Free? Giving your work away for free? I know, it sounds insane but hear me out. I've struggled over the years to justify this question in my heart when people say, "You should be making six figures with your skills!" but the thought of that makes me squirm uncomfortably. And recently I stumbled upon a photographer's profile that loudly stated, "Want to know how I became a 7-figure photographer?" and it made me ill. Feel free to argue with me, but money should not be the primary motivation of your passion or purpose on this fleeting earth. Through some introspection, I can confidently say that I'm not really here (on earth) to profit off my work. It's honestly so hard for me to justify charging money for my work, and I recognize this is kind of backwards to how the world works. As a Christian, I believe that God graciously gifts us all with certain talents and abilities that we are responsible to use for the greater good of the world and shouldn't use for personal gain. And photography is one of those things I love to bless people with. But I understand that as an artist, my time and energy is worth value, so when people want to hire me to create something for them then I believe my work should be paid for. There are many creative projects that I take on for my personal enjoyment that may benefit someone else's creative project, and that's the reason I upload a ton of my photos to Unsplash.

Ron Nickel, my highly-respected and hard-working photography professor was the first to open my eyes about the downfalls of free, open-source photography. It can be compared to the negative effects that streaming platforms like Spotify have had on musicians. When you're paying little to nothing for something, it usually means that somebody else is either profiting off you (big corporate giants), or you're driving down the value of this product. Now that high-quality stock photography is out there for free, I do believe that photographers who use photography as their primary source of income put their livelihood at risk, unless they've adapted their business model. Perhaps this is a sign of the rapidly changing times. Like Blockbuster, they failed to keep up with their competitors (like Netflix) and now we're living in a world without this legendary childhood icon. I have a lot of criticism for free stock photo companies now that I've developed a sense of self-worth, but I'll save that energy for another post.

Okay, free stock photography isn't all that bad for everyone. On the contrary I must say, I get an incredible amount of joy when I see my photos around the internet or on a church banner or in a magazine. Dear reader, with whatever you are gifted with, I would encourage you to bless others with your gift. If you enjoy cooking, invite people around your table. If you have a knack for knitting, sew some mittens for people in need. I've had incredible people reach out to me and share their encouragement and projects with me, and it's incredibly honouring to have a teeny tiny impact on some part of their lives. My first thought when I see my work is, I'm so glad someone was able to use that! In my most recent interview with Alex Begin at Unsplash, I said,

"Regarding stock photography, seek purpose in your work. Ask yourself, why am I taking this photo? Does the internet need another photo of a ______? And, it’s been said time and time again but don’t let comparison steal your joy for photography. If you’ve been in my place, spiralling down an anxious path of self-criticism, muttering things like, “If I were only as good as…”, and scrolling through social media and being disheartened by seeing everyone else’s work, then it’s time to take a break and find yourself again. If you can’t genuinely be proud of your work and celebrate the accomplishments of others, then you might need to pull yourself out for a little bit. I found it helpful to go out in the field and shoot without any expectations, and I was creating better work than when I had to go out and shoot a certain image or style. You have your own unique gifts, so recognize and exploit them! And even if your gift is photography, your gifts also stretch beyond the lens."

"the value of one's life is not measured by how much money or followers you have, but by how many hearts AND lives you can impact for the greater good of the world"

We have such a short amount of time on earth, and I believe that we should spend it wisely. Don't pursue materialistic goods, buy a massive home and fill it with stuff or own a fancy car (unless it's a Tesla- they're um, electric so it's totally cool right?). Find your passion, exploit your gifts and love your neighbour. So, if you would like some free photos, please head on over to my Unsplash page and download as much as you'd like! Thank you for reading, and don't forget to credit your photographer :)

Keep creating,

-Priscilla Du Preez