Would you sell your soul for fame? - WARNING...this is a MIZ posted thread

[rjmiz]

A question for some "broadminded" readers:

If you one day turned on the TV, and while watching a nationally run commercial discovered one of your images in that commercial;

1. Would you be happy that your image has been viewed by millions of viewers?
2. Angry because a multi-million dollar corporation paid less then $5.00 of which you probably only see about $1.30 of?
3. Start to wonder how they got your image, and from which stock site?
4. Immediately run out and buy the product or service advertised with your image?

It's a toss of the coin for me. I would have mixed emotions.
While I would be pleased my image was recognized and accepted as worthy by a big corporation, I might have trouble accepting I was paid next to $0.00 for it.
Money or glory? I have to choose.

If I place my image on any stock site for sale I must realize I have done so of my own free will.
When it is sold, it is no longer MY IMAGE I have agreed to license it's use for those conditions set forth in the license agreement.
So if I get upset. and start crying, and whining it's my own doing! 

Cranky MIZ
The voice of reason

[tan510jomast]

A question for some "broadminded" readers:

If you one day turned on the TV, and while watching a nationally run commercial discovered one of your images in that commercial;
2. Angry because a multi-million dollar corporation paid less then $5.00 of which you probably only see about $1.30 of?

.. I might have trouble accepting I was paid next to $0.00 for it.
Money or glory?...

If I place my image on any stock site for sale I must realize I have done so of my own free will.
so if I get upset. and start crying, and whining it's my own doing! 

good point rjmiz.

i guess i would accept the consequences , but realise that i do have a choice as to which images i want to "sell my soul for ".
lately, i am fortunate via this forum to discover there are some sites that empower us to expect more in commissions than other sites offer.
to a dabbler, i guess, 50 cents would be wonderful with 3000 images earning that. this could add up to a new lens or even a new camera.

but , as a working photographer and a teacher who has no time to mass produce 100 images per week, never mind 3000 images per portfolio, i have to ask myself what "hat" i wish to wear,
and which images i am proud to attach my name .

consequently, after a short spell of these last 4 months in stock photography,  i chose to be true to my own calling as a photographer, and just shoot what moves me.
if this honesty sells my images because a buyer relates to it, wonderful;
if not, tough!

as you said, "it's my choice !"
would i sell my soul for fame?   i'd rather toss burgers at minimum wage.
that way, i won't ever lose my faith in proudly giving out my business card and telling someone , "i am a photographer; (not a whore)" 
then again, if i were paid as much as some whores,
i would shoot just about any "snapshot" or whatnot a site would want.
 

[litifeta]

Fame does not interest me at all.

But sure, money. I would sell my soul for lots of money.

[rjmiz]

litifeta
Many a book and movie have been written about people like you.
They call it the oldest profession in history.
I have seen many people like you late at night on 42nd St growing up in NYC as a child.

Prostitution is still illegal in parts of the world so be careful will you.

Cranky MIZ
The voice of reason

[Microbius]

I too would not care about the fame, I think when I started out I might have been excited. I do this because it means that I can make my money in a relatively creative way, be my own boss etc. etc.
It being on TV doesn't make any difference to this or to how much money I get in my pocket.

[bittersweet]

Since I actually read the licensing agreements and was fully informed that this type of usage is possible and allowed, how could I be angered to then see it come to be? In addition to being paid very little for the usage, I won't be getting any glory or fame from it either because, according to my handy dandy licensing agreement, it is not required for me to get an image credit for my image being included as part of an advertisement.

If by "broadminded" you mean those who make a decision and then commence to weeping and gnashing of teeth over the easily predictable results of that decision, then perhaps I should not have joined in on your discussion.

[Fran]

A question for some "broadminded" readers:

If you one day turned on the TV, and while watching a nationally run commercial discovered one of your images in that commercial;

...

My first reply to a Miz thread! I'm excited

I would be happy, cause in general I don't mind (much) about money. If I did, I wouldnt have chosen to be a videogame programmer, since I can make so much more money by programming banking software, and I wouldn't have chosen photography as a hobby, cause it's more a money sink than anything for me. But it's lots of fun and I'd be extremely happy to see what I produce used, just like I'm very happy every time a game I worked on is released and I see hundreds of thousands people playing it.

Fame fame fame for me...!
(and if some money come from it, all the better)

[kgtoh]

litifeta
Many a book and movie have been written about people like you.
They call it the oldest profession in history.
I have seen many people like you late at night on 42nd St growing up in NYC as a child.

Prostitution is still illegal in parts of the world so be careful will you.

Cranky MIZ
The voice of reason

Did you just call him what I think you called him?
Even if said as a joke, this is in very poor taste.
Even for you.

[Sean Locke Photography]

Unfortunately, Miz can't decide what he wants to be.  Flickr contributor, serious stock contributor, 1990s Photoshop stylist, daily "Dear Miz" column writer or wacky stand-up comic.

[fullvalue]

Ironically, I actually had this happen.  Sadly, you don't even get fame because noone but you knows it's your shot.  However, since it was a model released shot and my model saw the same commercial and was thrilled, it was cool from that perspective.

[kgtoh]

Unfortunately, Miz can't decide what he wants to be.  Flickr contributor, serious stock contributor, 1990s Photoshop stylist, daily "Dear Miz" column writer or wacky stand-up comic.

Randomly calling people prostitutes does not a stand-up comic make.

[Sean Locke Photography]

Exactly.  He's not really good at any of them.

[rjmiz]

Prostituting one's soul. He said it not me?
Perhaps everyone is so quick to try and find fault with me, they only read what they want to read!

Better read his reply one more time people.

...and sjlocke your still reading my posts? hehehe....can't stay away huh?

Cranky MIZ
The voice of reason

[windmill]

Fame does not interest me at all.

I want to get recognition for god work by other photographers, a word from MIZ is more worth to ME than any TV time in the world.

Thats why i like this forum, i get a laugh now and then and some serious talk about art/photo one of my true passions in life.

So please MIZ never stop learning us what is really true

[kgtoh]

Sequence of events (in point form)

1. Litifeta expresses a preference for money over fame
2. This is an alien and horrifying concept for someone whose main motivation in life seems to be getting people to notice he exists
3. The obvious next logical step is to interpret this statement as a proclamation of prostitution and thus, call him a whore.

The fact that what Litifeta said could possible be interpreted as some sort of statement about prostituting himself for money does not give you the right to call him a prostitute, even in jest.

[rjmiz]

Prostitute: "a person (as a writer or photographer) who deliberately debases his or her talents (as for money)"
Thats what I meant. What you heard or read is something else.

Cranky MIZ
The voice of reason

PS (another one of my posts that got hijacked by a bunch of weenie heads)

[nativelight]

Something like that would thrill me, but just once.  It would probably motivate me to dump microstock and concentrate on midstock and/or traditional stock.  It might even boost my confidence enough to jump into photography full-time (well maybe not - lol). 

[Sean Locke Photography]

He said nothing about "deliberately debasing" his talents.  That interpretation was yours, as was the negative connotation that goes with your label.

[tan510jomast]

Prostitute: "a person (as a writer or photographer) who deliberately debases his or her talents (as for money)"
Thats what I meant. What you heard or read is something else.

Cranky MIZ
The voice of reason

yes, i heard what some of said, and yes, it does sound like prostitution.
there are other terms for it: mercenary, assasin, "paladin", whore,etc.
and yes, some of us, if not all of us are whores in one sense or another.
some for free, others for a better price. we hate to admit it, but we all do
sell ourselves for a living.
i am sure there are many out there working behind some boring desk listening to some jerk giving orders "earning a living" or prostituting themselves.

 MIZ ? he calls it like he hears it.
that's what MIZ is exemplary for, in this forum.
he could be cheesecake and please everyone becoming all fairy like to tell us how lovely we are, but that's would be condescending or hokey, and trite reading too, for me and some of MIZ other visitors.

as amazing as it may sound to some of you, MIZ verbose and frankness
are something some of us find quite remarkable in this forum.
at least he is not faking it. cheers MIZ!

[bittersweet]

So now anyone who works for a living is a prostitute?

Good grief.

[kgtoh]

 MIZ ? he calls it like he hears it.
that's what MIZ is exemplary for, in this forum.
he could be cheesecake and please everyone becoming all fairy like to tell us how lovely we are, but that's would be condescending or hokey, and trite reading too, for me and some of MIZ other visitors.

as amazing as it may sound to some of you, MIZ verbose and frankness
are something some of us find quite remarkable in this forum.
at least he is not faking it. cheers MIZ!

I guess this establishes what rjmiz is. He's not a stock artist, columnist, or stand-up comic. He's an idol and a role model.

He has his own fan club now. 
Good grief indeed.

[kgtoh]

rjmiz, I don't think I've been called a weenie head in 30 years. It feels kinda nice and nostalgic, like I'm back in kindergarten.  I guess that's why we all love you, even when we're trying to chastise you for peeing all over the rug.

[RacePhoto]

consequently, after a short spell of these last 4 months in stock photography,  i chose to be true to my own calling as a photographer, and just shoot what moves me.
if this honesty sells my images because a buyer relates to it, wonderful;
if not, tough!

Bravo! I made the same decision in June. Now I'm shooting what I enjoy again and if something turns out to be suitable for Micro, it goes there. If it's right for Alamy it goes there. No more hours and hours of shooting, adjusting lighting, and staging those five cashews to get them just right. 

Some people have a talent and eye for stock and do very well. I'm not one of them. I admire them for their hard work and tenacity and wish them the best at making it worth their while, by getting the payback they deserve.

[translation: my stock photos suck!] 

[tan510jomast]

 

[tan510jomast]

I guess this establishes what rjmiz is. He's not a stock artist, columnist, or stand-up comic. He's an idol and a role model.

He has his own fan club now. 
Good grief indeed.

fanclub no , i think not. but to some of you he probably has a masochistic
attraction 
considering that MIZ warns in bold print: WARNING...this is a MIZ posted thread , yet you do come in regardless where angels fear .

as for the rest of us, we merely visit MIZ because he's a regular here.

[Sean Locke Photography]

We can all see who started the thread by the forum software.  Posting that stupid tag in every title does not give the right to litter the forum with his random rantings and insults.

[litifeta]

Hey I have morals .... just can't find em most the time

[kgtoh]

fanclub no , i think not. but to some of you he probably has a masochistic
attraction 
considering that MIZ warns in bold print: WARNING...this is a MIZ posted thread , yet you do come in regardless where angels fear .

as for the rest of us, we merely visit MIZ because he's a regular here.

You're right. Whatever else rjmiz might be, he is entertaining.  At least his random brainfarts get people talking.  On the whole, he has been quite congenial, if sometimes incoherent 
What I took exception to was his calling another member a prostitute. Since Litifeta is a good sport and doesn't seem offended, who am I to act as protocol police?
I will wait for the next rjmiz posting with in masochistic suspense.

[tan510jomast]

Hey I have morals .... just can't find em most the time

  not to worry, litifeta,
you're not the only one...
i lost mine during a photo shoot, a long time ago

[nativelight]

We can all see who started the thread by the forum software.  Posting that stupid tag in every title does not give the right to litter the forum with his random rantings and insults.

So this forum is going to be censored now just because some don't agree with him?  That's nonsense.  If you don't like his posts, don't read them.  No one is twisting your arm here. 

Disclaimer:  I am not a "miz fan."  I'm just a liberal who believes in free speech.  Most times I disagree with him, but not always.  He's no different than anyone else here.

[Sean Locke Photography]

I didn't say anything about censoring him.  I said adding that tag in the title is not free reign to go off on any subject you want to. 

[vphoto]

I didn't say anything about censoring him.  I said adding that tag in the title is not free reign to go off on any subject you want to. 

sjlocke, why not ? MIZ amuses many. We can't be serious all the time.

[nativelight]

I didn't say anything about censoring him.  I said adding that tag in the title is not free reign to go off on any subject you want to. 

But he does have free reign to go off on any subject he wants to - we all do.  That's called an open forum.  I'm really not trying to pick a fight. I just believe in free speech.

[Sean Locke Photography]

But you don't.  This isn't the "Free Speech for All" forum.  It is the "General Stock Discussion" section, and insulting fellow contributors isn't the best kind of free speech anyways.

[Lizard]

Prostitute: "a person (as a writer or photographer) who deliberately debases his or her talents (as for money)"
Thats what I meant. What you heard or read is something else.

Cranky MIZ
The voice of reason

PS (another one of my posts that got hijacked by a bunch of weenie heads)

 "I have seen many people like you late at night on 42nd St growing up in NYC as a child"

May I ask why are many writers an photographers  gathering late at night on 42nd and selling their work there ?



Anyway , a joke ....

A man comes to a girl and ask her: "Would you sleep with me for 10 000 000$ ?
She said : "For 10 millions anytime"

He:  "Ok Ill give you  10$ if you sleep with me ?"
She sad: 10 f.....g $ , who do you think I am ?

He: " I think we have determined that , now we are just negotiating .....  20$ ?"   

[rjmiz]

On 42 st and 5th ave in Brooklyn during Summer months there is an every night bazaar that lasts
into the wee hours of the morning. There are carnival rides, contests, food venders, and arts and crafts sellers as well.

It is a haven for artists and photographers who sell their work for next to nothing, especially in late Summer.
So to answer your question: "why are many writers an photographers  gathering late at night on 42nd and selling their work there ?"
well simply put there's money to be made.

These guys would sell their souls if they could to make a buck.

Cranky MIZ
The voice of reason

[vphoto]

On 42 st and 5th ave in Brooklyn during Summer months there is an every night bazaar that lasts
into the wee hours of the morning. There are carnival rides, contests, food venders, and arts and crafts sellers as well.

It is a haven for artists and photographers who sell their work for next to nothing, especially in late Summer.
So to answer your question: "why are many writers an photographers  gathering late at night on 42nd and selling their work there ?"
well simply put there's money to be made.

These guys would sell their souls if they could to make a buck.

Cranky MIZ
The voice of reason

MIZ, your soul scanning abilities are impressive.