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Author Topic: Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr  (Read 9559 times)

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PaulieWalnuts

  • We Have Exciting News For You
« on: July 15, 2014, 21:44 »
+30
Where do these freebie hunters get the balls?

I had a "non-profit" contact me wanting to use a photo. I sent her detail on how she could inexpensively license it. She replied back totally offended that I suggest she pay for it and then want on to explain again that they're a non-profit. Like they're entitled to not pay for anything. I've been in business consulting for a long time. Most non-profits have plenty of money to spend.

And today I had another one. What's funny is the emails are almost all identical. Like they all use the same template.

--------------------->

Hello,

Just wanted to say I absolutely LOVE your work. You are an AMAZING photographer (Translation: I'm trying to compliment and flatter you to lessen the impact of the bu11shit I'm about to tell you)

I work for a [small company, startup, non-profit, myself] and am interested in using one of your amazing images (Translation: I'm about to tell you I have no money or don't want to pay you in exchange for using your amazing images)

We are located [in an ultra affluent city] but [have no budget, have no money, can't offer you any money]. We have [limited this, no that] but would gladly give you credit on your photo. (Translation: I just totally lied to you that I have no money. But I want your image for free to use for my benefit and am doing so without using that nasty word "free")

I have a tight deadline to meet and am really anxious for your response so I can get a copy of the image (Translation: This is a high priority for me so please drop whatever you're doing with your paying customers and jump through flaming hoops for my request for free stuff. )

Yours truly,

Entitled Freebie Hunter

« Last Edit: July 15, 2014, 21:46 by PaulieWalnuts »


« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2014, 21:51 »
+1
 :D

« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2014, 22:07 »
+1
I wonder how often it works for them.  Maybe it's like spammers: send out millions of requests and a few will pay off.  Me, I tell 'em no and end the conversation the moment I know there's no profit to be made.

Goofy

« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2014, 22:14 »
+6
I've seen how much some of these non-profit companies make- executives earning over 100K plus a year salary and live in million dollar homes! One famous company the CEO has his own helicopter!
« Last Edit: July 16, 2014, 09:00 by Goofy »

Goofy

« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2014, 22:15 »
0
Where do these freebie hunters get the balls?

I had a "non-profit" contact me wanting to use a photo. I sent her detail on how she could inexpensively license it. She replied back totally offended that I suggest she pay for it and then want on to explain again that they're a non-profit. Like they're entitled to not pay for anything. I've been in business consulting for a long time. Most non-profits have plenty of money to spend.

And today I had another one. What's funny is the emails are almost all identical. Like they all use the same template.




--------------------->

Hello,

Just wanted to say I absolutely LOVE your work. You are an AMAZING photographer (Translation: I'm trying to compliment and flatter you to lessen the impact of the bu11shit I'm about to tell you)

I work for a [small company, startup, non-profit, myself] and am interested in using one of your amazing images (Translation: I'm about to tell you I have no money or don't want to pay you in exchange for using your amazing images)

We are located [in an ultra affluent city] but [have no budget, have no money, can't offer you any money]. We have [limited this, no that] but would gladly give you credit on your photo. (Translation: I just totally lied to you that I have no money. But I want your image for free to use for my benefit and am doing so without using that nasty word "free")

I have a tight deadline to meet and am really anxious for your response so I can get a copy of the image (Translation: This is a high priority for me so please drop whatever you're doing with your paying customers and jump through flaming hoops for my request for free stuff. )

Yours truly,

Entitled Freebie Hunter

it just never ends it seems... :-[


« Last Edit: July 15, 2014, 22:44 by Goofy »

PaulieWalnuts

  • We Have Exciting News For You
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2014, 23:27 »
+8
I wonder how often it works for them.  Maybe it's like spammers: send out millions of requests and a few will pay off.  Me, I tell 'em no and end the conversation the moment I know there's no profit to be made.

I'm guessing it must work pretty frequently with amateurs who are overjoyed someone is interested in their work or even "pros" who think credit is worth something. Credit may be worth something in some rare situations but never from what I've seen.

They obviously have the gameplan worked out. Compliment, cry broke, offer credit. So it must work. They almost always offer "credit" like it's some magical new form of payment. I am sometimes tempted to respond. "Hey I tried that new credit thing you mentioned. I told the gas station I need a fillup and I don't have any money. But I'd be glad to give them credit by putting one of their small company stickers in my car window. They called the police. I also tried it when I went to buy camera equipment and they threw me out of the store. Doesn't seem like anybody takes this new credit thing yet so neither can I."


« Reply #6 on: July 15, 2014, 23:50 »
+1
It is another spam mail, where I just use DELETE...
Oh, yesterday I won 25.000.000 $ on lottery, again.
And I never bought a lottery ticket...
 :)

« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2014, 01:09 »
+3
Got it few times. It finished in spam immediately. Reading this is waste of time, nothing more. For your safety better don't reply at all.

« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2014, 08:12 »
+6
Those non profits do have money. I am in a situation right now were I have been volunteering annually for the last 7 years shooting an epilepsy fundraiser. I donate all of the edited images for promotional purposes. This year they hired (paid) another photographer to essentially double the number of images. Once I found that out, I told my assistant that this was my last year. I asked the head organizer if they were unhappy with my work and they said oh no, you are the best. So why did you hire another photographer? Well, we didn't want to miss anything while you shot the group sessions. Then plan better.

Anyway, not trying to steal this thread Paulie W just making a point that nons have money. Frustrating.

Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2014, 08:37 »
+9
I freelanced for a non-profit for a while last year. They wanted me to do work outside my normal scope of work, which required purchasing a piece of $200 software. When I asked how I'd go about being reimbursed for the purchase (of course, they also expected I'd work on my own laptop), they were incensed. The head of marketing (who makes more than 300K) actually yelled at my supervisor that I should pay for the software myself (out of my part-time freelance income) "because we're a non-profit, after all!" Meanwhile she spent at least $1,000 providing catered food for their weekly lunchtime marketing meeting. $1,000 a week, every week.

BTW, they absolutely do pay for photography and illustration, just like everyone else. In fact, they hired photographers all the time to shoot their fundraising events (like their annual weeklong conference in Miami, attended by more than 2,000 employees from all over the country, in one of the area's best resorts).

« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2014, 08:39 »
+2
I freelanced for a non-profit for a while last year. They wanted me to do work outside my normal scope of work, which required purchasing a piece of $200 software. When I asked how I'd go about being reimbursed for the purchase (of course, they also expected I'd work on my own laptop), they were incensed. The head of marketing (who makes more than 300K) actually yelled at my supervisor that I should pay for the software myself (out of my part-time freelance income) "because we're a non-profit, after all!" Meanwhile she spent at least $1,000 providing catered food for their weekly lunchtime marketing meeting. $1,000 a week, every week.

BTW, they absolutely do pay for photography and illustration, just like everyone else. In fact, they hired photographers all the time to shoot their fundraising events (like their annual weeklong conference in Miami, attended by more than 2,000 employees from all over the country, in one of the area's best resorts).

I pulsed you since we share the same frustration ;)

« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2014, 09:08 »
+3
I'm sure it's frustrating. But at the same time, there's nothing wrong with donating your work to a cause you believe in like an animal shelter or something. I'm photographing an event for free for a charity in a couple of weeks just because I want to support it and help out. 

I will get credit for the donated property though, and write it off on my taxes.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2014, 09:13 by robhainer »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #12 on: July 16, 2014, 09:28 »
+3
I'm sure it's frustrating. But at the same time, there's nothing wrong with donating your work to a cause you believe in like an animal shelter or something. I'm photographing an event for free for a charity in a couple of weeks just because I want to support it and help out. 

I will get credit for the donated property though, and write it off on my taxes.

I agree, and at the moment donating time/skill works better for me than donating money, as I used to when I had a full-time job, so little free time. No different from baking cakes for fundraisers, which I don't do.
In any case charities (in the UK) seem to be different from 'non-profits', e.g. they have to publish their figures, specifying what percentage of their income actually goes directly to the work they do, as opposed to for publications, promotion, education, wages etc. and the public hate it if that figure goes below 90% (of course, it's all relative, and for a tiny charity, one worker on minimum wage might easily take them below the 90%).

Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2014, 09:29 »
+15
There's a big difference between donating to a cause you believe in and having people who are perfectly capable of paying troll for freebies just because.

« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2014, 12:50 »
0
Got it few times. It finished in spam immediately. Reading this is waste of time, nothing more. For your safety better don't reply at all.

I always do reply to these requests for using images for free and my reply is a big NO.  I do not want there to be any doubt in anybody's mind that they CAN NOT use me images for free.  I think if they don't hear back they may just think its okay to use.

« Reply #15 on: July 16, 2014, 12:56 »
+1
There's a big difference between donating to a cause you believe in and having people who are perfectly capable of paying troll for freebies just because.

Exactly right.  I also donate time and pictures to a local nonprofit that I work with for years.  When one of their board members asked me to do the same for another charity she's involved with and I said I was to busy she got mad and talked me down to a lot of people.

« Reply #16 on: July 16, 2014, 14:48 »
+2
I once met a guy in Copenhagen who was collecting money for abused animals.
He showed me pictures of bears with rings in their noses and leopard furs and wounded rhinos with no horns.
It as all so sad and the animals were so abused. There were also lame dogs with 3 legs, with scabies.

Such a pity.
Then I asked him if he was paid to do the fundraising, and yes he was, he proudly answered. 10 dollars pr. hour.
"Well, I sell cement" I answered. "What do you sell, ---sufferings and pity?".

What I mean to say is that they are all full of s+++, they sell guilt and shame.
And that has been heard of before, once back in time you could even buy you self a place in Paradise, maybe you still can?

I detest those parasites, who prey upon our concience and morals and make a rich living for one or 2 of the gurus.

And when it comes to giving pictures away for free, Inever do it. Or almost never, sometimes I even have fun with asking a free summerhouse or car for just for a week or something.
But there is never anything free the other way. And it proves that the folder with the credit never shows up or the book or whatever they promised you.
If you give away anything for free, you get devaluated and people piss on you.






ultimagina

« Reply #17 on: July 16, 2014, 14:52 »
+7
I found one of my photos shamelessly copied from flickr and used to promote a major event for the doctors and healthcare people in New York.

I asked for compensation, but they prefered to take it down and replace it with something else. These poor New York surgeons cannot afford to license a photo! What about that?

If you wonder, i shutdown my Flickr account. I'm tired to fight an uphill battle with all these freeloaders.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

gillian vann

  • *Gillian*
« Reply #18 on: July 16, 2014, 19:33 »
+4
looks like it's contagious. about 6 weeks ago I had a large US delivery company ask to use one of pics, that she referred to a "more of a snapshot" then went on to compliment the rest of my work and cried poor and offered to credit my name. I emailed her back saying she was welcome to licence the photo for a fee or else she could go and "snap" one of her own.... never heard back.

« Reply #19 on: July 16, 2014, 20:42 »
+2
I am happy to report that i do freelance work for a non-profit, have been for about 3 years. They pay my fee, no questions asked, and they pay as soon as i send an invoice. Sometimes i do stuff and don't charge, just because they are good to me. And i appreciate it, because most of the time, it's like you guys are saying. They drive up in their bmw or biga$$ suv then want something for nothing.




« Reply #20 on: July 16, 2014, 21:18 »
+4
Just took photos a couple weeks ago of a fundraiser for a local magazine. The non-profit it was supporting had another photographer there being paid for taking photos for use by the non-profit. I got a great photo of a woman who lives in my town that went into the mag. She asked me for another photo (not used by the magazine, they only pay me for the photos they use, I keep my copyright to all and am free to do what I want with those they don't use) that a friend of hers wanted to put on the non-profit's website.

I offered it to her at a huge discount (a token amount that would enable me to insure that it was licensed rather than given away). Got a scathing email back that I was such a terrible person expecting a non-profit to pay for a photo. This person bid over $2,000 at the auction for an item worth far less, but couldn't pay a token sum for a photo. In every email, including the one reaming me, she kept saying what a good photographer I am and how great my photos are. I'm really sick of this entitlement mentality. A compliment is nice but it won't buy groceries.

Clearly, the OP is not alone!

PaulieWalnuts

  • We Have Exciting News For You
« Reply #21 on: July 17, 2014, 05:56 »
+3
There's a big difference between donating to a cause you believe in and having people who are perfectly capable of paying troll for freebies just because.

Yes exactly! 

ETA: And I wasn't targeting non-profits. Just used that one as an example. I get contacted by a variety of opportunists who have some creative excuses for why they can't, or shouldn't have to, pay for my images.
« Last Edit: July 17, 2014, 06:05 by PaulieWalnuts »

« Reply #22 on: July 17, 2014, 07:36 »
+10
You should connect with Beatrix the Yoga spammer. Beatrix might recommend a position whereby those taking salaries yet expecting everyone else to work for bugger all, will somehow end up with their own foot up their arse.

« Reply #23 on: July 17, 2014, 08:15 »
+2
You should connect with Beatrix the Yoga spammer. Beatrix might recommend a position whereby those taking salaries yet expecting everyone else to work for bugger all, will somehow end up with their own foot up their arse.


Lol

« Reply #24 on: July 17, 2014, 12:02 »
+12
Well and I just got another one today! Here it is:)

"My name is ****, I am currently just a regular  17 year old studying for my a levels. I have a dream that one say I will own my own social media website. This summer I am currently in the middle of building that social media website called ***. I want this website to be the finest social media website out there. Then I saw you incredible photography and are amazed by your skill. So I was just asking for your permission to use one of your photographs on my website. For you it would be great advertisement for your company and your work can deserve as much recognition as possible. I will provide an ink mark and a link to your website on the image.For me it would be a honour to have one of your pieces on my website. I am sorry if this has been a waste off your time reading this and you do not want to give me your permission its just I want my website to be perfect and your work would make it complete. In reality I am just a kid trying to make something for themselves but I cant afford these big rental fee's some photography charge so it would mean a lot if you could help me out and make my dreams come true.

Please could you reply as soon as possible

Many Thanks,
***** "


And here is what I replied:
"Dear ****,
I appreciate your kind words about my photography. However, I do not need "credits" or "advertising" - my business is to sell photos and I am doing quite well. I am a bit confused that you mentioned "big rental fees"; you can easily purchase a legal right to use my images on your website for as little as $5 (at www.elenaphoto.com, web resolution). Surely it would be worth to sacrifice a couple of coffees to make your dreams come true?
Good luck with your project,
Elena."


Am I mean?



 

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