Always Look On The Bright Side

“I don’t think they would have bought us if they weren’t impressed with what we are doing.” The Passer says in our ongoing discussion about The New Company.

“Yeah.” I say. “If anything they should be thinking of switching the way they do Directory Promotions to the way we do them.”

The only problem with that idea-The New Company USED to do Directory Promotions the way that we used do them.  Only they paid straight commission and then they switched to the dreaded Shoot-N-Show.  So it’s a tad difficult to think positive thoughts about it.

We know nothing about the changes to come, so we might as well think positively about it.  OK, what’s the worst that could happen?

Ok, how about pay rises all around?  LOL.  Har har har.  Slap knee and hold sides in pain.  If anything, I expect them to cut our pay yet again.

How about a New Camera?  No, not very likely.  We have already heard the news that new cameras aren’t in the budget after the big bucks spent on the Buyout.

How about new Computers?  Dido above.

Ok, how about Shooting closer to home?  Maybe.  The blatant favoritism about who gets the Good Shoots and the rest of us getting what’s left over pisses a lot of us off.  So maybe they will have a slightly more democratic way to decide who goes where.  Of course, if they take away the Power of Command from The Managers, then what, exactly, will The Managers do?

Maybe we will go back to having 2 Passers and 1 Photographer like the Good Old Days when I actually made a thousand dollars a week?  Unlikely, but who knows?  We used to bring in $3000 a day and we now bring in $1300 a day .  Common Sense, Anyone?  Anyone?

Pay the PreSeller on Sales Commission like the rest of us.  Rumor says Yes.  Positive as positive gets.  Worth hanging around to see what happens with this one.

The Possibility of travel farther afield.  Unlikely, but The New Company also has Shoots all over the country and maybe I can get on some list that says I want to travel to Seattle, or San Fransisco, or Wyoming.  Way too long since I’ve shot in Maine or Minnesota, too.   I miss my Have Camera, Will Travel days.

More Shoots All Around-well, maybe.  The New Company has its own set of PreSellers who go out and book Shoots, so many between the Old Bookers and the New Bookers full shoots will happen every week again.  Lots of Churches out there, guys, go beyond your Roll-a-Decks.  Please.

They will Change the Hours.  As it stands now we all work around 12 hours a day-when you count the drive to and from work, the setup and teardown, and the shooting time.  This sucks and there are laws against it-as The Old Company found out when one group of Employees sued and won.  We get no meal breaks, no overtime, and often get paid $50 for working 12 hours.  Hmm, how do you get in touch with the Fair Labor Board, OSHA, or a Lawyer looking for a juicy Class Action case?  Maybe that would mean a little more money.

They will Change how we Shoot.  Possible.  Not a good thing.  The New Company now shoots directory promotions by using teams that take turns both shooting and selling portraits.  Each person sees about 10 people and it is impossible that all three persons will make enough money to get by, forget about rolling in the dough.

They will Change our Studios.  I sure as hell hope not.  When I worked for The New Company many years ago they shot with the Worst Portable Portrait Studio EVER.  It was all metal rods and fixed lights and a royal pain in the ass to setup and transport.  Maybe they will get us better lights-like Softboxes or larger Umbrellas.  Ha ha.  Sorry, laughing again.

Get Rid of the Happy Table and the Portrait Critiques.  Not a chance in hell, but a man can dream, can’t he?  We now have to pretend we are a fast food joint and greet everyone with a big hello when they walk in.  We also have to set up a table with sample portraits and a page of Customer Service BS.  Critiques-The old guy at The Lab hates everyone’s portraits, and he especially hates mine.  So he is one person that I don’t want the New Company to hire.  Get someone who can say something, anything, positive once in a while.

And well, that’s it.  It’s the same old same old.  I really can’t see any changes for the better and I guess I honestly don’t expect too many changes for the worse.   The real problem is that The New Company is playing its cards too close to its chest.

And not knowing leaves us all wondering if the future is so bright we gotta wear shades, or so dark we gotta look for another job.