So I feel I am in need of a good venting. I am finding it mildly amusing how so many photographers get so paranoid about the way their work is handled by a client. There are many photographers that get bent out of shape if a client were to print an image at Wal-mart and claim their overpriced printing is the ONLY way to go because it is professional. I have compared Wal-Mart, Costco to some professional prints and yes, I have noticed differences but not enough to care where a client takes the images to be printed. But really the client takes the image to be printed at Wal-Mart or a professional printing place, will they even notice like "we" would the difference? Probably not. Most people are happy with a FAR lower level of quality of work than we feel is acceptable. So I really feel it is important to unleash a client in the end and allow them to enjoy the images in any way they see fit. Is it worth all the stress in the long run?
I just don't get why the photographers get so worked up. I read one photographer's website where she was saying she would threaten legal action if a client even emailed pictures to their Grandma. Some photographers really stress about this stuff. I shoot with models frequently and love giving the models images from our shoot. I don't mind if the model down the road edits them herself or has a friend edit them. It really does not bother me in the least. A picture that I take and edit is going to be uniquely mine. If it gets edited by someone else, then I don't mind, it is not like it will go in to my portfolio. If it is a terrible edit, I don't mind, it is not in my portfolio. There are so many photographers online, if people want to steal my images I post and re-edit them, then I can't really stop them. I do not have an army of lawyers at my beckon call to threaten legal action. Some photographers write so many things that a client CAN'T do with their images. I honestly read some of their "disclaimers" and wonder why anyone would want to shoot with someone so picky. Maybe I am just too easy going. But I feel a client should be given more freedom to enjoy and share their images in a variety of ways. We live in a technology driven world, where framing a print won't cut it. People want to share images on FB, they want to be able to print at their convenience.
I am not trying to say that it is wrong to want to protect a copyright of ones work, I am just annoyed at times when photographers put so many restrictions on the work they do. It is almost paranoid behavior. I will give an example. I worked at an alternate school one year. I was teaching kids that were violent, drug users, had criminal records and lots of other problems. I created a small stash of "Costco" munchies to sell the kids, so they would not always run from school to the local corner gas to buy junk. This way we were able to raise some extra money for school functions etc. I kept all the food in a file cabinet with NO lock. The money was in a sandwich bag....VISIBLE to all the kids. They knew where the money and food was kept. I think had I kept everything locked up like a prison, I would have had things stolen from me. The entire year not a penny went missing or one morsel of food. When I read a photographer writing, DON'T, DON'T, DON'T....I just think, wow, they are asking for trouble. Treat your clients with respect. Not everyone is out there wanting to rip you off, make you look terrible and ruin your reputation.
Just my 2 cents, I needed to vent. :) I will close by posting a recent shot from a shoot with a lovely model from Vegreville. :)
