Curious! $$$

[dcnctx]

A post got me thinking!

So, I thought I would think out loud...

Can 10 or 12 photographers (more or less) put their heads together and come up with a way for the group to make money from their ideas (photography).

Don't rush to comment! Probably would involve photographers that are not already extremely busy with their current photography business.

I'm thinking about a group endeavor but any ideas would determine the method and means.

If any are interested in the concept, I suppose here is the spot to begin.

After a few photographer's are committed, I believe it would involve:

• Collaboration
• Majority Agreement
• Implementation
• Success or Failure
• Etc.

If you want this albatross to fly I suppose you should comment here.

So there you have it. I was just curious.

[toverman]

How many photogs does it take to make money?
Just one with luck and some business sense!

How many photogs does it take to not make money?
Just one with luck and some business sense!

[dcnctx]

I agree whole-heartedly, Todd.

I'm simply wondering if there is a bigger idea out there. (I don't know that there is or isn't.)

I know the old addage: "Fifty photographers to take a picture and forty-nine to say I could have done that. "

The part I'm curious about what a group might come up with, if anything.

Photographers as a lot are individualist. I like that about photography. I don't have an aversion to making money by another means.

I also realize that "Curiousity Killed the Cat."

[swanny338]

I find myself pondering what the next big thing could be and it is hard when there is no one to bounce ideas off of. What is worse is, you wonder if someone with lots of resources has already come up with the same idea and is already working on it.

[dcnctx]

I'm sure a lot of ideas are like bugs under the street light. There's a lot of them flying around but not many folks grab hold of them.

Getting a few heads together couldn't hurt the chances of finding a prize egg.

But for certain, if a group did come up with something. Some would say, "Hey, I already thought of that!"

As for lack of resources being an obstacle, I'm sure there are always risks to contemplate but certainly I wouldn't think insurmountable.

I'm just curious what some good minds could come to. There are plenty on this forum.

An albatross can fly well if it ever gets off the ground.

[studiocygnet]

Well there are many ideas that have already been done, but that doesn't mean another group of photogs couldn't use the idea. When you say 10 -12 shooters, what comes to mind is having a specific theme that all the photographers work on at the same time, and then produce a book, have a show, or both, on the resulting works.
For example, election day was yesterday. A dozen photogs from all over the state could have gone out and documented "election day Texas style" and then submitted their best 5 shots for a group traveling show in the major cities (Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, etc.) with a book for sale at the galleries/museums as a record of the collaboration. You would have 60 photos resulting, a good number for a book and a showing. And figuring each photographer should have at least a few friends that support their work, you've got a start on the book sales.

[brad]

There was someone here in DFW that was talking about setting up a local networking group to talk about this sort of stuff... while not working together... it was similar.

You're suggesting perhaps a co-op .. which is a huge legal organizational mess... I don't know that my brain could even wrap around a way to make it fair.... and I'm not convinced you could make it fair.

[dcnctx]

Okay, now there's some heat under the pan. I appreciate the comments Tom, Brad. (Promising and doable ideas both.)

Ideas that generate cash is the idea and not limited to unique, never-been-done; although, that could be a satisfiying challenge if successful.

Photographers have GTG's (enjoyable, repeatable, regularly done).

Photographers give away their services for free. Apparently easy to do. (This is what got me thinking about this.)

I know photographers can generate their own projects for cash.

But my curiousity began to build, wondering if photographers could assemble, come up with some plan, execute it, and come out on the otherside in the black and I suppose face the risk of a loss as well.

The risk of loss should help with any planners to think hard and choose wisely to succeed.

How easy, difficult, or impossible would it be for a group to formulate such a plan for making money?

There's my curiousity! ( I don't know what causes it, perhaps reality T.V. )

[dcnctx]

FAIRNESS - Brad, I agree, that would be a difficult issue and one of the obstacles involved.

(anecdote) I was once in an investment club, and yes, there was a good deal of legal aspects to it. Some of us had never met but we operated democratically, agreed in the beginning to do so, and all finished with a profit and amicably without serious conflict.

I believe something this formal is possible, but something informal could be just as possible. Whatever the case, I do believe a group would have to be committed to a concept and have, either a "ladie's and gentleman's" agreement or something as legal as a LLP (Limited Liablity Partnership).

I suppose fair could also be donating all proceeds to some cause but you would think that good brains could hammer out all issues involved. Then again, I don't know.

[dcnctx]

Fairness concepts:

• Rule out donating proceeds for now. (Doesn't seem to meet criteria)
• Photographers agree to diviy up profits equally.
• Photographers take profit based on percentage of time/effort invested.
• Photographers form partnership and utilize full accounting.
• Photographers invest equally and take profit equally.
• Photographers work together to develop idea and then implement the idea themselves to produce whatever profit develops.

I'm sure there are many reasons why the notion can't work. (Copyright, trust, varied levels of ability, varied levels of input, timing, etc...

I think some reasons why the notion could work:

• Work within a small group (5, 10, 12)
• Establish beginning agreement or partnership (Although, this could wait for a workable idea.)
• Work on the premise of success, rather than failure.
• Agreement to walk away without unanimous advancements.
• The world now holds over 6.6 billion people; there has to be more ideas in photography to service that number.
• I'm sure there are more positive considerations in addition to these.

Currently curiousity's findings: Perhaps too difficult to attempt at this time but I have to believe that there are possibilties out there.

[123canon]

ok, each splits the profits according to their investment-buy lotto numbers, it has about the same odds for success i would thnk ;)

[Coelus]

To make it profitable enough to operate, the projects would have to be large revenue producers to support a dozen people.

Really large projects often take really large resources. Again profit margin comes into play.

Would these people be in the same geographic area, or spread all over the world? Stock agencies, news orgs, etc have a pretty good handle on worldwide work.

Other than the chance to make a profit, would the benefits outweigh the risks? This depends on the type of projects too.

One thing I would like would be a place to come together for purely artistic ideals and creativity. Something kind of like Frank Lloyd Wrights Fellowship, or Andy Warhol's Factory (minus the drug induced orgies). A place to come together just to see what happens with a bunch of creative minds. Profit to be a side effect.

[rockin-photos]

My 2 cents.
I saw a news peice a few weeks ago about a group in Austin who created something like "Be a star for a day", where photogs follow the client around snapping photos and asking questions like you would see on TMZ. I even looked up their web site a day or two after the piece aired, because I thought this would be a relativly easy way to make quick cash. You could have 12 photogs in the group, and only have 6 at a time cover a client. I'll look for the site when I get a chance. OK, I took the time.
http://www.celeb4aday.com/Home.html

[dcnctx]

Originally Posted by Coelus

To make it profitable enough to operate, the projects would have to be large revenue producers to support a dozen people.

Really large projects often take really large resources. Again profit margin comes into play.

...
One thing I would like would be a place to come together for purely artistic ideals and creativity. Something kind of like Frank Lloyd Wrights Fellowship, or Andy Warhol's Factory (minus the drug induced orgies). A place to come together just to see what happens with a bunch of creative minds. Profit to be a side effect.

Agreed John, that a large project would seem to be the logical approach to compensate 12 photographers. (Can 12 photographers uncover what this winning project would be?)

Probably the ideas would need to develop first. A culturally popular project can generate unimagined revenue, perhaps well beyond that which a large project, with large resources and risks could produce. So creative thinking might have more value than strictly logical thinking.

The creativity aspect of a group like you mention could have valid results with little risks other than time until an avenue to proceed developed.

As for geography, I think that would simply depend on the participants.

[dcnctx]

Originally Posted by rockin-photos

My 2 cents.
I saw a news peice a few weeks ago about a group in Austin who created something like "Be a star for a day", where photogs follow the client around snapping photos and asking questions like you would see on TMZ. I even looked up their web site a day or two after the piece aired, because I thought this would be a relativly easy way to make quick cash. You could have 12 photogs in the group, and only have 6 at a time cover a client. I'll look for the site when I get a chance. OK, I took the time.
http://www.celeb4aday.com/Home.html

This would definately be an approach to consider, even for an individual photographer -What markets are tapped, what markets are neglected, and what markets might be newly created?

Perhaps several minds answer these questions where an individual may not get a vision for the possibilities.

(The pseudo-papparazzo market might work well in several big city markets of which Texas has many.)

What kind of charge would it take to provide a profit for 6 - 12 photographers in today's economy? Perhaps a ready list of 6 or 12 photographers could be ready to provide the service to any photographer that sold such a package.

Jerry, you and John are dealing in ideas and that is like fuel to a fire.