If you have been following my current picture of the day series from the beginning, you will recall that I asked you for your support at the onset of this series. If you thought someone else would do it; guess what no one else did. I understand that many other people are likely asking you daily to support many other worthy causes. However, I am sure most of you can find money somewhere, but if you do not think that it is possible for you then I would just ask you to pray about it. I fully understand that it is not possible to contribute to everyone who asks for money, that is why I am doing everything I can to meet your needs and make this as easy as possible for you to step up here. So, please if for some reason I am currently not meeting your needs let me know if there is anything else I can do to help meet your needs.
I did not want to seem like I am desperate for support or anything like that, but the fact of is that I am. To be frank I am not currently covering operating cost, let alone paying myself even a small wage for the large amounts of my time I am investing in this blog. I would really like to continue to meet your needs, but I really need to start making a living here. I humbly submit this request, not as someone who feels entitled to your support, but as someone who desperately wants to keep delivering you high quality images, articles, and reviews, and needs your help to do so.
Not only do I want to continue to deliver the picture of the day to you, but I want to increase the amount I am able to deliver to you by hiring more support. As many of you know the Providence Journal has recently discontinued its regional sections, and I would like to fill some of that void by delivering more small regional news to you. However, hiring more support staff here will not be feasible unless everyone makes contributions. Contributions, do not even have to come in the forum of donations, although those are the best means. If you want to buy a camera or some other item just follow my links here on over to B&H, Ritz, Adorama, or use the convenient Amazon search widget to do your Amazon shopping. Perhaps you like a photo here, and would like to obtain a print or license it; you can click many of the photos here and follow them on over to RIPhoto.com, where you can quickly and easily purchase it. If I have not yet linked the photo you want to RIPhoto.com just shot me an email (my email addresses can be found either in the about area of my blog or on RIPhoto.com, either address works fine.) Also if have a website you could help out by linking here, so long as your site is not promoting spam or adult content. I thank everyone for reading, and I thank you in advance for your support.
One Time Donation:
$20 Monthly Donation:
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Every photo a day blog I’ve seen the photographer did it for their own benefit. I don’t see the point in donating for it, and honestly I think it’s unrealistic to ask someone to donate $20/month. I think you should look at cutting costs. Maybe skip the helicopter next time? =P (JOKE BECAUSE IT WAS PAID BY TAXPAYERS NOT JONATHAN)
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I do not think it is any more unrealistic then asking someone to pay around $20 a month to trade views of their website with someone else, on a traffic exchange; as you do. As I am also offering a lot of other benefits here. Further when you consider that I am offering passwords to private galleries, many of which will provide access to half priced photographs and deeply discounted licensing fees, a listing in a business directory, and a free print; it is all together worth thousands of dollars in savings. So, no I do not think $20 a month is too much to ask for all of this. As far as cutting costs go, the problem is that the main cost here is time, which equates into lost income elsewhere. So you’re essentially telling me you do not you do value my photographs; you could have just said that.
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$20 to get your website advertised and make more than $20 income is a great benefit. $20 per month to view a blog that is free to view is not a benefit. If you had some sort of premium photo collection they could have access to, or if you had a donors page where their link would go up, there would be some benefit.
I look at photography in a different way I guess. I see it as an art or something to enjoy, not a business model. I want to make money from it, don’t get me wrong, but I like seeing photo blogs where you can tell the photographer enjoys it and does it for that reason.
Pleaing for money and even asking people to pray for you to get money is a big turn off. There are starving children but instead I should donate to you? It sounds like your expenses have gotten out of control and I think it’s wiser for you to fix that problem than for me to give you money.
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I understand that this mindset is very common, so I do not fault you for it. Unfortunately, that mindset is exactly the reason why there are so many starving artists. I understand people are enticed by something that promises them the ability to make money and build wealth. However, I do not believe something is more valuable just because it promises to make you money. Also many people in fact make no money from things that promise them the ability to make money; and are still required to pay for it. I feel that the humanities have an equally valuable place in our society and are just as worthy of your support as much as many other things.
Also everything should be done it prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Ephesians 6:18), ergo I said pray “about” it, not “for” it. I am not asking necessarily that you pray that I get money; I am asking is that you pray if it is possible for you to do something to contribute in someway to help this website, or that if it is not that you pray something will work out. Whether it be that I stop focusing on this website and photography all together, or I only work on the website and photography part time and treat it as more of an after thought, and find a profitable full time endeavor. I am asking essentially that you pray God would provide direction and lead me to what I should be doing, either here or else where, and bless it.
I do completely agree that art should be enjoyed, as should any other work you do; however that does not mean it should be free. I am sure you have paid for many nonessential things such as: sporting events, concerts, plays, performances, movies, and other such things; so why would you not be willing to pay to see great photographs everyday? Granted there are many starving people in Africa, but even if you try and send them food much of time the warlords will just take it for themselves. Also, I believe it is that if you want to send support to the starving people in Africa, that it would be possible to also support my website in most cases.
Obviously, I am not saying there should not be a priority list, and in tough times of recession, as this, I understand that many people may not be able to help financially support this blog or hungry children in Africa. That is why I am not just asking for monetary support, but all types of support, such as doing your Amazon shopping or other shopping through my Amazon widget, guest bloging, commenting, making topical or design suggestions, or whatever you can do to help out. Perhaps, I made the mistake of offering it for free too long, and then asking you to pay something now, i.e. the free coffee syndrome.
Art takes a lot of time and thought to create, why should that time be of less value, than time put into any of profession? Also, if you had read the first post in series, which I linked to in this post (granted you may not had seen it in my comment, as I think I updated it as you were responding), you would have known that I am offering exactly those things you mentioned: a listing in a business directory (there are no listing yet because no has donated yet), passwords to private galleries, and a free print.
Not to be funny, but I would even be willing to go to Africa to deliver food if you wanted to support me in that endeavor; it probably won’t be cheap though. However, it may ironically require you to pay for a helicopter. I know the work would be dangerous and would not be something to enter into lightly, but I would not mind doing it if I could garner support for it. Although, I do believe that a better way to go about it would be to help them plant gardens and find other sustainable ways to feed Africa. Also infrastructure needs to be built up so they can more food around from areas of famine non-famished areas. Constantly delivering food is simply not a very sustainable way to feed Africa.
Nevertheless, if you want to help feed Africa you can do so at this link here. http://www.worldvision.org/wor.....rychildren
So, please donate to the hungry children in Africa first, then to this website. If you can show me proof that you have donated at least $150 to help feed children in Africa, I will even give you all the benefits I am offering you for donations to my website (free print will be at cost). Here is what I am proposing for monthly, give $15 to feed Africa, and only give $5 to me. You will get the same benefits as you would from the $20 donation, so long as you can show proof that you are donating to some sort of humanitarian work in Africa.
$5 Monthly Donation
Lastly, of course I would like to do photography for the sheer enjoyment, however the only ones that can do photography for the sheer enjoyment are the ones that have a good first job. If you are doing photography for the enjoyment, you are simply not a professional photographer. I understand this dilemma well; as professional sport figures are often criticized for not playing for the love of the game. However, the fact of the matter is that unless you do something professionally it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find the time and money to do it at the highest level. So while I would like to do photography for the sheer love and enjoyment, I understand that doing so seldom enables you to do it at your highest possible level. Therefore, my photography decisions must also be motivated by profitable; I sincerely wish had the luxury to not have to consider profitable in my photography, but that fact of that matter is that I do not that luxury as you do.
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