The dodgiest photographer I've ever heard of...

Hey all,

Recently on Facebook, a woman that I'm friends with (on facebook, not in real life) threw up some photos she had done. I know a photographer or two who are pretty poor at what they do, and I wasn't overly impressed with these photos, so i asked her who did them (to see if it was one of the not so great photographers I know).

Anyway, long and short of it is that she had the photos taken in a hotel by a, for lack of a better description, traveling photographer, who goes around the country taking photos.

He is giving her a CD of the high-res photographs, two 8x16 (yep, 8x16!) canvas prints and 10 8x6 prints (along with the "free" 30 minute session) for a grand total of €120.

As if working out of a hotel with shockingly low prices wasn't eyebrow-raising enough, she also doesn't have any info on this guy, except a name (which he doesn't want posted publicly!). Yep, despite his popularity as a traveling photographer, he doesn't want anyone knowing who he is (I won't name him either, incase he's a genuine guy trying to make a few Euro, but if anyone wants to PM me i'll let ye know).

She also doesn't have his phone number, because he works through an 'agent'. This agent (also named but I won't give it out publicly, incase I'm running down a genuine outfit here) deals with everything for him. You can't actually contact the photographer himself.


A Google search for his name followed by photographer or photography etc. isn't bringing up any search results, except a LinkedIn profile, which says he works for Getty Images, assuming it's the same person.



This has me absolutely bewildered. I've never heard anything like this before.


€120 for 10 8x6 prints, 2 8x16 (maybe she meant 8x12?) canvas prints, postage, hotel costs and paying for an 'agent'? It brings up the whole "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" saying.

Now, on the other hand, the girl has a few photos taken by him on her page (a few = 39 snap shots) so she must've gotten the photos already off him.


Has anyone heard of this before? I don't know what to make of it at all. It has "scam" written all over it as far as I can see.

Anyone know the guy? Is he a boardsie? Is he genuine or a conjob?

charlemont

Sounds like someone who does photography for for the love of it rather then to rip people off.

That's a strange opinion to form. You could be right, but I find it strange.

He's traveling around, charging people, doing 30 minute sessions, producing average results, and he's doing it for the love of photography? 39 photographs from a 30 minute session?

Anyone I know doing it for the love of photography can spend up to 30 minutes getting a single shot.

CabanSail

39 shots

6fps

6.5 seconds.



Easy!

Chinafoot

I'm confused as to why you think this is a "scam" or a "conjob" given that he is charging what you deem to be very little.

If the quality of the photography isn't great and he was charging an extortionate amount, then yeah you might have point. As it stands, you don't.

So what if he deals with an agent? What does that matter? You said yourself the girl in question already has her pictures as they're on facebook, so what exactly is your problem?

Kenny Logins

How many customers per day though?

nilhg

Hotels, €120 for a 30 min session, dealing through an agent, travelling the country, no names.......

I'm glad it's just a photographer we're talking about:D.

Chinafoot

Chinafoot wrote: »

I'm confused as to why you think this is a "scam" or a "conjob" given that he is charging what you deem to be very little.

If the quality of the photography isn't great and he was charging an extortionate amount, then yeah you might have point. As it stands, you don't.

So what if he deals with an agent? What does that matter? You said yourself the girl in question already has her pictures as they're on facebook, so what exactly is your problem?

Why does someone have to be charging a lot for something to be a scam, out of curiousity?

How many people would he get with a €500 price tag? Very few. The lower the price the more you (hope) to get.


This struck me as very dodgy because;

1. Nobody has any contact info on the photographer, just a mobile number for someone else (a 'sales rep', not an agent, my mistake).

2. He's traveling from hotel to hotel, so you can't go back to him.

3. He's giving away quite a lot of product for what is a fairly low price

4. He doesn't want any of the people he photographs to publicly mention his name.


None of that seems strange to you, at all?

As I said, he could very well be genuine and possibly a terribly nice person. I really don't know (and that's one of the reasons I didn't mention his name on the thread, incase he is genuine and I end up giving him a bad reputation for doing nothing wrong).


I just posted it up because I've never heard the likes of it before in my life, and thought it was a very strange way for a photographer to be carrying out his work. Was curious if anyone knew of anyone doing similar.

PCPhoto

Deleted User wrote: »

Why does someone have to be charging a lot for something to be a scam, out of curiousity?

How many people would he get with a €500 price tag? Very few. The lower the price the more you (hope) to get.


This struck me as very dodgy because;

1. Nobody has any contact info on the photographer, just a mobile number for someone else (a 'sales rep', not an agent, my mistake).

2. He's traveling from hotel to hotel, so you can't go back to him.

3. He's giving away quite a lot of product for what is a fairly low price

4. He doesn't want any of the people he photographs to publicly mention his name.


None of that seems strange to you, at all?

As I said, he could very well be genuine and possibly a terribly nice person. I really don't know (and that's one of the reasons I didn't mention his name on the thread, incase he is genuine and I end up giving him a bad reputation for doing nothing wrong).


I just posted it up because I've never heard the likes of it before in my life, and thought it was a very strange way for a photographer to be carrying out his work. Was curious if anyone knew of anyone doing similar.

To be fair there could be hundreds of different scenarios where this "system" is used:

The photographer(s) may be taken advantage of because of their lack of experience - the "agent" promises them experience/work but in reality they sell the photographer as a professional and the client knows no better, its fair to assume the "agent" has a number of photographers whom he/she claims are professional and the reason for the "agent" not allowing the photographers details to go public would simply be so he/she has control over the work the photographer gets. (for want of a better example ...pimp and hooooe's)

it could also be that the person/photographer is working "off the radar" and claiming benefits while doing his/her photography....the want to limit their "exposure" in the public domain makes me think its this !

just two scenarios which in my mind could explain the situation .... if you suspect its the second one.... you have the option of contacting revenue and let them decide if its a legit business or not....or get a reporter to do an expose report on the business.

PCPhoto

PCPhoto wrote: »

To be fair there could be hundreds of different scenarios where this "system" is used:

The photographer(s) may be taken advantage of because of their lack of experience - the "agent" promises them experience/work but in reality they sell the photographer as a professional and the client knows no better, its fair to assume the "agent" has a number of photographers whom he/she claims are professional and the reason for the "agent" not allowing the photographers details to go public would simply be so he/she has control over the work the photographer gets. (for want of a better example ...pimp and hooooe's)

it could also be that the person/photographer is working "off the radar" and claiming benefits while doing his/her photography....the want to limit their "exposure" in the public domain makes me think its this !

just two scenarios which in my mind could explain the situation .... if you suspect its the second one.... you have the option of contacting revenue and let them decide if its a legit business or not....or get a reporter to do an expose report on the business.

Well I've found out since making this thread that the woman got her canvas prints in the end, so the guy seems to be genuine anyway (genuine in that he's not trying to pull a fast one).

So that's good news then, I suppose.

PC, I'd imagine your second scenario above is fairly accurate (social welfare/revenue not knowing about his business).

I wouldn't report someone as I don't know their personal circumstances and think it'd be unfair to do so, but it annoys me a little as I never really made any money before I was self employed (I was too afraid of getting caught).

Though that said, for all anyone else knows; I could've been making a fortune. My name was in the local newspaper every week under photographs, and they obviously don't print any of my financial information, so that means that, despite my name being printed routinely, no one ever bothered to look into me.

Now that I am self-employed, I'm after spending so much more money on photography gear (thus putting myself thousands of Euro in debt) and I do my best to give people good photos; it is a bit annoying to see the have-a-go-photographers cashing in and handing out ****e.

As I say, I'd feel uneasy reporting someone, but you'd be tempted a lot of the time.

Ah. I'm just having a moan now, though.


Glad to hear the woman got her canvas prints. The photos aren't good, in my opinion, but I'm sure she's happy enough with them, so win-win for everyone (except the legitimate photographers?) I suppose.

trooney

Whats a "legitimate photographer" then?

stcstc

its ok not to shop someone, but to have a go at their business practices here is?

i think judging how someone else earns money like this is a bit dodgy

each to their own, as long as its not law breaking i dont see the problem. even if you dont agree

Well I won't lie, the practices he's involved in are certainly not what I would consider to be the norm.

If he's making money, then fair play to him. I won't begrudge him. I just found it very strange.

Clearly I'm alone in my opinion, so I apologise to the man if he's been offended (and this is why i never mentioned the name, to be fair). Clearly I'm the one in the wrong.


I've had an idea like this in the past and figured it'd be far too obscure for people to think it were genuine. Having seen the opinions on here I may look back into it again.

If it's good enough for one...

pixbyjohn

Any chance you could post a link to these photos ?

nick 56

Deleted User wrote: »

Hey all,

Recently on Facebook, a woman that I'm friends with (on facebook, not in real life) threw up some photos she had done. I know a photographer or two who are pretty poor at what they do, and I wasn't overly impressed with these photos, so i asked her who did them (to see if it was one of the not so great photographers I know).

Anyway, long and short of it is that she had the photos taken in a hotel by a, for lack of a better description, traveling photographer, who goes around the country taking photos.

He is giving her a CD of the high-res photographs, two 8x16 (yep, 8x16!) canvas prints and 10 8x6 prints (along with the "free" 30 minute session) for a grand total of €120.

As if working out of a hotel with shockingly low prices wasn't eyebrow-raising enough, she also doesn't have any info on this guy, except a name (which he doesn't want posted publicly!). Yep, despite his popularity as a traveling photographer, he doesn't want anyone knowing who he is (I won't name him either, incase he's a genuine guy trying to make a few Euro, but if anyone wants to PM me i'll let ye know).

She also doesn't have his phone number, because he works through an 'agent'. This agent (also named but I won't give it out publicly, incase I'm running down a genuine outfit here) deals with everything for him. You can't actually contact the photographer himself.


A Google search for his name followed by photographer or photography etc. isn't bringing up any search results, except a LinkedIn profile, which says he works for Getty Images, assuming it's the same person.



This has me absolutely bewildered. I've never heard anything like this before.


€120 for 10 8x6 prints, 2 8x16 (maybe she meant 8x12?) canvas prints, postage, hotel costs and paying for an 'agent'? It brings up the whole "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" saying.

Now, on the other hand, the girl has a few photos taken by him on her page (a few = 39 snap shots) so she must've gotten the photos already off him.


Has anyone heard of this before? I don't know what to make of it at all. It has "scam" written all over it as far as I can see.

Anyone know the guy? Is he a boardsie? Is he genuine or a conjob?

Seems to me you should get out more. He is happy, she is, the hotel is. why is any of this your business. Is she (the subject of the pics) in your family?

If you are a professional do you think he is some how intruding on your turf.

Splinters

It sounds a bit on the odd side but not necessarily a scam. Its a pretty odd business model to work from, especially the whole secrecy thing but at least hes charging very little for poor quality work, at least that much is consistent. As mentioned if he was charging a fortune for this type of service it would be more worrying.

Its a pity about the whole secrecy thing, I would have been curious to see the quality of these photos but I also understand not wanting to give names.

pete4130

Sure you offer the same service really.

Surely some people might see you as "the have-a-go-photographers cashing in and handing out ****e."?

Splinters

Splinters wrote: »

It sounds a bit on the odd side but not necessarily a scam. Its a pretty odd business model to work from, especially the whole secrecy thing but at least hes charging very little for poor quality work, at least that much is consistent. As mentioned if he was charging a fortune for this type of service it would be more worrying.

Its a pity about the whole secrecy thing, I would have been curious to see the quality of these photos but I also understand not wanting to give names.

Forgot all about this thread.

If anyone actually bothered to read my OP i was more concerned about people getting ripped off (the price alone for two canvas prints was shockingly cheap, so I was instantly wary) than anything else.


I was actually talking to one of the people recently and she said she got her canvases and prints, so once I heard that I stopped caring (I didn't particularly care about the quality of the work, but the very, very low price, coupled with the "don't tell anyone who I am" nature of it just had me a bit suspicious (as I'm sure any sensible person would be).

You'd think anyone in photography these days would be trying to spread their name as much as possible, rather than trying to keep it quiet.

I've seen a few more of his photos appear (still not good work, photos look like a compact camera, with smudges and grain everywhere, and you can see the hotel walls and lightstands and such where the backdrop ends in the photos, too. Not very professional, in my opinion).


That said, If anyone books him from here on out at least they've sample photos to go on and if they're happy with the work then that's their decision to go ahead with it.



Pete, hope you understand, but every post you make to or about me is overly negative, with very little attempt at any kind of discussion or such (trolling, pretty much) so I'm just gonna stick you on the ignore list and not bothering to reply to you anymore.