

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