May/June issue of APA's InFocus magazine

APA President's Letter

by Jeff Schewe

I've had a pet peeve for a long time. Since I now have a platform from which to discuss it, pardon me while I get up on a soap box.

We get no respect. Professional photographers in general and advertising photographers in particular seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to respect. Think about it. The media tends to portray us as either flighty "artist types" or shifty exploiters-and don't get me started about ad agencies.

I mean, people at ad agencies don't think that they can just go out and rent a Panavision camera and shoot great commercials (they tried that in the eighties and gave that up). Agencies work with very professional production companies who excel at the very difficult job of making great commercials. Ad agencies also seem to have a fair amount of respect for illustrators. While I know some art directors who could be great illustrators, they don't have time nor the inclination, as a general rule, to render final art themselves. As venders for the agencies, production companies and illustrators seem to be well respected for their special talent and craft.

Photographers? Forget it. Photographers are rather poorly treated both from the standpoint of respect of craft as well as business professionals. For a long time I've wondered why. . .I now think I know why. There are two basic reasons why photographers don't receive respect-one is NOT our fault, but the other certainly is.

The first reason that professional photographers don't receive what I believe is their fair share of respect is that literally billions of dollars have been spent by the photo manufacturers to convince the general public that photography is fun and easy to do. Over the years, photography has been positioned as a hobby. An avocation if you will, that people do for fun or to record moments of their lives. The marketing message that the general public, our clients and even ourselves have been exposed to is a very powerful determinate in assessing our relative value and importance in society. What we do as professionals is little more than a hobby in the eyes of the general public. Is it any wonder that our clients and even ourselves are effected by this thinking? To most people, all we do is take pictures. . .how hard can that be?

The second reason we get no respect is a little more difficult because the fault is totally our own. We don't command respect. As a group, photographers tend towards an isolated existence. We rarely act as a group for our own best interest. As individuals we are relatively easy to manipulate and exploit. In the world of business acumen, we're pretty low on the totem pole. The evidence of this abounds. What other business group routinely allows their clients to dictate terms as we do? What other group accepts as standard, long pay schedules or unfavorable business practices? What other group, particularly vendors at agencies, accept being treated with little or no respect?

Now, before you get all huffy, let me explain that I'm NOT referring to anybody as individuals. Certainly there are plenty of individual photographers who command and receive the respect that they personally have earned. I'm referring to the profession as a whole not commanding respect.

So, assuming we are unwilling to merely roll over and accept our predicament, what can we as a group do to overcome our shortcomings? One of the hardest lessons I've learned in this business is that sometimes, you really have to say "NO". Say no to circumstances that are bad for yourselves as individuals and the industry as a whole. Say no to bad contracts. Say no to exploitation. Say no to Work-for-Hire. Say no to Royalty Free. Saying no, in a professional but firm manner, is the surest way to command more respect.

APA will be there to help you. Having a strong advocate for fair business practices is a must for commanding respect. But the biggest battle will be within your own head. Learn what the true value of what you produce is, and say no to accepting less than fair value. As individuals, you really can't just demand more respect you must earn it.

In the arena of public awareness, APA will also work with the photo manufacturers to make sure that professional photographers are portrayed in a more realistic and respectable manner. APA has already made some steps in that direction with our own Sustaining Members by voicing our desires. We plan on furthering that effort and that's where you can help. By joining with APA and working towards a better industry, we can all benefit by commanding more respect.

Jeff Schewe-APA National President

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