Don't Bother Thanking The Photographer

CaptainPenguin

CaptainPenguin

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Nigel Cliff
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It was the football club awards do last night and the world and his wife were thanked expect the club photographer.
No thanks for the tog who provided the photos for the award winning programme and the website and the publicity in the local rag.
Am I hacked off you bet I am
 
IF you are paid for the job I wouldn't really care, but then, I have never cared what anyone else thought about my level of work.

we are our own worst critic, so you know if you done a good job or a bad job, it doesn't matter what anyone else says :)
 
it's one of the professions that rarely gets thanked. Working in stage sound and lighting more than prepared me for it, those guys NEVER get thanked, and are always the last out of the building.

and it doesn't apply in your case, but at most events, if you've been visible or in the way, then you're doing it wrong :)
 
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It's just been an oversight. Do a self portrait for the next update of the website with the caption "The invisible man" ;)
 
In recent years BBC wildlife programmes have been quite good about featuring the people behind the cameras, and for me it's increased my interest in the programmes. It's certainly led me to appreciate their skills and perseverance.
 
I have seen my photos on buses, the underground etc. This year most festival adverts carry my pics. I have never been thanked and have got very used to it. I even have to fight for crew meal tickets :)

One day I was invited to take photos at a very well know music company .... something to do with dairy product & meadows hahahaha.

When i went into their office for the party, all the walls were lined with large format prints of my best shots.

One party speech declared what a great year they have had.

"look around you at all these amazing events" ... then a list of everyone involved .... except ..... well ... you know.

I ended up in the kitchen with the sound and lighting guys ........ a much nicer breed :)

Dont get into this if you want glory, become a dj or organiser or driver or cleaner ..... not a tog :)

Maybe when im dead i might get a mention .... like all good artists.
 
I did a shoot for a youth club a while back and gave them all the images (nearly 2,000 of the buggers) and then they asked for another photoshoot about 3 months ago and I didn't really want to do it but went ahead anyway and they had plastered most of them 2,000 images in the slideshows, noticeboards, prints etc and when it came to thanking people not one word was mentioned about me or my photos, I had a go at the owner shortly after and then said that we shouldn't be taken for granted and I will invoice him the cost for 2,000 photos at 6x4 size if he doesn't buck his ideas up and welll let's just say he changed after that :lol:
 
roseway said:
In recent years BBC wildlife programmes have been quite good about featuring the people behind the cameras, and for me it's increased my interest in the programmes. It's certainly led me to appreciate their skills and perseverance.
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If you're filling a 1 hour slot on BBC1 with a 50 minute programme made with allowances for advertising breaks when sold via BBC Worldwide to overseas commercial stations, you have to do something with the remaining ten minutes ;)

I personally find the behind the scenes sections as interesting as the main programmes, with The Human Planet I think I learnt as much again about some of the communities featured in that slot as I had done in the rest of the programme (the tree dwellers springs to mind).


To the OP, such is the life of the volunteer.. although I hope you're name is appearing alongside the photos you have in every programme, magazine, the website, the local newpaper, etc. and visible to the general public, whilst many others that volunteer themselves in less visible roles are probably only ever mentioned once a year at the awards ceremony to a closed audience.

In any charity/voluntary organisation, there is very little difference in the value of one hour of one persons time to one hour of any persons. So I hope the tea lady, the cleanering staff, etc. got a mention at the awards because I doubt they get a mention in the match programme.
 
It's one of the main reasons I gave up volunteering, I didn't want any pay, any special treatment or any privilege. A thanks once in a while means more than any payment as it means that you're valued for your contribution.

Shame that manners are becoming a dying courtesy.

Look on the brighter side, they do value your work as it's still being used ;)
 
itsdavedotnet said:
it's one of the professions that rarely gets thanked. Working in stage sound and lighting more than prepared me for it, those guys NEVER get thanked, and are always the last out of the building.

and it doesn't apply in your case, but at most events, if you've been visible or in the way, then you're doing it wrong :)
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+1...to both parts... And if we get thanked I'm usually in a state of shock...

(...snip... don't post when been on the plonk...)
 
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Well, it's poor form on their behalf I think... It's nice to get thanks and a little recognition...
 
Maybe they were bing polite and as they didn't like the photos they didn't want to give a false English thank you...

Or they just forgot, like I did thanking the brides maids until my wife kicked me.
 
Manners without sincerity is kinda worse isn’t it .. I know just how you feel.

The value of photography is in the eye of the beholder unfortunately, I always imagine from showing a portfolio, ...it goes a bit like this...

“Oh those are nice, could you help and do some shots for us do you think, we have no funds to pay you I’m afraid”

Your thinking…well I would like to help my community, who knows how that might bloom for my life, people are nice, yes I do want to help and get involved.

“Yes ok then I’ll help”

They’re thinking … I bet they could get me looking really classy holding my award..

“Great, see you tomorrow”

You worked hard that day.
..few days later you send them the shots…

Your thinking .. I do hope they like them, I was pretty disappointed at first, but In the end I guess I did alright, all technically perfect, good hard exposures and I covered everyone getting an award nicely so that’s the important thing ..I so wish I’d made more use of that window light, and those fill flash shots in the corridor could have been brighter, thank god for a little levels in PP.

They’re thinking ..OMG those at the window are fantastic, and they really caught me nicely in the corridor, I look really good. .. but I guess that must have been luck because the rest are just ok, at least they’re all nice and sharp and I can read all of the shiny inscriptions this time round ..did they actually use a flash? Hmm, I thought I saw flashes .. anyway we’ve got way more good ones than I managed last year so I guess these will have to do …




:lol:

thers is no hope, dont even try... ;)
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
Manners without sincerity is kinda worse isn’t it .. I know just how you feel.

The value of photography is in the eye of the beholder unfortunately, I always imagine from showing a portfolio, ...it goes a bit like this...

“Oh those are nice, could you help and do some shots for us do you think, we have no funds to pay you I’m afraid”

Your thinking…well I would like to help my community, who knows how that might bloom for my life, people are nice, yes I do want to help and get involved.

“Yes ok then I’ll help”

They’re thinking … I bet they could get me looking really classy holding my award..

“Great, see you tomorrow”

You worked hard that day.
..few days later you send them the shots…

Your thinking .. I do hope they like them, I was pretty disappointed at first, but In the end I guess I did alright, all technically perfect, good hard exposures and I covered everyone getting an award nicely so that’s the important thing ..I so wish I’d made more use of that window light, and those fill flash shots in the corridor could have been brighter, thank god for a little levels in PP.

They’re thinking ..OMG those at the window are fantastic, and they really caught me nicely in the corridor, I look really good. .. but I guess that must have been luck because the rest are just ok, at least they’re all nice and sharp and I can read all of the shiny inscriptions this time round ..did they actually use a flash? Hmm, I thought I saw flashes .. anyway we’ve got way more good ones than I managed last year so I guess these will have to do …




:lol:

thers is no hope, dont even try... ;)
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Good points Andrew I am actually just working on the shots I took at the presentation night,glutton for punishment) and I dont suppose I'll get thanked for these either
 
Whilst I have a bit of sympathy for the OP, get over it. I am sure you are not the only person missed off the list.

Having been involved in organising these type of events I know that however hard you try you will always miss somebody off the list.
 
munch said:
Whilst I have a bit of sympathy for the OP, get over it. I am sure you are not the only person missed off the list.

Having been involved in organising these type of events I know that however hard you try you will always miss somebody off the list.
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Thats why they will end up paying for their shots or use their own point & shoots next time :)

Their option to forget, our option not to do it again. We all win in the end ... oh no wait ..... they dont :lol:

Make a list of people to thank and then read it out. It may pay off big time when you need a little future help.

Sorry but I've done enough of this to know they just didnt forget or too many to thank. :shake:

Just from my experience so I may be wrong :D
 
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munch said:
Whilst I have a bit of sympathy for the OP, get over it. I am sure you are not the only person missed off the list.

Having been involved in organising these type of events I know that however hard you try you will always miss somebody off the list.
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I have "got over it" and have not thrown my toys out of the pram,however the question was asked by one of the lads before we got going what would I do if approached by a hiigher league higher profile club to do their photography what would I do.The answer then was that unless it was the Wolves I would stay where I was,after the evening were I asked the same question the answer might well be different
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
They’re thinking ..OMG those at the window are fantastic, and they really caught me nicely in the corridor, I look really good. .. but I guess that must have been luck because the rest are just ok, at least they’re all nice and sharp and I can read all of the shiny inscriptions this time round ..did they actually use a flash? Hmm, I thought I saw flashes .. anyway we’ve got way more good ones than I managed last year so I guess these will have to do …
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Wrong wrong wrong - you are still thinking like a photographer, they don't think any of that stuff. Sharpness? Windows? Flash? No no no...

They think "nice photographs...omg look at her dress!, why is John pulling a stupid face, hey look there's Tim, oh and Debbie has been on the cooking sherry again...that fuzzy background looks cool, but I'm sure Carol and Peter are up to something...."


As Dave said earlier - the only time you are noticed is when things go drastically wrong!
 
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CaptainPenguin said:
It was the football club awards do last night and the world and his wife were thanked expect the club photographer.
No thanks for the tog who provided the photos for the award winning programme and the website and the publicity in the local rag.
Am I hacked off you bet I am
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I know where your at.. I used to get thanked at the end of season awards night... that was enough for me.. happy to help out all season and just a mention was all that was needed for a full seasons effort... makes you feel part of it all.. then the club got bigger and the thanks dissapeared and suddenly i didnt feel part of it.. just felt taken for granted.

You dont expect to be thanked at every turn for every picture.. but you put the free time and effort in like others so you should have a mention...

unless you ahve done this then its hard to explain without sounding like a big girl.. but believe me i know exactly what you mean and I know phil furthur up does as well..
 
If your doing the website as well simply put up a big photograph full page of you with the official photographer as a title, if they say anything tell them the truth that you were offended by not being thanked for all the work you do.
 
James r said:
They had a whole program dedicated to just what they have to do, they had a camera man filming a camera crew filming Bear, it was actually a good program.:D
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Yeah I did see that one :)
Use to watch it all the time when my younger brother was into it.

we were even going to make our own version ;)
But I didn't end up getting the FujilFilm HS10 with HD video, instead I have the S200EXR .. so we never done it.
 
The problem with any list of thank you's is not who is included, but who gets forgotten.

The same applies to any awards and honours. Some will receive, but many will be forgotten. Look at the recent honours list. Many worthy people, but quite a lot just doing the job they're paid to do, yet they receive an honour. Just think of all the people you know that do something special every day but pass unnoticed.

Sadly it's a part of life.

As long as you feel good about what you have done for them, that should be enough. Yes, nice to be recognised, but don't let it stop you doing a good job and getting self satisfaction.

Ken
 
Nikon Ken said:
The problem with any list of thank you's is not who is included, but who gets forgotten.

The same applies to any awards and honours. Some will receive, but many will be forgotten. Look at the recent honours list. Many worthy people, but quite a lot just doing the job they're paid to do, yet they receive an honour. Just think of all the people you know that do something special every day but pass unnoticed.

Sadly it's a part of life.

As long as you feel good about what you have done for them, that should be enough. Yes, nice to be recognised, but don't let it stop you doing a good job and getting self satisfaction.

Ken
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Our front line men aren't recognised enough. Let alone photographers :thumbsdown:

It is a sad reality that it takes so much effort for people to say Thank You, and so much encouragement on our behalf to get them to do it.
 
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