Sports Illustrated removes all photographers from staff

[eronald]

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/3082784638/sports-illustrated-lays-off-last-remaining-staff-photographers

Do the beancounters know something the rest of us don't?

Edmund

[Kolor-Pikker]

Technology has advanced to the point where everything will be recreated with computer generated graphics.

[petermfiore]

Technology has advanced to the point where everything will be recreated with computer generated graphics.

Perhaps? Or could it be the ever growing (out of control) cost of doing business. Pay, Medical, 401K's etc.........you get the idea. Freelance solves all...Maybe?
Nothing new here, just a very large profile example.

Peter

[Paul Gessler]

Agreed with Peter. Thom Hogan hit the nail on the head: Sports Illustrated Lets Remaining Photographers Go

As an aside, this topic probably fits better on one of the other boards, perhaps Pro Business Discussion or The Coffee Corner.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Perhaps? Or could it be the ever growing (out of control) cost of doing business. Pay, Medical, 401K's etc.........you get the idea. Freelance solves all...Maybe?

I would think that freelancers also have to have all that (i.e., pay, medical, 401K's etc.) built into their price.

[Martin Ranger]

I would think that freelancers also have to have all that (i.e., pay, medical, 401K's etc.) built into their price.

You would think so. But there is always someone who will shoot for less. SI could probably get people to shoot for free. Exposure and all that.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

You would think so. But there is always someone who will shoot for less. SI could probably get people to shoot for free. Exposure and all that.

I agree, Martin. There is always someone willing to do it cheaper.

[David Anderson]

I bet the magazine is soon filled with uncredited Getty's shots. They will be the same images everyone else has and the magazine will become pointless.

[Justinr]

I would think that freelancers also have to have all that (i.e., pay, medical, 401K's etc.) built into their price.

It's a lovely idea but there is a going rate for the work I do and its a question of take it or leave it. I do put the best payers first though and let it be known in subtle ways.

[petermfiore]

I would think that freelancers also have to have all that (i.e., pay, medical, 401K's etc.) built into their price.

They do...But that's not the concern of the client. Freelance has always been a take it or leave it deal. Once you accept the job your overhead is your responsibility. No one else cares.
If you pass on an assignment there will be plenty of takers.

Peter

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

I do not know, Peter. You seem to think it was a prudent business move, meant to reduce cost. I tend to think it is a desperate move, reflecting a general decline of the printed media.

I used to run a small software consulting company, sending consultants to client sites. Our consultants were typically an order of magnitude MORE expensive than their full-time employees. We also had our sub-contractors (or freelancers) and we paid them MORE than our regular employees. One of the reasons we tend to keep freelancers, although they cost us more, is to be able to ride ups and downs of business demand. Having only full-time staff would hurt us in down times, when we couldn't find enough work for all our employees, yet had to pay them salaries etc. Frankly, taxes had never entered any of our equations. Salaries were our major factor. However, keeping just the number of employees that matches the bottom of the cycle would prevent us to respond to extra demand in boom times. Enter freelancers. They provide that flexibility, even if more expensive.

Back to SI. Getting rid of it's core staff is a desperate move. The type of photography they do is not something you can get from a stock library. If I remember correctly, their photographers often have "runners" that take a memory card during the game and upload it to SI. They also need press passes. It is not like anyone and his mother in law can come to the edge of the field to take photos. It also takes expensive equipment. And SI needs exclusivity. All that is making freelancers MORE expensive for SI.

[petermfiore]

I do not know, Peter. You seem to think it was a prudent business move, meant to reduce cost. I tend to think it is a desperate move, reflecting a general decline of the printed media.

I agree with you...But I think it can still be a bottom line issue for them. A "desperate" move for them.

Peter

[Ken R]

I mean, it's generally accepted that Print Media is well on it's way out but man, firing 6 photographers , 6 employees, out of a company that it's main purpose is to publish images and text seems absurd if the main reason for it is to cut costs. Those photographers probably generated a good bit of high quality original content. Now, the magazine, to fill it's editorial hole would need to buy the images on the freelance market where a) yes you can get images for less, or more depending on b) quality, but is much more variable out there and c) Other media might use the same images.

[AlterEgo]

I mean, it's generally accepted that Print Media is well on it's way out but man, firing 6 photographers , 6 employees, out of a company that it's main purpose is to publish images and text seems absurd if the main reason for it is to cut costs. Those photographers probably generated a good bit of high quality original content. Now, the magazine, to fill it's editorial hole would need to buy the images on the freelance market where a) yes you can get images for less, or more depending on b) quality, but is much more variable out there and c) Other media might use the same images.

may be SI just converted them from W2 to ind. contractors and then nothing can prevent SI to have a contract with them to have exclusive images from SI assignments...

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

may be SI just converted them from W2 to ind. contractors and then nothing can prevent SI to have a contract with them to have exclusive images from SI assignments...

Except tax rules that do not allow you to have such control over your contractors, otherwise they'll consider you are fraudulently reclassifying your employees as independent contractors.

[Kolor-Pikker]

I mean, it's generally accepted that Print Media is well on it's way out--

Print media or not, photography has a huge variety of applications in everything from marketing to web use and design, just because you're not printing the photos in a magazine doesn't mean that you don't need them at all, or that you need to skimp on quality... in fact, with the rise of high-resolution displays, there will need to be a re-evaluation for what previously passed as "web quality" because it's now expected that the average consumer, even if purchasing blind, will get at least a 1080p or 1440p display with full sRGB, as it is inexpensive to do so now.

If SI wants to stand out, why not make the first website designed for 4K and 5K displays in mind?

[Ken R]

Print media or not, photography has a huge variety of applications in everything from marketing to web use and design, just because you're not printing the photos in a magazine doesn't mean that you don't need them at all, or that you need to skimp on quality... in fact, with the rise of high-resolution displays, there will need to be a re-evaluation for what previously passed as "web quality" because it's now expected that the average consumer, even if purchasing blind, will get at least a 1080p or 1440p display with full sRGB, as it is inexpensive to do so now.

If SI wants to stand out, why not make the first website designed for 4K and 5K displays in mind?

Judging by their website it is clear that Si has not transitioned well into the digital media world.

[bcooter]

Judging by their website it is clear that Si has not transitioned well into the digital media world.

Maybe, but Time Warner has.

Time Warner owns HBO, Warner Bros., Tuner Broadcasting, CNN, the CW, TW cable  and on and on.

For 2012 income was $28.7B and an adjusted operating income of $6.1B

Sports illustrated barely resonates on their balance sheet and as unfortunate as it is, 6 photographers doesn't even appear.

I doubt it was as much as costs savings as redundancy. 

SI is death by a thousand cuts.

After all every photographer is required to stand in the same area, with the same lens same camera and shoot the same action, so from a company standpoint, it's easier to buy the 20 images you want rather than send out a crew and supplemental digital support crew, especially since your only producing old news.

Broad based print specialty magazines are on the wane, with a few exceptions like Vogue and some Conde Naste titles.

But if you enjoy sports, by the time your magazine hits your mailbox you've already seen the story, the images and the recap.

Print in general is not dead, just marginalized.  This has been going on forever.  Radio marginalized newspapers, TV did the same to Radio and all Print, Computers and now pads and mobile devices have done it to all media.

Today there are two style of viable content.   Free user generated that comes in way before any news organization can gather and disseminate it and higher quality longer form content (motion and/or stills) to supplement and in depth story.

Everything in the middle suffers.

Personally I'm not fond of user generated anything because there is no vetting process, no standards, no reason other than I'm there I might as well shoot it, write it and comment on it all for the payback of someone posting  "you go guy/girl, great image, wow your amazing".

But what I like doesn't matter.  What pays does.


IMO

BC

[Chris Valites]

Having worked with many of these guys indirectly (and directly, in a few cases) when I did PocketWizard support, I have to say that I'm pretty saddened to hear this. It's not every day you have a team of such assembled talent, and now with them having to go freelance and have SI adjust to the realities of freelance quality variance, I hope that the magazine can retain the quality it had, and the photographers can maintain their level of excellence. They had something pretty unique there and I just don't know if the magazine will be able to maintain their level of quality.

[joneil]

  Sadly, this is a general trend in many industries, not just photography.  A few years ago, both the local cable and phone companies got rid 90% of thier service/tech people.    What happens now when you need service, these jobs are on long term contract with independent companies.   The great irony is, these are the same people still doing the same job that they did before, but because they are now "self employed" or work through another company that subcontracts to the phone and dable companies,  they make less money.

    Governments do it too.  I know people who work at the local jail/prison.   Not privatized, but all government jobs.  One guy I know has been working there, full time in real hours,  for over 20 years as a "temporary worker."   In some cases, governments did it first, and big business followed.

    I think the bottom line is, not withstanding any financial issues SI may or may not be having, all the new workplace laws, benefits, regulations, etc, etc, are comming at employers from all directions, and having the effeect of forming a toxic enviroment  for having staff.      I think we are seeing  "the straw that breaks the camel's back" in real life in these situations.

   sad, and I feel for these people, but I don't have answer myself.