Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Editor P.O.V. 
Image Service" <editor@p...> wrote:
> 
> 1)   Many new photographers don't learn lighting traditionally, 
they 
> instead simply play with it until they "like what they see in the 
> imagery they capture." That in come sense undercuts their status 
as any 
> more than a technician.  Art directors suddenly believe, with the 
same 
> equipment they "could do it themselves.

they could

> 
> 2)   Art directors now want to watch the on-screen display and/or 
> "chimp" at photos as the shoot goes forward.. I don't allow that 
as a 

they always looked at polaroids in the good old days


> rule, they can see a few shots, but I'm not, nor is any 
professional 
> photographer, their trained monkey there to give them instant 
> gratification.  If they want that, I suggest they try some cheap 
and 
> easy prostitute, I'm NOT responsible for relieving their tension.

you have to be kidding- commercial photography has always been 
client -centric -it's a service.

 (This 
> isn't only in the commercial world, I can show you parents of 
gymnasts 
> openly complaining about the costs of imagery, and the fact that 
he 
> doesn't post enough images freely on his website, as regards one 
of the 
> nation's top gymnastics photog)
> 
> 3)   Without film processing the preceding factor is magnified 
beyond 
> what it had been, but, it also leads to serious underestimation by 
> photogs who have ONLY done digital of what the real $ costs are.  
They 
> then underprice their work substantially, dropping the floor out 
of the 
> market to a point where photography is, in many instances, only a 
> potential 2nd or 3rd job.

this sounds like the days when young photgraphers were being cranked 
out of art center willing to do a 5000 job for 800

> 
> 4)   Buyers, subjects, models, etc. all seem to think that because 
the 
> image is now only individual pixels and electrons instead of 
physically 
> tangible and "costly" prints or negatives, that not only should 
the 
> images be provided quickly, but, at almost no cost, AND to top it 
off 
> should be fully post-processed ready for immediate printing.  
Nonsense.. 
> If you want post-processing, you need to pay for it. Somehow 
people have 
> the idea that post-processing consists of just pushing a button in 
> Photoshop, etc. and that since that is all there is to it, it 
should be 
> done for no cost.

that's true- i hate it when people say its so easy ( yeah its easy 
after you learn how to do it
> 
> 5)   This all combines to a point where we find many new photogs 
> idiotically signing away copyrights for literally no or nearly no 
> cost... That hurts every other photographer in the business..
> 
> In sum, these trends are combining to drive legions of 
professionals who 
> worked for years, out of the business.  It has very little to do 
with 
> them not wanting to take on the digital learning curve, most have 
done 
> so already.   It's just the fact that if you hire 100 amateur 
squirrels 
> to shoot digital at $1 each, when a single credible pro costs 
easily 
> upwards of  $500 or more (excluding expenses) for a half-day, and 
you 

20 years ago assistants were getting 500 for half day- I guess you 
are a different category of pro

> know that it's likely that one of the squirrels will get a usable 
> shot... The paradigm shifts..  And yes, the squirrels ARE to 
blame. 
> Because they actually think that there is no need to recoup their 
costs 
> with their shooting... They simply do it for the "love of 
photography."

the old timers were being driven out 25 years ago- digital has 
nothing to do with that.
the most interesting thing about digital is not so much the change 
of process and the impact on business practices but the "fact" that 
digital has changed the paradigm of photography..it will never be as 
it was- 



> 
>  
> Keith Krebs
> 
> "Just some guy," caretaker of the Multiverse's largest EPSON 
printer 
> User Community (highly recommended by Vogon Poets and MegaDodo 
> Publications), at:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPSON_Printers/
> and  the Multiverse's largest Canon printer User  Community at:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Canon-printers
> "For the rest of you out there, the secret is to bang the rocks 
together 
> guys"