Reply To: someone on this site is using my work

[IHF]

My mother paid $500 for a group fauxtography session, and we all bought prints as well. Did she get any word of mouth, or repeat business from us?  Hell no!  Is she still in business?  Nope.  Her business took a more natural progression, because she was priced appropriately.  She also didnt go into debt giving it a go, and didnt have people taking advantage of her. (Yes, even togs that don’t know what they are doing get taken advantage of)  Now, lets say we only paid $50 or even less, for the whole kit and caboodle.  Some people, a lot of people, would have thought “Hey!  That was kinda fun for 50 bucks”.  Hey Hanna.  I know a lady that only charges $50 for group photos, and I bet she charges even less for just one person.  She’s not really good, but you might get one or two shots that you might like.  And even if you don’t want to buy them she still gives them to you on CD.  It’s only $50!  This fauxtographer could still be going to this day, not really making any money, or having her business grow in any sort of legitimate or real  way.  She’d also feel the need to invest more, and work more for that change in her pocket.  But the day always comes when a faux (and talented togs alike) finally thinks “Hey!  I’m not even making a profit.  This is really hard, and I’m not getting anywhere”.  Prices get raised, they change their business model a bit, and they finally know for sure that their “business” doesn’t work because the quality isn’t there.  Something they could have known right away if they had actually took the time to price for profit and more appropriately from the start. It’s more honest, both for the customers AND for the tog to price for profit.

Now there are still people like me who think no matter what price a person pays for professional services it should be of quality, so not everyone will join their $50 fauxtography ring, but for every 1 of me there are 10 others that think its just fine and dandy.

I’m telling you if fauxs and talented newbees all charged reasonable legitimate profitable rates, and took the care and time to set up shop legally, we would not have the problems we see today.

So kudos to this faux.  She is NOT part of the problem, she’s part of the solution.