How do Photographers get paid?

[RJ7591]

We just got back off Valor last Sunday. While watching one of the comedians he stopped his act, got serious for a moment and made the statement that the photographers get paid based on how many photographs they take. He urged everyone to take time to have their photos taken even if you don't plan to purchase them. We haven't purchased any pictures since our first few cruises and don't even bother to have them made anymore. I don't like being wasteful and hate seeing photos printed that I know will be thrown away. If I knew if this was true I might reconsider. Does anyone know the answer?

[DirtyDawg]

We just got back off Valor last Sunday. While watching one of the comedians he stopped his act, got serious for a moment and made the statement that the photographers get paid based on how many photographs they take. He urged everyone to take time to have their photos taken even if you don't plan to purchase them. We haven't purchased any pictures since our first few cruises and don't even bother to have them made anymore. I don't like being wasteful and hate seeing photos printed that I know will be thrown away. If I knew if this was true I might reconsider. Does anyone know the answer?

 

Sorry don't know and don't care. They may indeed get some compensation for taking those photos (if only to prove to management that they are doing their job) but I would assume most of their compensation is tied to actually selling those overpriced photos to the cruising public. I.E. if you don't want them to take your photo - don't. And if that means they take home $1 less so be it.

[love my grandkids]

Sorry don't know and don't care. They may indeed get some compensation for taking those photos (if only to prove to management that they are doing their job) but I would assume most of their compensation is tied to actually selling those overpriced photos to the cruising public. I.E. if you don't want them to take your photo - don't. And if that means they take home $1 less so be it.

 

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find them very often to be rude and obnoxious especially when we are trying to get off the ship and they hold up the line to take pictures.

[forwardcabin]

The ship's photographers are hired and paid by another company--one of the concessionaires contracted by Carnival. Comedians tell jokes--nothing else.

[DirtyDawg]

The ship's photographers are hired and paid by another company--one of the concessionaires contracted by Carnival. Comedians tell quasi-jokes--nothing else.

 

It's Carnival!;)

[serene56]

They do get a commission on the photos that are sold. .not on how many photos they take.

 

It is not a photographers fault they hold up a line. They go where the cruiselines want them

[Rena921]

Maybe that's why one accosted me as I was getting off the ship on the gangway while in port. He physically touched me...grabbed my arm and told me that I HAD to take a picture, then after several NO's, he called me an ass. I made a complaint, hopefully it doesn't happen again. I truly can't stand the photographers. They are just too pushy and totally annoying. This is where all cruise lines need to take a step back.

[RJ7591]

They do get a commission on the photos that are sold. .not on how many photos they take.

 

It is not a photographers fault they hold up a line. They go where the cruiselines want them

 

 

Thank you for a polite answer! Commission is what I have read in articles but contrary to what has been said here, the comedian was not telling a joke so I wondered if Carnival paid differently than some of the other cruise lines.

[DirtyDawg]

They do get a commission on the photos that are sold. .not on how many photos they take.

 

It is not a photographers fault they hold up a line. They go where the cruiselines want them

 

If your first statement is correct then they go where the cruise line incents them to go. i.e. to places where there is a high probability of turning those clicks into cash! So both are at fault.;)

[RJ7591]

Maybe that's why one accosted me as I was getting off the ship on the gangway while in port. He physically touched me...grabbed my arm and told me that I HAD to take a picture, then after several NO's, he called me an ass. I made a complaint, hopefully it doesn't happen again. I truly can't stand the photographers. They are just too pushy and totally annoying. This is where all cruise lines need to take a step back.

 

I don't know if Carnival has asked them to back off or it was just this particular cruise but the photographers on Valor last week were far from pushy. Once we said "no" they didn't even ask a second time.

[Essiesmom]

I believe they are required to take a minimum number of pictures per day. A number of years ago, a young girl on this forum was trying to get a job on a cruise ship. She was finally accepted by Carnival in the photo dept., and went for orientation. She sort of blogged while she was in training. She didn't last more than halfway through, and she reported that she was expected to take at least 200 pictures a day. EM

[cb at sea]

Wasteful? They're digital...no film! Smile for the camera!

[RJ7591]

Wasteful? They're digital...no film! Smile for the camera!

 

I wasn't worried about wasting film :p but they are printed and that wastes the photo paper.

 

 

It does make sense that they have a min # of photos they are expected to take each day. We had wondered it that was part of it.

[jimbo5544]

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find them very often to be rude and obnoxious especially when we are trying to get off the ship and they hold up the line to take pictures.

 

We got off the Magic on Friday and happened (by coincidence) to notice some of the photographers more than usual. It seemed to me that they were more pleasant than we had seen in the past and seemed to put more into it than others in the past. Interesting to see this thread after noticing that.

 

 

 

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[dioxide45]

I have never paid enough attention to notice, but do the photographers also work in the photo center on the ship selling the photos? Obviously the photo center is closed when in port so those photographers can be working the photo center. Perhaps they get paid commission based on what they sell?

[DirtyDawg]

I wasn't worried about wasting film :p but they are printed and that wastes the photo paper.

 

Lots of wasted photo paper to be sure, but it's the cost of doing business. Just like all the junk mail you get each and every day.:) One of these days I might just go to that new Thai - Szechuan - Kosher buffet place in town.;) Or vote for that Liberal candidate.:eek:

[Rudyard]

like

 

find them very often to be rude and obnoxious especially when we are trying to get off the ship and they hold up the line to take pictures.

 

I agree. Once when we were in line to get off the ship in Cozumel, the CD made an announcement that we had five minutes to get as many people off as possible as Conquest was about to dock next to us and we would have to stop debarking for up to twenty minutes while they tied up to the pier. People were doing their best to get off the ship, but the photographers were still making people who didn't know any better stop and get pics taken, holding everyone up. We were lucky and were among the last off before they stopped the line.

[mrpayroll]

I have never paid enough attention to notice, but do the photographers also work in the photo center on the ship selling the photos? Obviously the photo center is closed when in port so those photographers can be working the photo center. Perhaps they get paid commission based on what they sell?

 

I have seen some of them working in the photo center.

[Davitur]

I believe they are required to take a minimum number of pictures per day. A number of years ago, a young girl on this forum was trying to get a job on a cruise ship. She was finally accepted by Carnival in the photo dept., and went for orientation. She sort of blogged while she was in training. She didn't last more than halfway through, and she reported that she was expected to take at least 200 pictures a day. EM

 

The "quantity of pictures quota" wouldn't surprise me because the first step in hooking a customer is taking their picture. The more pictures they take the more chances of getting you to be their customer. You can't sell a picture you didn't take.

 

There is a lot of natural waste in photo production. I used to be in the photo processing business - it has huge profit margins. Especially when you start talking 5x7 or 8x10 prints - the staple of the cruise ship industry. An 8x10 uses the same supplies/costs as three 3x5 prints (5" paper rolls), which most labs can sell for a profit at 8-10 cents retail price each. They could make a profit selling the 8x10 for 50 cents. They make a killing if they sold them for $5. The cruise ship wanted $30 for an 8x10 "sheet". They sell one print sheet out of 60? They come out ahead.

 

Some friends of ours bought a couple of prints from the photo lab because the photographer took some awesome pictures with very difficult lighting. Sometimes the value is more than the price...

[JKrise]

Many cruises and have never had a rude photographer. Each one is pleasant and polite even if we say no to having our picture taken.

[Swampbaby]

I haven't noticed rude photographers and also don't like them at the gangplank at a port. That being said, the only time we have "formal" pictures taken is on a cruise or when our church does a directory. Hence, we do purchase the overpriced pictures. So wish Carnival would come out with a plan priced like Disney Cruise . The one they are trying out on at least one of the ships is still very high priced.

[rocking-m-cruiser]

I have never seen the photographers get rude. They are normally very pleasant when I tell no thank you.

[nator555]

I love the photographers. My daughter is not very cooperative when she is getting photographed. Most of the photographers on the 2 cruises we took our daughter on were very patient and enthusiastic with her. The pics came out great. This is where I splurge. I spend at least $100 on pics...much less on drinks:) I appreciate that carnival will happily email you a photo release after the cruise which always allows me to make copies much cheaper.

[satxdiver]

On our first cruise, the photographers would not take no for an answer and were very aggressive. I almost got into a physical fight with them several times when leaving the ship. It was one of the major reasons I did not cruise on Carnival again until I got curious about Magic and went on the cruise. I was ready for the aggressive photographers but they never appeared thank goodness. On the Magic they took no for an answer and left me alone. I routinely do not allow them to take my picture. Hopefully this is the current Carnival procedure for photographers to not be pushy or our next Magic cruise may be the last for the next 10 years!

[cruizinisthebest]

Many cruises and have never had a rude photographer. Each one is pleasant and polite even if we say no to having our picture taken.

 

Me either. But I have seen passengers be rude to them. Whatever.

 

It's not hard to click 200 photos as one poster said on here is their minimum requirement. My daughter can knock that out in selfies within 20 minutes if she gets a hold of my phone.;)

 

They must get some type of commission, which I'm happy to pay for in the picture price if I buy one. Most of them we don't buy, but there's always one we just can't leave behind.