One of my favorite things to do in my business is going out to festivals and shows to display and sell my wares. There is no substitute for genuine and spontaneous responses to my products. Responses can range from boisterous laughter at a magnet to a sneer of distaste at the sniff of a candle. The opposite can be true too ~ some people look at the magnets with blank stares, not relating at all to my sometimes warped sense of humor, yet will ooh and ah over candle scents. All feedback is valuable. But there’s a new response in town, one that wasn’t around when I first started doing shows over fifteen years ago.
Picture-taking admirers. They loved the magnets but didn’t realize a real person made them and deserves the consideration of getting permission to take a picture. *
I’m not the only one who has witness people taking pictures at my craft booth. Just last week I talked to a woman who hand-painted sayings on colorful sign boards and she said the picture-taking public is starting to get on her nerves. I’m kind of on her side.
Could it be that I’m getting too old to appreciate the high-tech nature of our society? In this age of Instagram is it unreasonable to expect people would refrain from taking photos of the hard work of artisans without bothering to buy that work, much less acknowledge the artisan him/herself? Will our work serve only to fill up the boards on Pinterest while our pockets grow lighter from lack of sales? After all, why buy something when you can just take a picture of it?
What do you think? Is it too much to expect someone to at least ask of they can take a picture? Do you think this photo-snapping behavior is acceptable, especially at the expense of artists’ and crafters’ livelihood? Should it be flattering that someone wants to share our work with their hundreds of Facebook friends? Or should we have our guard up against copy cats and cheapskates?
* For the record, the above-pictured picture taker did in fact buy a magnet, but only after I confronted him.
Auntie B's Wax 
I certainly do think it’s polite to ask. A lot of stores won’t let you just go in and photography their merchandise, so why would people think it’s ok to do it just because it’s on a stall/booth? If I had reason for wanting to take a photo of some crafts on a stall, I would probably ask the person there if they had made them, and if so, ask if they would be willing to let me take a photo of them next to it. In fact, I seem to think I’ve done that before, but I can’t remember the occasion!
* photograph not photography!
You’ve got the right idea – I think it’s perfectly fine if a person just asked. I may say yes or no, depending on my assessment of the person. And taking a picture of the object AND the artist? Brilliant.
I would give these picture takers more credit if they were somewhat discreet about their actions.
I’ve also thought of putting a sign up saying No Photos, Please. Does that seem too uppity?
Well it’s a toss-up isn’t it, in theory it doesn’t seem too uppity as you have every right to say that, but on the other hand, you run the risk of possibly putting off some customers if they think you’re being uppity because most of them probably wouldn’t think of taking a photo. You could maybe try it once and see what reaction you get!
Ugh!
Great points, Sara, and very well put.
Thank you, Cindy. I didn’t really know if I should post this one or not. I sometimes wonder if I overreact, but it does seem kind of rude to me.
Sara I love this question because there is no control over this and your ideas can be stolen in a blink of an eye. It is flattering and annoying all at the same time. It is the same as writing and we can’t control someone stealing our ideas we just have to create good content and hope people appreciate it enough to want to buy it.
Flattering and annoying – that’s so true. I just can’t imagine taking photos of someone’s crafted work without even asking them if I could. And I’d completely understand if they said no. Maybe we come from an age where courtesies were more common than they are now. Technology has kind of taken the personal connection away from things, including conversations!
I definitely think people should ask, and give you an opportunity to ask why they’re taking a picture. I often take a photo of a particular item and send it off to my business partners for their input as to whether the item will fill the need for which I’m hunting to fill at the moment. I also sometime take photos of an item to share with potential clients as an option they may want to consider. At those times I might not be ready to purchase the item until I get feedback from either my partners or client. However, if I am at a craft show or boutique (as opposed to a retail store), I always do ask the artisan for permission and explain why I’d like to take the photo. 99% of the time they have welcomed the use of the photo as a means to possibly make a sale that day or in the future. I think maybe you should consider a sign that says “Please ask permission before photographing” instead of just stating “No photos” – that could possibly turn off a potential buyer – like me. However, I would never be turned off from buying any of your products, sign or no sign, because they’re all fabulous! 🙂
Thank you for your kind compliments of my products! You raise a valid point with your comment. I’m glad to hear you ask if you can take a photo, and also give the reason for doing so. I remember a show I did many years ago where a partner from a brick and mortar store was looking at my things and thought they’d be cute in their shop. She ended up buying about twenty bottle cap magnets from me, so she could take them back to show her partner. That was back in the day when cell phones weren’t common, much less containing a camera. These days taking a picture to show a business partner is a lot more cost-efficient (even though I gave that woman a bulk discount on the many magnets she bought). Even better would be to also take their business card in addition to taking a photo and offer one of yours to the artisan. It’s business networking!
I guess I would just like it if people would ask if they could shoot a picture rather than just walking up and being obvious about the fact that my product is great enough to take a picture of, but not great enough to buy. The funniest thing about it is, my magnets are only $5, not like some grand piece of art no one can afford.
Thanks for your comment, MaryAnn. Your insights are always welcome!
I’m a seller too, but and i do prefer to be asked. However, I’ve noticed some taking pictures to send to friends to see if they want the item, and coming back later in the day to buy the said item for the friend.
I’m hearing this on a recurrent basis on these comments. It makes me feel a lot better about the picture takers. I’d much rather be asked. It’s almost like if someone were to come up to your face and just take a picture. Would someone do that without asking? I sure wouldn’t. And our work is just an extension of ourselves, right?
Thanks for your comment Christy!
I agree with most. It is polite to ask. Don’t always assume they are taking pictures to knock off your stuff though. They may be taking a picture to show their friend to see if they want it or should buy it for them. I have done that myself. Though in the future I will ask the owner if I can do so. Also, it may be a great way to get attention to your stall or store, especially if they post on facebook or tweet it. Something like -“hey, check out this amazing yarn. You should come buy some, they are here all weekend” may really boost your sales! 🙂
You’re right Stephanie. I can’t assume they’re stealers. However, taking a picture of a skein of yarn is different from taking a picture of…a picture. My magnets are displayed in a big picture frame. If the photographer were taking a picture of the entire frame, I would be less annoyed. But they’re zooming in on one particular magnet of their liking. Like I said to Christy in my reply to her comment, it would be weird for someone to just step up to your face and take a picture, what makes them think they can do that with a piece of handmade work?
Thanks for your comment; I’m seeing the situation in a much different way now.