The Importance of Integrity, and the Value of the Work
By Kate Swoboda
26 May 2009
Two and a half years ago, after years of being a closet photographer, I finally admitted to myself how much I loved taking portraits. I invested in a good digital camera and lenses, and began doing free and then $50 photoshoots. As my experience increased and my digital processing knowledge expanded, I began charging rates that were more inline with what my counterparts in the industry charged for portrait sessions.
During all of this time, some part of me still doubted my abilities. After all, I had not gone to photography school, nor did I have fanciest camera out there. I told myself that this was fine; after all, I was not charging as much as many other photographers, and what mattered at the end of the day was that my clients were happy.
Then it changed. My boyfriend, a graphic designer, was working for a design firm that needed new profile pictures for their website. I proposed that instead of paying me money to do the job, they could give me a photo credit on their website.
I came in and did the photoshoot; they loved the photographs.
Before they had a chance to put the photographs up, they realized that due to the economic crisis, they had to lay some people off, and my boyfriend was one of them.
Fast forward a few months, and my boyfriend (now freelancing) happened to show me the firm's website, where they were now using the portraits I'd taken. "Where's the photo credit?" I asked him. Since he no longer worked there, I emailed the firm's owner. She responded that she didn't think that that had been part of the agreement, and that she was unwilling to add this to the site.
Let this be a lesson to freelance photographers--get it in writing. I know, I know: It's the first rule of business, and I can't believe I broke it. However, I hadn't imagined that "Photo by: Kate Swoboda" would be a sticking point.
From the get-go, my inquiries about the photo credit were met with either defensiveness or passive-aggressive forms of manipulation (for instance, implying that there would be an unwillingness to refer freelance work to my boyfriend). For a moment, this was hard to swallow. What if my boyfriend missed out on something because of this? Other fears came as well--what if I was bad-mouthed, professionally? A mutual friend of ours also worked at the firm. What if he thought badly of me? Second-guessing quickly followed. Was it selfish to ask for the photo credit?
Yet, I became more and more clear that this situation was stained with lack of integrity. The defensiveness and passive-aggressive nature of her responses, for instance, told me that she couldn't really feel one-hundred-percent okay about this. Aside from that, for me this was a simple miscommunication--something that could easily be worked out. However, she was not budging. I knew that if I didn't speak up or ask for what I believed to be the terms of our agreement, I would feel resentful. I wasn't willing to feel resentful.
So, I asked myself if I was willing to risk her anger or badmouthing. I was. Was I willing to risk that she would take down the pictures altogether, wasting the time and effort that went into the shoot?
When I realized that I was willing to risk even that, I knew what I needed to do: ask her to either give me the photo credit, pay me for the shoot, or take them down from the site. I sent an email explaining this, and said I would respect her choice. I again reiterated that it was not personal, and it had been my understanding that our arrangement was different.
I did not hear from her again. The photographs stayed up. No credit appeared.
However, her reaction (or lack thereof) did something else for me--it taught me that my work has value. Clearly, they wanted to keep these photographs. They wanted to use them to portray a certain image to clients--and make money. These photographs were not just someone clicking a button, or they would have used a pocket digital on company time. These photographs had value because my efforts were behind them. I found that the critic that had second-guessed me with "Maybe you're selfish" was completely silenced.
I also realized that if I didn't speak up, I was colluding with the story that I was not good enough because I didn't have a fancy camera or a degree. It was equivalent to saying, "Well, I can understand how you wouldn't want to pay me for my work..."
I emailed the owner after not hearing from her in more than two weeks. She replied by stating that they were in the process of re-shooting new pictures, and they planned to take mine down. She didn't give a completion date, or ask for permission to use my photographs in the interim. She had now known for nearly a month the condition that I was placing before her for using my work. Rather than work to find a solution, or at least respecting the condition even if she disliked it, she had ignored me and now expected to use my work according to her terms while she figured out what to do next.
So, I thanked her for getting back to me and let her know that while my work was on her site I would need that photo credit, or I would need my photographs to come down immediately.
I haven't heard back from her. On so many levels, her reaction is not even the most important part. I already know that I will continue to take a stand for my work.
The thing is, I take beautiful pictures. I do it without the latest, most expensive camera (though I do have some pretty sassy lenses!). My clients tell me that they feel more beautiful after our sessions. "I don't look that good in real life," they sometimes say. "You're just good with the camera."
My favorite part of that exchange is the part where I get to say, "No, really--that is you. You are THAT beautiful." I need only the joy of connecting with the work I do, with people who appreciate it and value it. And most importantly, I need my own validation and appreciation of my work.
After this experience, I have it.
2 responses
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Mei Teng Wong said (27 May 2009):
I am sorry to hear about your situation. And thanks for sharing. A lesson for all of us especially amateurs. I put up my work with www.sxc.hu and registered users who use my photos have to credit the image to my name. Sometimes, there are those who used my images with no credits whatsoever. I am not sure if there's anything I can do about it. There may be users who use my images without informing me and if there's no credit, I wouldn't even know about it at all. Unless, I so happen to stumble across it somewhere along the line.
In a nutshell, I believe integrity is an important value. Just that sadly, some people don't place importance on the virtue of integrity. -
Lynda Jeffers gave props (30 May 2009):
I like your story, a lesson to us all indeed but a mistake easily made when you have your creative trusting head on. Thank you for sharing!
