Crowdsourcing… that is the new name for spec work, but worse than spec work this involves an outlay by the ones being expected to be used for nothing.

FORMER ADVOCATE OF PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS, Photo District News and Rangefinder have decided it is a great idea to have people send them money.

I mean, hell yeah… I like that. I would love to have people send me money.

Oh, you have to send some of your work in too… at $20 a pop. Seriously?

You are going to pay them for the opportunity to be turned down – and of course they keep the cash.

I wonder if they would consider it a good idea to crowdsource the editors?
I wonder if they would consider it a good idea to crowdsource the art directors?
I wonder if they would consider it a good idea to crowdsource the writers?
I wonder if they would consider it a good idea to crowdsource the advertisers?
I wonder if they would consider it a good idea to crowdsource the printing?
I wonder if they would consider it a good idea to crowdsource the distribution?

Yeah, I guess those would be bad ideas for – you know – a photography magazine.

But hotdamn boyhowdy it is a SUPER IDEA to crowdsource the photography – and get PAID to do so – which is the whole fkn point of the magazine to begin with.

What does this tell us about the people at these magazines that they feel they should be paid to look at the product they promote? Shouldn’t discovering new talent BE the reason for the magazine?

Or is it simply too much work to seek it out on their own. (Hey, there’s this thing called the internet, and you can find all… oh, never mind.)

Or perhaps it is those thousands of twenty dollar bills flooding in with the images. And we KNOW the images will get looked at, right? Right?

I am saddened and angry about this. it is wrong on so many levels I can’t even believe it.

Betrayed is the word that comes to mind.

And no, I won’t link it… you wanna enter, there’s this place called google and… oh never mind.

APPENDED BELOW:

The above is snarky… yeah, I can be snarky.

But instead of criticizing without constructive ideas, let me add this.

A Photo Editor (Rob Haggard) does this every week. His wonderful “Art Producers Speak” series presents new and exciting photographers suggested by art buyers in agencies.

FLAK does it too. They take submissions for their online site here.

So does Jorge Colberg at his Conscientious site.

Many online EZines also feature work of upcoming photographers. Sites like C-Heads and LadyGunn have plenty of emerging talent on display.

Some of these magazines have submission fees as well, but nowhere near the steep ‘pay-to-play’ fees of this proposed publication.

In these days of photographers being taken for granted, downisized fees, challenging market conditions and rising costs, it is very disheartening to see one of our own go this way. PDN and Rangefinder are publications that know what it is like for photographers out there. We should be able to turn to them for support, and call on them to be an ally.

“Crowdsourcing” is simply another word for “Spec” work. Something both magazines have taken a stance against. Something which most photographers consider working for free. Or worse when expected to pay for the opportunity to even get considered.

What would happen if ad agencies asked for a submission fee? Or magazines… want to see an AD with your book? Pull out your Mastercard.

Is that what we want this business to turn into? A feeding frenzy of self annihilation?

I sure hope not… but time will tell.