An Open Letter to The Early Birds From Lupo

Dear Early birds:

Congratulations!

You will have front row because you got to Letterman at 10am. Perhaps you will even have the best spot. Gee- it’s really too bad that you are putting in 7-8+ hours to get a few frames of George Clooney. For the average working American that’s a full day’s work!

Have you ever done the math in that?

If you are one of the lucky few to sell that perfect headshot of George of Gywneth or whomever you will probably get paid 75 dollars. That’s assuming of course that your picture will be selected over mine or that guy who comes in at the very last minute and always seems to get his stuff published - from the third row (Power to him!).
So 75 dollars divided by 7 hours- That’s about 10 dollars an hour!
This of course is assuming that imaging will only take several minutes.

– Now here's another factor. Because you arrived at 10 or 11 am to this the rest of us are also forced to arrive earlier than we usually might. So if I am the one to sell that 75 dollar headshot to People my take will also be divided by x number of hours.

Yes I am aware that in stock photography we will make more than one sale-possibly.
However these days we won’t make too many more. Read your statements people-study them!

George is having his premiere on Friday! Generally speaking next week the person we shoot will be in better fashion and more amicable to photographers in Europe or LA.

Back to the Letterman door - that Lindsay in the black dress, or Jlo in the tan outfit or even George will quickly fall to the wayside on many editor's lightboxes.
Considering this – do you realize that you are considerably reducing the amount of money that we are making from this shot?
That’s right! You are screwing up the whole business for the rest of us.
I have to get there early now so that I get a better spot than third row! With magazines paying less and less money per photo and YOU making us put in more hours we will get pennies for that stupid headshot. Perhaps you have nothing better to do with your life. Perhaps you feel very comfortable sitting on your ass on a tiny stool on a public sidewalk of New York City all day long.

Don’t you feel like a homeless person? Get used to it.
The way things are going you just might be one day!
Just do me a favor—don’t drag the rest of us down with you!
I would like to shoot other events during the day without having to wait all day for one picture.

Hint: if you get off your ass which by now has a huge imprint of your turtle stool on it (and has probably grown from your sedentary work ethic) , and start making more than one set of pictures (i.e. go to different events) you might actually start making money!

George Clooney is big – but the need for his picture in market is very finite in the bigger scheme of things.
I have gotten him very well in the past (when he was even younger and more popular).
A couple years later the aggregate sales still do not equate a full day’s work.

But don’t worry - when the time comes, I’ll put money in your cup to make up for it.