So following my post the other day (sorry for again interrupting the underwater series…) I had to give credit for Hihostels for taking the time to respond to my mail.
Here’s what they wrote:
Dear Mr XXXX,
Thank you for contacting us. Our advertisement could have been more informative.
Hostelling International Finland manages a network of around 50 hostels, all of them part of the global Hostelling International network, which is composed of around 4,000 hostels, in 90 countries. Hostelling International (HI) is a nonprofit federation of hostel organisations. HI works in close collaboration with 69 national hostel organisations, with its aim being to provide people with opportunities to visit new places and learn about different cultures and to promote understanding between cultures by offering safe and inexpensive hostel accommodation all over the world.
HI provides various volunteering programmes worldwide, here are few examples:
http://www.youth-hostel.si/anglesko/links-det.asp?id=1000&c=76&l=2014
http://www.youth-hostel.si/anglesko/links-det.asp?id=1028&c=77&l=2014The hostels in Finland are run by many types of companies and other organisations, including independent owners and family businesses, municipalities, associations, foundations, schools and colleges, and student organisations. Most of the hostels are run by nonprofit organisations.
We did receive also other emails with the similar content as you and we have decided not to continue with the programme.
Kind regards
XXXX XXXXXX / Hostelling International Finland
This, of course still doesn’t justify asking people to work for free (I wonder how many hostels REALLY are run by non-profit organizations, but that’s a different story), fact is that they acknowledged the issue and acted upon the many mails that they got, and took down the ad.
Which can’t be said from the following one, I was made aware of by a fellow group member on LinkedIn.
Someone posted this ad on Craigslist (http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/crg/4634931134.html) (the emphasis in her mail was done by me, to point out a few things that were particularly stinging and stingy):
Craigslist ad for Photographer Needed (screenshot from Craigslist)
photographer needed
Hello!
I am looking for a photographer (amateur and aspiring photographers welcome!) to do a shoot with me for a set of lifestyle photos, either on the beach, or in town. I’m a singer-songwriter, musician, surfer, and world traveler, and I need to keep the photos on my social media fresh as I’m soon releasing an album and am gaining more followers and looking to partner with larger companies. I can not afford to pay, however, I’m happy to give photo credit on all photos taken and edited by you. Additionally, if I can take all of the raw photos that you do not wish to edit, I can edit them myself and use select photos, giving you photo credit, and myself edit credit. I am available this week to shoot. Please let me know if you are interested!www.xxxxxxxxxxx.com
www.instagram.com/xxxxxxxx
So in that “boiling” moment I wrote her a very brief (rather blunt) email:
Excuse me, you’re a surfer and world traveler and you need to keep the photos on your social media fresh and that’s why you’re looking for a photographer who will shoot pictures for you for free, because you can’t pay?
And you want all the raw images?
And you will credit the photographer?Hang on… How are you financing your surfing and your world traveling?
How about you grow a little respect for your fellow artist photographers?
This is the kind of email that usually doesn’t invoke the urge for responses, but apparently with some obtuse people it does.
This person either has a board of respectable size in front of her face, shielding her from the rest of the world, or then her response is a massive case of feeling guilt and trying to squirm out from whatever she’s trying by coming up with excuses. In any case, she was one of the obtuse people who responded. This morning I found this in my inbox (again, the emphasis in her mail was done by me, to point out a few things that were particularly stinging and stingy):
Actually, just a little note, I’m also a photographer. I’m also a musician, professional surf instructor, surf competition judge, a model, a videographer, a jeweler, artist and many other things. I often do trades with people. I travel to third world countries and work sometimes 120 hours a week, many of those hours in the sun and water teaching people to surf. In those cases, I make very little money considering the area I’m working in. I make just enough to get to the next place. Sometimes I use travel as a means to travel… from point A to point B… crew on a boat. I don’t need a lot to live. I require very little. And I never ask for a lot. But there are millions of photographers who WANT to work with people like myself so they can keep their own resumes fresh and up to date after time off, for a test shoot, etc. So don’t think that because you’re a ‘photographer’ you speak for everyone. I have almost 8,000 followers on my Instagram account alone, so for someone to shoot photos of me, they’re going to gain exposure. I wasn’t asking for a lot… It was a mutual trade.
So… Back to “boiling”, I guess.
“there are millions of photographers who WANT to work with people like myself so they can keep their own resumes fresh and up to date“??? REALLY???
G-sus F. Christ!!
I happen to be a photographer and a professional PADI Dive Instructor, a model, an artist and many other things. Just like she claims to be. I don’t make very much money. I travel around the world. And I don’t need a lot to live either.
“and work sometimes 120 hours a week, many of those hours in the sun and water teaching people to surf“??? Well, BOOO-FUCKING-HOOO! I bet 95% of your friends and family are thanking God and Mother Mary right now on their bare knees that it’s YOU who got that shitty job and not them. You have such a terrible life that you have to work in the sun and water to teach people how to surf, and I bet you hate it with your whole core, you poor soul!
I’ve been a freelancer for 50% of my life and I’ve worked 120 hours a week more than I care to remember. The past 6 months I’ve been working from 6am to 9pm every single day, 7 days a week, 3 days off during that time. And yes, my life as a dive instructor also involves a lot of sun and a lot of water. And I don’t make very much money with that, considering the area I’m working in. But do you hear me complain about it? Have you ever seen me write up an advertisement to ask people to do something for free? To get some FF-ing exposure?
You know what I complain about? I complain about people asking other people to work for free. Oh no… not for free. For a trade. For “exposure”. Did I mention respect somewhere?
*breathe, breathe*
Ok… It’s time I take a dive in a bit cooler waters.
To be continued, I’m quite sure.
(Note that I’m normally not such a hot-head, but some things just really tickle me. Disrespect (to our profession) is one of them.)
Edit to add:
I noticed that I received the questionable honor of a whole Facebook post for me alone on her Facebook page. She calls me a hater, wondering if my Life is so boring that I have to crush other people’s lives… Riiiiight 😀
Facebook post telling everyone I’m a hater 😉
Screenshot from Facebook
Edit to add (Sept. 20th):
I got two additional mails from her (to which I didn’t reply, obviously):
yes… let’s see what TFP means. duh, you’re an idiot.
Whatever that means…
And:
But the way, I’ve had more than 50 replies of people wanting to shoot with me to update their portfolios, and people in photography school needing people to work with to try things, and people who just enjoy taking photos! So regardless of how fucking retarded you are, I’m able to bring some exposure to some great photographers.
I guess we have to congratulate her. So she still has millions minus more than 50 photographers that haven’t contacted her. She’ll have a crapload of emails in her inbox soon, I’m sure.
And “hater”? Typical case of pot, kettle, this… Not?
I’m contemplating sending her a mail in which I tell her that she failed to mention how many emails she received along the lines of the one that I sent her. But to that she of course will respond “None, you fucking retard!” 😀