You gotta love this Insta-famous, entitled, get everything for nothing generation we live in today. A girl posts pictures of her booty on IG, gets 7 million followers and has an estimated net worth of $500k, gets on covers of magazines, is sponsored by large companies, and getting paid to make appearances. (I’m not hatin’, if my derrière looked like Jen Selter’s I’d be tempted to do the same). Models now have to have at least 10k followers on Instagram to be considered for jobs. Having a following is a commodity in this culture, and it’s never been easier to make money for existing (I mean, I haven’t figured out a way, but I am doing all the squats I can in the meantime).
Now, more and more people are trying to leverage their followings (however large or small) to get free stuff. Including wedding photography and entire weddings). In this wonderfully tacky post, spotted today by one of our readers, a couple takes to Craigslist in an effort to leverage their following of 17k to try and get their entire wedding paid for. Here is the screenshot for the now deleted post.
In the post, the bride and groom are “accepting event service sponsors” for their upcoming wedding festivities, including a wedding photographer for their engagement party, bridal shower, wedding, and honeymoon! In exchange for your free services, you get free publicity. Wahoo! They’re offering up their entire Instagram following of 17k and that of their wedding party. Plus if that doesn’t sway you, they are young and have lots of young friends in their party of 300-350, possibly even 400(!) guests who will also one day try to hit you up for your wedding photography services (for free, I’m sure). Oh, they are also looking for basically everything else to be paid for from flowers to catering, et al.
Sadly, I’m willing to bet that they have some positive responses from wedding vendors that don’t value themselves and their work or are looking for “experience.”
[REWIND: WHY WORKING FOR EXPOSURE DOESN’T ALWAYS…WORK]
Someone posted a response to this “Cheapa** Wedding Couple” in a Craigslist posting of their own, which you can see here and below.
If you are a new photographer and are considering giving your work away for the promise of exposure, please read some of the following articles before making your decision.
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