Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Copyright 17-Feb-2005 At 11:52:52 PM Onsight

Message

On 16/02/2005 Chester wrote:
>The money you get for a published slide will be lucky
>to cover expenses, film, processing, travel costs, administration.
Yeah not even close. If you are doing this on an ongoing professional basis then the film, processing and travel (even overseas) is but a part of it — and you'd need to add: bank charges, camera and lenses etc, computer and office equipment, interest, insurance, internet, office supplies and consumables, photocopying and printing, postage and freight, professional services (like accountant), phone, employees wages and superannuation, rent/mortgage and other occupancy expenses (like maintenance and electricity), car, tax, and so on, before you even begin to think about drawing yourself a wage or your future...

>It is a shame because Australia has some of the best climbing photographers
>in the world.
Yes, we do have – and have had – some most excellent photographers here. I think Glenn Tempest deserves special mention because although he isn’t shooting as much climbing recently he has produced much really exceptional stuff and also considering his work in other genre’s (esp. skiing and bushwalking) I’d say he’s one of the very best all-round outdoors photographers in this country.

>complements some of Simon's more atmospheric work.
Strange generalisation… ;-p

But yeah, I take your point, there is a reason for that (shooting tight action is fine - and I've shot a huge amount of it actually - but it’s not solely what it’s about for me) and perhaps a discussion of the different genres of climbing photography could be interesting sometime…

>Unfortunately the situation won't improve whilst all the major climbing
>photographers accept small pay for their work.
Correct. Trying to compete on price is somewhat self-destructive and destructive to any “industry” we might ever have here. But price isn’t the only issue – when we’ve had photographers here who were willing to submit to publications that they know aren’t even willing to take "responsibility" for their original transparencies.
>Simon, do you have any knowledge
>of how things are overseas, are they facing the same issue as us?
Yes, definitely they are. It’s getting more competitive overseas, that’s for sure, but at least in the US many of the photographers have better business practices, standards, and expectations. If any active photographers are really interested then they can email me offline and I’ll send you the link to an outdoor photographer’s discussion group you can join where the business side of this is discussed ad infinitum.
>I can't see an easy solution to this.
Nor can I. Basically I think there will always be less serious photographers who will just be happy to see their photos of their mates in print somewhere, as is their prerogative I guess — and the more serious photographers will always be screwed whilst they somehow think they have to somehow compete against that (and accept the same terms and pay) just to get the “exposure”.