Very nice article (攝影不是貨物 = Photography is not a goods)

朋友開飯店，你吃飯他收錢，大家覺得理所當然。

朋友開文具店，買文具他收錢，大家覺得理所當然。

朋友 開服裝店，買衣服他收錢，大家覺得理所當然。

朋友做攝影，收錢，大家會覺得“這個朋友怎麼那麼吝嗇”


飯店打折，大家說：“這個朋友真好”

文具打折，大家說：“這個朋友真大方”

服裝打折，大家說：“這個是真夠朋 友”

攝影打折，大家會覺得“這個朋友有點小氣”


飯店說： “以後來我這吃飯，全免費！”大家說：“不行！你是做生意 的”

文具說：“以後來我這買文具，隨便拿！”大家說：“不行！不 合情理 的”

服裝說：“以後來我服裝店，全部任穿！”大家說：“不行！哪 好意思啊”

攝影師：“以後有什麼拍攝就找我 幫手！”大家說：“好的，謝謝啦！”

大家看到物質，看到飯菜，看到文具，看到服裝，認為這些都 是要錢購買的。

但有一種行業，大家都看不到它的物質與勞動，就是攝影。

當大家看到一張相片，便認為這只是一張有樣貌的相紙。

其實，攝影師的那相片，就是飯菜，就是文具，就是服裝，就是生存的手段。


飯店靠飯菜為生。

文具店靠文具為生。

服裝店靠服裝為生。

同樣，攝影師就是靠攝影為生。
當 大家吃了飯，買的東西，穿了衣服時，便大大方方的付款。

當大家讓朋友做攝影的時候，卻只是說“很簡單的，隨便拍一下就行了，很快的

我不想告訴你們，攝影師們已經聽了上萬個朋友說同樣的這句話。

現實上，攝影師的這 “隨便按一下，隨便修飾相片”，卻是更比那碟飯菜，那支筆，那件衣服，來的更苦更累。出賣的不是那幾元的成本，而是是精力，是健康，是體力，是腦力，是消耗生命。只是攝影師都在體力勞動中，躲在深夜的房間裡修飾相片的時間，大家都看不到，到大家看到的時候，就成了大家認為的幾個色塊而已。

攝影師很善良，不敢跟大家說“不”，因為說了“不”，就成了 吝嗇的人。

攝影師很善良，幾秒鐘的“沒問題”，換來識幾個晝夜的通宵生命消耗。

攝影師很善良，什麼都答應大家，因為你們是我們的好朋友。

所以，希望你們也要尊重我們的勞動成果。

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A friend opened a restaurant, you have your meals and he asked for payment, and we think is normal

A Friend opened a stationery shop, you buy stationery from him and he collects money from you , and we think is normal

A Friend opened boutique, you buy clothes and he collect the money, and we think is normal.

A Friend provides photography service, you ask for the service and he ask for the payment, and everyone will think, "why this friend so stingy"


The friend that opened Restaurant gives discount, you said: "This friend very nice"

The friend that opened Stationery gives discounts, you said: "This truly generous friend"

The friend that opened boutique gives discount, you said: "This is a real pal"

The friend that provide Photography service gives discount, you will feel that "this friend a bit stingy"


The friend that opened Restaurant said: "Next time you come here, all for free!" We said: "No! You are doing business"

The friend that opened Stationery, said: "Next time you come here, simply take and all Free!" They all said: "No! Unconscionable"

The friend that opened boutique said: "Next time you come here, every clothes are free to wear!" We said: "No! Which nerve to ah"

The friend that provide Photography service: "Next time if you need any photography service, just look for me, i will help you" We said: "Yes, Thank you!"

When We look at those material, like food, stationery, clothing , we will think that people spent money to purchase them

But there is one industry that we do not see its material and labor, that is photography.

When we look at a picture, and we think that that is just a paper with some colorful image on it.

In fact, the photographer of that photo is just like the food , stationary and clothes , the means of survival.


Restaurant rely on food for a living.

Stationery by Stationery living.

boutique store rely on clothing by a living.

Similarly, the photographer is to rely on photography for a living.
When we dined, buy things, wearing clothes , we know that we need to pay all of these.

However, when friends ask for photography service, they normally only say, "make it simple, just quickly take one or two photos only."

I do not want to tell you that tens of thousands of photographers who have heard friends say the same words.

In reality, photographer do "a simple click, a simply editing photo", but it is more than that the food dish, that the pen, that dress, to be more tired and more bitter. Selling is not that cost a few dollars, but is energy, is healthy, is physical, is mental, is the consumption of life. Only photographers in manual labor in the night hiding in a room modified photo time, we do not see, to a time when we see it becomes all that just a few blocks of color.

A Very good photographer, will not say "no" because when he says "no", he becomes a mean\ stingy person.

A Very good photographer, a few seconds of "no problem" words to his/her clients, becomes several days and nights of the night life of Exhaustion .

A Very good photographer, always promise this and that to their clients, because you are our good friend.

I hope they also respect our labor.

Very true...whenever we charge client; they always respond like this.

Pressing the shutter button & with some PP jobs seems very simple to them. However, they didnt notice the sweat flow out of photographer body when climb up & down; lay on the floor; carry heavy equipment bags & spend hrs in front the computer screen JUST to get a great series of pics.

max, meaningful article u hav there...it reflects da reality...swt

Print this article out for the inconsiderate/stingy clients

MAX ! i totally agree with the above !

Max : good and meaningful good article u have there ......

Max, good!!!
that all is the true...
i also meet these problem in my life...

Totally agree with the above, only photographer will understand another photographer.