DanDickens2

I don't think of myself as having a political agenda. I think that things in general are so corrupt that this corruption should be everyone's agenda. It is our children and the yet unborn that will be faced with our debt and a crumbling infrustructure that will need to be replaced, even if it doesn't get replaced. Selfishness and greed can be good things - however, when the criminal behavior starts up then I can not compete against the criminal element - such as hiring illegal migrant workers. This is criminal and corrupt. Criminal is different from Selfishness or greed - sure these behaviors lead to bad behaviors but not all the time. Placing the political facts as being my personal agenda - is remarkable - thank you - for it seems that none of these facts can be put upon me as nothing more than a personal political agenda - as long as I have my facts correct then I am OK with the claim of personal political agenda. Same thing happened with my son's school system - when I published my facts about the school system - they proclaimed me as being negative - but they were not able to tell anyone that my facts were wrong - because my facts were correct - so all they could do was put it upon the old bad attitude. Just one of the ways society dodges accountability for the facts is to put the blame else where. As for my negativeness - I would suggest to others to be more positive about my negativeness. In sort, everyone is looking for cheaper labor, cheaper labor returns to the photographer who is doing the work at a Monopolizing extreme of FREE. Perhaps we should beging the Free Photographes Association - call it the FPA. Dues and fund raising to subsidize the photograhers who volunteer weddings and portraits. Thus the competition for professional photographers would then motivate them to join as well as the free photographers take over the commercial photography world. You know become a sort of Walmart type - of High Cost to do Low Cost - perhaps we could get Republicans to subsidize our building just as Walmart buildings - perhaps we could all bet on food stamps as many Walmart employees qualify for food stamps - one giant grant and subsidy program for photographers. Yahoo - problem solved.

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

Love the first post, thanks for that. I agree, the political belongs in the chit chat section at worst, at best, should be moved to a political site where you can all rant and rave at each other, and leave the photographers to talk about photography.

DanDickens2

The over lapping topic began as a beginning wedding photographer doing a free assignment. Thus economics entered the forum. Because economics are often tided to politics so goes the forum. Photography and photographers are thus a part of the political realm. Then there is the history of this nations labor issues - working for free with our without having a choice - free labor had a major roll in building this nation. No sooner than this nation ends slavery - that Chinese are brought in to build most of the railroad west of the Mississippi - many were never paid - none paid what is was worth - a few died due to lack of food for them to eat while they built these railways. So the justification for shooting a wedding for free - might well be the payoff in experiance later in the career - I know I shot at least three weddings for free. Not ranting nor raging, simply stating the history with its politics and thus our economics - or as I like to call it E-Con-NO-Me.

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

My first several were done as a free assistant, then free second shooter, finally, when I had done several, my mentor told me to never shoot weddings for free again, or I'll just be known as the guy who takes free wedding photos.

DanDickens2

That was great investment of your time that lead to a chance at profit. I've known bookkeepers and accountants that did stuff for free to get their careers off the ground. I think volunteering is a great step toward economic independence.

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

To pay it forward, we do accept apprentices, and after the first wedding, we pay if they want to stick with it. Pay increases with how much we can trust them to do. Some say they won't train their competition. I've never had an issue, and I'm getting to the point where I welcome some weekends off.

Annie_Girl Loc: It's none of your business

Most wedding photographers I know have no issues with taking on second/third shooters who want to dip their toes into the market and try. I know when I started out and was trying a little of everything, a few photographers in my area were nice enough to let me work their weddings. It was great experience, and it let me try something without all the pressure, it also let me realize that wedding photography is not my cup of tea.

I still second for 2 photographers in my area when they are in a pickle and need a hand. I do about 2 weddings a year this way, it normally seems to work out that just when I start to second quess my choice not to do weddings, I get a call to help out and after 6+ hours of working a wedding, I remember why I don't like weddings, lol.