Why would a Photographer submit to this?

[scottbuckel]

It is easy to see why companies are doing this, it lowers their advertising costs, it builds good will and customer participation in their product line, and it could possibly lead to a new idea for their advertising. They are offering payment which many companies do not do, even if it is only swag.

I could see a reason for a serious photographer to submit. If you are working on your portfolio and you have a image that could work and it was used in an ad, it would make a great tear sheet that could lead to new work and add some credibility to his work as well. It could maybe pay to shoot it very seriously to try to win, but they should be careful as it could be a waste of effort. Should a photographer make a habit out of doing it, I do not think so.

If you want to be serious about making money something like this could be good advertising for your work. If you are an amateur it could be fun to see you name in print and get some cool swag.

The other aspect of this that may be bothering you is that you think these kind of contests devalue photography. They may devalue a bit, but I feel that many photographers are exaggerating this a bit. If you look at print ads and TV ads you see that the use of "free" material is not that common. The one commercial photographer I know has plenty of work and is not complaining, but he does tell me that he knows a few that are complaining, but he says their work is not evolving.

So overall this sort of contest can be a win-win for both companies and photographers. I do admit I think this is the edge of slippery slope and photographers need to be mindful of that.

Scott

[groovyone]

Well said, Scott