Just to make things clear, I don't get paid to shoot the show; I pay for the right to shoot the show. The exhibitors do not pay a dime until they purchase their win photos and my copyright says very clearly that the only right I'm providing is the right to keep the print as a momento of their win. If they'd like to use the image in advertising, that's a different product (file) and a different sale and release.

The standard way of doing business when we started in dog shows 8 years ago was to send out finished prints with a bill. That only works -- in terms of collection -- if you're shooting shows every weekend because then exhibitors can't afford to stiff you. Unfortunately, newcomers only get a few shows a year including Specialties so there is no leverage to force exhibitors to pay their bills. And the collection process takes a lot of time, effort, patience, perserverence and, most of all, personality to make sure you are firm enough to get the payment but nice enough not to piss people off.

Most of the photographers went to proofing when the collection problem really became intolerable. From a business perspective, it also makes sense to only go out of pocket on proofs and let the orders pay for the final prints.

Initially, I put "proof" across the proof prints. Folks complained about not being able to see the dog's/handler's/judge's expression. I went small with the proofs without the word "proof". Folks complained they couldn't see the image without a magnifying glass. Now I do 4X6 proofs without the signs and only put the "proof" on those I know will be a problem. Of course, I don't know all the exhibitors and there are new winners every show.

Tony, you've put your finger on my dilemma -- I could go after this guy legally but to spend lawyer money to collect $25 simply doesn't make sense. BTW, I DID warn him about usage so he put those images up knowing fully that it was not allowed. The only action that makes sense is something that would get me paid for the usage and I can't think of what I could do to accomplish that. Anything else is simply a waste of time.

I've been toying with on-line proofing/ordering and it looks like I'm being driven to that alternative. The issue of folks taking the images off of websites is something I'll have to deal with in my contracts with the clubs asking them to ensure that the photos can't be saved by folks accessing the sites.

My point in posting this -- beyond getting suggestions from people I trust and respect -- is to point out that as "ethical" as we all try to be on the photographers end, we can't do much about the folks on the exhibitor end whose mindset seems to be that because their dog won, they deserve to have those photos and not have to pay for them. As an exhibitor, I can't understand how anybody could actually believe that but I've seen it often enough to know it is absolutely true.

I'll let you know what I decide to do (or not do as the case may be).

Thanks,

Jim