On 8 Nov 2004, at 13:09, Nick Dunmur wrote:
unless we can set something in motion that isAgreed, it's what I called educating the masses. In some ways of course this does mean setting out your stall as you wish to be perceived. It's why I always hoped the AOP would be the organisation to support, they are so much more actively involved in industry issues, ethical debates and intellectual property issues.
aimed at all buyers of photography that re-informs the value of original
commissioned professional photography/imaging and counter-acts the 'it'll
do' approach.
It is the cowboys who don't care about any of these. They give away copyright, work for little and have no pride in their work as "It'll do" means they can earn their pittance with no hassle. They don't need to worry about copyrights because a) Their main income is from other sources of employment b) They are so happy to see their work in print, no matter how badly it reproduces, that they almost pay the client to use the pix! :-). Many amateurs (& quite a few pros!) have flooded the stock market with RF imagery to make a few quid even though it has driven down prices for all photography, Stock & Commissioned.
Photographers as a whole are part of their own downfall, IMO. They are so typically human. We f**k up the environment (for no other reason than money at some level or other) and then panic when Global Warming kicks ass like it's doing worldwide now. We detonate our own industry, as we sell our souls in the form of copyright waivers, undercut other photographers at whatever cost just to get that client, copy each others work and ideas, provide thousands of crap and not so crap images to picture giants and then wring our hands in despair as 1) The specialist, photographer-friendly libraries fold in front of our eyes. 2) The agencies start to request original photography at RF or RM prices, or worse, they use RF! 3) We bicker with each other about symptoms of our industries downfall without the balls to fight against those who would ruin it. This country lets anyone trade as cowboys operators, no matter how much bad press they create, yet when some of us complain we are told "this is just the way of the world so F**k off". Well I've spent my life standing up over ethical issues and fighting for what is the good of the whole, even when it really goes against me and this is why many of us who have dedicated our careers to putting everything into our industry, feel the need to say something when something we care about, i.e., ProDig MIGHT BE, MAYBE, POSSIBLY, unwittingly, or innocently eroding the very industry it serves?
I still think ProDig is fantastic. I can't think of any regular contributor who has ever said otherwise? As stated previously, it still serves those of us in the field who need help. What we surely cannot deny is the increase in noise which not so surprisingly corresponds to fewer and fewer posts from the big boys who were more often than not the people who offered most professional advice. I for one, miss their regular, informative and perfectly pitched input.
Best wishes,
Glyn
PS Another two fantastic phone calls just received from symathisers!! :-)
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