If you need the full thing the Facebook post is here and mothership got it too.
I would like to congratulate him for pushing the self-destruct button.
Firstly, it's not like they were asking him to be a photographer for a campaign for free. He had already taken the photo. They saw that it tied in to their brand messages. They asked nicely if he would mind if they used it.
It was also a huge missed opportunity for him to state how much you would like to charge for that photo. How about "Hi AIA. I'm delighted that you think highly of me and my Instagram feed. I charge $500 per picture. Hope to hear from you soon."
He decided, instead, that going full-on bitch mode was the best way to respond.
Corporations with money to spend on creatives are never going to go near him, ever.
His disgusting attitude is not going to help the creative community, and he would've never gotten such public attention had he not had this epic meltdown
I could take a selfie and get more likes than you on Instagram. Your insta-game is not that strong brah.
His stand is that "companies should not ask for free photos with only credit and perceived exposure being given". I don't see what's wrong with this. What if the content creator was looking for a chance for his work to travel, to be seen by more people? What if it's just for fun, like collaborations usually are? What if it was by chance, the coincidental, magical fit of the same aesthetic?
It shouldn't be the case but in the creative community, we sometimes work for free, even for commercial projects. I've taken part in a government video by a creative agency - for free. I've done photoshoots for free, for no reason other than the creative team behind it was my friend, the project was interesting and I believed in the vision. I collaborated with a photographer this morning on a rooftop under the hot sun. His work ethic was amazing. If I had a paid gig, I'd look for him to work with him again.
Sure, it's not going to put food on the table. As if you're the only one with that problem.
Creatives, comms, PR, marketing, we are all part of the same ecosystem. We work together. We practically depend on the same things to make a living, all of us. Now he has thrown the people working alongside him under the bus. On a fucking Friday evening, he forced Dstnct, who handles social media for AIA, to come up with a reply, and probably riled up AIA's entire marketing and comms team, and their management, to do crisis handling.
Are you kidding me?!
I have great respect for great photographers.
But I have more respect for people who aren't bitches.
PS: His friend replied - I think they confused "photographers" with photographers. With the rise of smartphone cameras and Instagram, the ordinary man can create supposedly beautiful pictures without much experience. They become "photographers".
From what I understand, AIA is trying to reach out to these ordinary people who don't mind sharing their photos because they don't place a high implicit value on their own pictures. You are different because your work is of true value. I think they failed to understand the distinction
Elitist fucks, the lot of them.
2 comments:
I agree with your post.
AMEN
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