We’re all pretty tired of being asked to shoot on spec, shoot for a low fee with the promise of more work, and that sort of nonsense. These two ads appeared on the Seattle Craigslist over the past two days. I think you’ll enjoy reading…
Need Photographer (originally posted March 10th)
We are a 5 person construction company and need to update our website and brochure with NEW images of our staff. We would like to give an opportunity to the right photographer to take our company images. Ideally we need a formal and an informal picture, also a landscape shot of our company vehicle. Basically these pictures will help us get off the ground and renovate our website.
If you do a good enough job on our company portraits then you will ideally be awarded a future PAID contract to take pictures of our job sites (once we get a job!). We will want to have the rights to be able to use the photos on our website and brochure/print media. You will get a boost to your portfolio!
Experience in corporate photography along with a portfolio is a MUST or your email will be disregarded. We are looking at scheduling the shoot within the next week so be prepared to move fast!
And then a clever photographer posted the following:
Need Construction Crew (originally posted March 12th)
We are a 5 person photography company and need to update our photography studio and shooting space with NEW office spaces for our staff. We would like to give an opportunity to the right construction crew to build our new company digs. Ideally we need a formal and an informal working space, also a landscape crew for our out side shooting area. Basically these structures will help us get off the ground and renovate our old space.
If you do a good enough job on our company building then you will ideally be awarded a future PAID contract to build structures of our photography clients (once we get a job!). We will want to have the rights to be able to exploit you as we see fit just for credit and a great job! You will get a boost to your structure building skills!
Experience in corporate building along with a portfolio is a MUST or your email will be disregarded, after all beggars can be choosers. We are looking at scheduling the construction within the next week so be prepared to move fast!
I don’t know who the authors are, if they care to be identified, I’ll add proper attribution if they contact me. What do you think?
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groozi.com is a blog about negotiating and web marketing. It is written primarily by me, Blake J. Discher, a 
39 Comments
TOOOOOO FUNNY… I love this. I don’t come across too many potential clients like this anymore thankfully but they still crawl out of the woodwork from time to time.
I just posted this video on my blog about a writer who keeps getting people asking him for free stuff….. http://blog.johnhryniuk.com/
This happens to writers as well. “What? Why do you expect me to pay you for something I could do on my own? How about if I let you do it for free and THEN if I need it again, I MIGHT consider paying you.”
If you didn’t need someone to craft your writing for you, you wouldn’t be looking for it for free. It takes time to write and proofread, and I value my work highly.
Emily´s last blog ..Because we must
Love this! I made the mistake of creating a website for some friends on the grounds that I would be paid “later”. That never happened! Needless to say, I learned my lesson
Sad thing is, these kind of ads exist because some photographers go for it, thinking it will pay eventually… But more than often, after the first unpaid contract, nothing more will come! Too many aspiring photographers, too little job opportunity.
I find the second ad very funny!!!! Well answered and hope those construction guys saw it!!!!
Brilliant….May I convert this to one for IT? where because I’ve worked in the Technical field and have supported many large companies’ IT infrastructures and computing systems over the years, I get asked to do “fix my home computer work” pro bono… Mom, Dad, and Sisters are the ONLY ones who get freebies, the rest of you fools better pay double the going rate or go get GEEK SQUAD. =)
Rob G´s last blog ..Photo
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