Exposure

Have you known anyone to call a plumber and say, “hey, I have this problem with my pipes but I do not have any money can you do it in return for exposure”?

Have you know anyone to call a Dr. and say, “hey, can you treat me for free and I ll give you exposure in return”?

No? Me either.

So, why has society normalized asking photographers to work for free in return for “exposure”?

Exposure doesn’t…

pay my business insurance

pay my everyday household bills

pay for my thousands of dollars of materials and supplies needed for my prints and products

pay for my professional photography and sublimation printers

it most defiantly does not pay for the ink for these printers

does not pay for my memory cards

does not pay for my professional organization dues

Also doesn’t pay for the maintenance of my expensive equipment

it doesnt pay for new lenses and other expensive equipment that I need

It also doesnt pay for my gas and time needed for this shoot that will give me so much exposure

It does not pay me for missing any paid work I could be doing while doing these “exposure” shoots

It does not pay for my booth fee for art shows

I can go on and on but I think I made my point

When I first started, I fell for this “exposure stuff”. You know how much buisness I got from it? NONE, zero, zilch, nada, NOTHING.

You know what it did get me? It got me invitations to do lots of other events for “exposure” too.

Why do people think that its ok for photographers not to be paid?

Let s stop normalizing asking photographers and other artists to work for free.

New photographers, stop doing these “exposure” projects. You deserve better.

Our industry deserves better.

Thanks for coming to my “Ted talk”

Peace

~Tiffany