Will Work For Money

I know it's been a long time since I've updated this blog. I've been pretty busy and keeping up with Facebook and Twitter has been a lot easier than sitting and writing entries on a regular basis. However, this time I've got something to talk about that requires more words than would fit on your typical social media update.

A few years ago I was using a freelancing site to find some extra work. I had gotten a few decent jobs from there, but shortly after I started making some money, the site changed the way it worked and it became difficult to use. They were trying to make money off of the freelancers and expected us to pay for our bids. This was a big turn off, so I stopped using it. Recently, I decided to revisit the site and I was pleased to find that they not only did away with the offending changes, but actually gave you more to work with now. This morning I was checking through some of the jobs on there to see if there was anything I'd be qualified to bid on, and I came across this gem:

"I am going to need someone that can take pictures of people, things, and activities. Examples would include something like a request for a picture of a person eating a hamburger. I will need multiple shots of each request. I need someone that can take pictures of people from all countries.

I will pay $1 for original photo taken per request with touch ups completed as needed.

I will request about 20-25 different photos for a total payout of $20-$25 People in the photos will need to be of different countries so you must have access to lots of different people.

Again, if I need someone eating a hamburger I need a few angles and photos of that person eating a hamburger. Requests will be similar to this and I will most likely not need more than 3-5 angles of each photo. You will then gloss the photo and correct shadows and submit for use on a public website."

So, anybody who understands anything about how this kind of business works, will understand that this is an unrealistic request. Only a moron would do all of the things this guy is asking for, for $1 per photo. I used one of my "bids" (you get a limited number per monthly cycle) just to leave this comment on the job:

"If you want someone to go out, find models, get releases signed, set up scenes and lighting, edit, and deliver, for $1 per photo you'd might as well just hit up iStockPhoto.com. Essentially, what you're asking, is for someone to do a whole lot of work for free."

Needless to say, I got no response... People need to understand that this is a business for most of us, not a hobby. If we're on a site like this looking for work, it's quite possible that it's because we have bills to pay and this is what we know how to do best. $1 per photo is a ridiculous request for the kind of work that would go into producing even marginal-quality photos, let alone professional quality.

The process of getting cheap results for cheap pay, only cheapens your brand image. When your brand image is cheap and weak, so is your business. When your business is weak, it doesn't last long, and that takes a toll on the economy. We can't continue allowing people to rip us off, regardless of what you do for a living. We all suffer for it in the end.

More soon,

-Rob