Re: Comments please

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From: Bob Kiss (bobkiss@caribsurf.com)
Date: 10/26/03-07:32:59 AM Z


DEAR PHILIP,
    No you are not naive...just not putting this in context. I never
remember Ansel's prints for $25. I saw them at Witkin Gallery in 1970 for
$500. I wish I had bought one...no, ten!!!
    Now EVERYTHING is more expensive.
    We all make photos because we love the medium...but I feel some of us
have to eat, pay rent, car payments, mortgage...all of which cost 10 to 20
times more than they did when Ansel's prints sold for $500. I think we are
all suggesting that you not allow yourself to be abused...especially by
someone who is a visual arts professional and who knows better. The request
has a strange tone to it coming from someone who probably licenses photo
uses on a regular basis. We are not saying not to sell him a print, just
suggesting that you not leave yourself open to possible uncompensated
exploitation.
    The final choice is yours.
            CHEERS!
                            BOB
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phillip Murphy" <pmurf@bellsouth.net>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2003 8:43 AM
Subject: Re: Comments please

> Am I naive to see this as a reasonable request? Are images so precious
that
> only the well healed or the in crowd have the opportunity to enjoy or be
> inspired by them? Have we become so litigious in our stance that what was
once
> magic has become just another commodity? Does anyone remember , as I do,
the
> time when you could see two or three Ansel Adams prints hanging in a
doctor's
> waiting room. The 20x24 originals that he paid 25 bucks for because he
really
> loved the photographs. Did the photographer lose a nickel on "Moonrise"
(one of
> the three in that office) because he printed un-numbered hundreds of them?
> In a time where more camera phones are sold than digital or film cameras,
and
> many in-house photographic departments are closing in favor of stock image
> alternatives for their corporate needs. Where images are routinely sent
anywhere
> in the country within minutes and are posted for download on thousands of
ftp
> and web sites. I don't see this request as outrageous. Perhaps I'm just
naive,
> but what happened to photography for the love of the image?
>
> -Phillip
>
> Jonathan Bailey wrote:
>
> > Greetings,
> >
> > I'm posting to the list an email I received this morning. In the body
of
> > the email was one of my images, presumably a jpg that this person (I've
> > withheld his name) cut and pasted from my website, and the following
letter:
> >
> > "Hi my name is XXXX XXXX and I am the owner of a small graphic design
> > company. I would like to use the picture below on my wall as inspiration
for
> > myself and my designers. I am looking to blow it up to the size of the
wall
> > and use a decoupage technique on it. Basically like one big mural. I am
> > originally from the Boston area and found this picture in particular to
be
> > very inspiring. Honestly I was hoping I could use the picture in good
faith
> > as I do not have a lot of money right now. Please let me know what I
need to
> > do to get a high res picture. I do not want to use this for any
advertising
> > purposes and it will only be on display in our office."
> >
> > End quotation.
> >
> > Has anyone else on the list ever received a letter like this?? I think
it's
> > a pretty outrageous letter - for a variety of reasons....
> >
> > Your thoughts are welcome.
> >
> > Best - Jon
> > www.jonathan-bailey.com
> > Tenants Harbor, Maine
>


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