From Paddy Boyle, PHOTOGRAPHER

From Paddy Boyle, PHOTOGRAPHER

Hi,

After working with Ocus for over 6 years I have decided to call it a day.
The reasons are stated in full below not that an international corporation like Ocus will take note of my statement.

I have completed roughly 1000 missions and at the beginning all was fine.
Although I was not ok with the miserly one third compensation fee for missions cancelled that were not my fault. But I lived with it.
Neither was I ok about the zero mileage for distant missions that I accepted.
Although this could be somewhat negated by organising a number of missions at the same location.
Losing copyright, normally something I would never agree too, was not an issue with me as the photography required was very low in artistic and personal merit.

I WAS annoyed by the lack of increase in photographic fees over that period.
With inflation, parking fees and fuel costs rising and the €45 fee remaining static this has meant a reduction in actual money earned and a saving for Ocus, increasing their profits.

The slow progression of stricter guidelines has also played a part in my decision to quit.
The introduction of the rating system was an insult to most professional photographers who absolutely know what good food photography is, but €45 fee does not warrant exceptional photography.
The launch of the new platform and engagement rules is a game changer for the worse.
It is mentioned in your launch statement that these new guidelines are to help the photographers.
They most definitely are NOT.
They are to minimise the costs, responsibility, risk involved and workload to Ocus whilst increasing the burden of these elements onto the photographer.
The photographer looses the right to control his/her own calendar and to re-arrange with the client directly.

The photographer is the one who has to deal with awkward clients who do not want to prepare food, lack of preparation of food on time and moaning about the waste involved.
Clients who cancel on a whim with no regard for time wasted and money lost.
Ocus have no regard for these issues that the photographer has to endure.
And please do not reply that the new guidelines are here to help, THEY DO NOT.

The final straw for me came last month when I accepted 8 missions.
One was shot with no complications.
One was shot with the client complaining about waste of food and wished to use his own photos that were not suitable, after much coaxing he complied in the end.
One was unassigned by Ocus even though I stated on the platform that I was waiting for the client to fix a time for the shoot and that he would get back to me.
Two were unassigned by Ocus because I was unable to make contact with the clients in the prescribed time.
Two were cancelled by clients who did not want or required photography in the first place.
And finally, my most recent job (still active) was cancelled by the client when I phoned up to confirm the shoot, we rearranged the shoot but Ocus REFUSED ME COMPENSATION!
So now I will no longer work for a company who has sunk to such a low level of respect for its suppliers.

So for all the reasons above I will say Adieu (Politeness stops me from being more forthright) .

Regards
Paddy Boyle Photographer

P.S. I hate the term ‘mission’. They are not that precious.