Pay people for their pic?

Gardener972

I've seen some fabulous pics on this site and was wondering if you people pay your subjects. If so, how much?

mridula

Gardener, though I rarely click people (I somehow find it awkward) but I have never paid for the pictures. I consider this one my best effort till date.

However, in more touristy areas it is possible that people may ask for money if you click their picture.

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mridula

http://www.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/

lotus blossom

i don't pay to take people's photos. i think that it sets up a problematic situation, one in which, in time, everyone you aim a camera at will be demanding money. i wrote on this issue: ‘Photo please’ extortionists

pro photographer steve mccurry, who takes some amazing photos, does pay some of his subjects, i understand. so, i guess it's a personal thing, but there is also the issue of making money off said photos. does not, then, the subject deserve compensation?

in my experience, the majority of people that i photograph in india love having their picture taken, and only once-in-a-while does someone ask me to pay them, usually after i've snapped the shutter. if they ask me before hand, i simply smile and walk on. and if i've already taken it, i also simply smile and walk on, though sometimes not without some hassle.

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Not all who wander are lost

ananda2193

I've met enough people traveling that "ASK ME" to take their pic.

So paying shouldn't be an issue. Though i've taken pics of people from a distance and they saw that I did and they start coming toward me for money, but I just hightail it outta there and don't pay nothing.

s4ur4bh

yep, people in India dont expect to be paid for their pics. In fact as ananda mentioned, they ask you to click pics and they would pose and suggest ideas on pics.

If someone asks for money, better ignore em and find other subjects.

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s4ur4bh

karthik_mitta

Have not had this situation ever.. well, i am a desi and no one would probaly think i could pay

On the other hand, i sometimes carry my poloroid, print a pic and give it to them.. that brings such immense happiness onto the subject's face.. its a delight!

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KM

In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds - Martin Luther King Jr.

robotvoice

That is a great way to do it.
speaking of which, does anyone know where I can find a poloroid camera/film in Kolkata?

bijapuri

It never even comes up. In fact, I never thought of it until this thread

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Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.
Barack Obama

lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/

Utube fuzzy logic:
http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

mairangi_vice

I dont like taking pictures of people, I always feel like Im invading their privacy or something.

On the other hand, I have on many, many occasions had Indians come up to me wanting to take a picture with the 'big white guy', It never even occured to me to charge for it.

Perhaps I should.

blackbird

In the parts of western Orissa covered by the "Tribal Tours" from Puri and Bhubaneswar, paying tribal people for their photo has become the standard thing, usually Rs10 is the going rate. Although it feels totally unsatisfactory, as it stands this is the only benefit tourism has for the poorest people.

When I travelled in the area with a view to setting up a new tour business, we did pay for photos where this was expected of us, but we're hoping to build more satisfying business relationships with a few villages in the region.

I didn't have a polaroid camera, but when we revisited some of the villages I brought high quality prints to give to the subjects of the photos, which delighted them, as it would appear no-one had ever done this before. It also led to a number of people who had been missed out coming and asking me to take their pictures, which I will bring with me next time.

If I had Rs10 for every photo taken by an Indian tourist of me swimming, I'd have, ooh, about Rs1000! The notes would be a bit soggy though.....

zoossh

asian perception may sometimes differs from the west regarding privacy. some may just worry for not looking good enough on your photo.

anyway since people photography is a kind of interaction, your mentality is just as important as theirs, and the chemistry and curiosity of one towards another is important.

mantru

people in India do not mind if you take their photograph.......and i have not come across a situation where they have asked for money...but when i take a family photograph i feel its good if i can send it to them....this time i did click a family photo in Spiti and they were so happy to see themselves in digi cam i have promised to send them the prints...i love taking photos og children or elderly people...both have certain charm ....

it's my soul

you may be supprised to find that indians will want to take photos of you.

Jorge Reverter

I travel quite often to India (twice a year) and since I have a Reflex Digital Camera I make around 3,000 pics per trip, most are portraits and almost never stollen. Almost nobody asks for money (I never pay) and very often I have a queue of people waiting for his/her picture. The empathy has also something to do in this matter.

Jorge

Nick-H

Jorge, the way you get those ladies to smile at you, I think that you must be a happy and successful man in many more areas than photography

Where's that green-with-envy smiley?

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Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team