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Family Offers A One-In-A-Lifetime Free Portfolio Building To Any Photographer Willing To Work For Them

by 12 Comments

craigslist-nopay

Working for free has always been a touchy subject and while opinions may sway one way or another I think that working family events for free is not something you would do to ‘build a portfolio’.

Apparently one family from sun prairie, Wisconsin thinks differently. There are many ads asking for free photography service but this one made reddit for being especially presumptuous. (I agree) The family posted a work offer on craigslist, they offer the photographer to “use the photo’s to build portfolio“. What photos you ask? Those: “We have several occasions coming up this spring/summer and would like a photographer who would work with us“.

Here is the untouched craigslist ad (really, we did not touch it):

Hello, We are looking for someone who is building their portfolio or just starting out their business.
We have several occasions coming up this spring/summer and would like a photographer who would work with us. In exchange you may use the photo’s to build portfolio. A student would be fine with us. Please send some information about yourself and any examples of your work that you have. Experience working with kids and newborns would be excellent! This can take some patience to get the right shot!

And there is a little “compensation: no pay” at the bottom, just to keep things clear.

[Family photographer needed (sun prairie) via reddit]

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  • is it really that hard to make your own showreel, honestly..

  • I’m laughing at this offer, yet red flags are showing. This family is simply taking advantage of any photographer willing to work for free. No legal contract is mentioned, and they claim “you can keep the photos”. Maybe they haven’t heard, but ANY photos taken by anyone becomes the photographers property by law unless they were trespassing, invading privacy etc. This has to be a joke, right?

    • I see ads similar to this all the time. Common consensus with people seems to be that a client grants you permission – or not – to use photos or any other artwork in your portfolio. This is – as you mentioned – not how it works unless a signed contract explicitly prohibits use in a portfolio, and who would do that?

      If the world worked the way clients think it does, all artists would be utterly broke but have amazing and HUGE portfolios.

  • catlett

    This could turn really ugly if the photographer gets unlimited model releases from the family and they start showing up on internet ads that they would not want to be in.

    • Ralph Hightower

      Such as “People of Walmart” or “Awkward Family Photos”!

  • mike

    Portfolio building? Great… but only use it to build the portfolio; don’t give the family the portraits. 🙂

  • Oh how I have longed to keep my own photographs. Altruism is alive and well in Wisconsin.

  • gs_790

    Cue up the 3,000 word scathing reply! The internet is angry and demands justice.

  • Jayson Carey

    This one from Cyanide and Happiness sums this up pretty well:

  • Gt

    This is worst than the software developers working for free in startups.

  • Would love to take the photos for them and then charge them for any prints or files and just say “thanks for helping me build my book!”

  • Sounds like another batch of champagne taste, beer money customers. Next, please!

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