"You should stop by my party next weekend! It's going to be off the hook!"
Do I look like an idiot?
Unless you're paying me I'm not going to hit up your party because you tell me "it's going to be off the hook!"
Us photographers voluntarily come out and cover events without pay only for these reasons (I'm not speaking for photographers around the world of course):
#1. Positive vibe. Good music, cool people is a plus. (ex. Foxy @ Cardiff, 2nd Sunday @ Kelly Mission Rock, etc you get my drift?)
#2. Networking. Connecting with people who can benefit the company and spread our name out there across the country is the best networking. If your parties are localized in one area at all times, most likely your club goers consists of people who lives in the local area which will not help us, you'll have to cough up some money to have us out there. Gas ain't cheap, time can never be reversed, and most likely I'll have a boring time.
#3. You scratched mine; I'll scratch yours. There are very few promoters, DJs, venue owners that have showed me love & support in the past before I got my first paid gigs. To those, I do hook 'em up and stop by their events or venues from time to time to show them that I haven't forgotten about them.
Just because I was drunk and I was chopping it up with you as if we were bestfriends and that it seems as if we go way back doesn't mean I'll help you in all way possible. It just meant I was drunk. LOL
You pay your DJs because they provide the music. Pay your photographers because we provide photographic memories with quality.
If you're cheap, play a CD and bring out our disposable camera. See how "off the hook" your party is then.
