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An Open Letter to the Art Directors Club

Earlier this year, OnRequest Images and the Art Directors Club announced that OnRequest would be a sponsor for ADC’s 84th Annual Awards Gala, to be held in New York City on June 2, 2005. (ASMP's concerns about OnRequest's "Custom Stock" business model were described in an earlier special announcement.)

Myrna Davis, Executive Director
Art Directors Club
106 West 29th Street
New York, New York 10001

Dear Ms. Davis,

As leaders of various photography trade associations, we are writing you to express our concern that you have accepted sponsorship funds from On Request Images for your upcoming gala event. This sponsorship is a passive endorsement by the Art Directors Club and we are confident that this is not the message you really want to be sending to the creative community.

On Request Images, and other developers and promoters of the business model that’s now commonly called “custom stock” promote the practice of photographers working on speculation. These so-called “stock” images are actually assignments done on spec and yield only the “winning” participant any compensation. We have heard troubling stories from photographers who unwittingly engaged in this model, thinking it was a “stock” opportunity. The leadership of each of the undersigned trade organizations has independently come to the same conclusion: The business model known as ‘Custom Stock’ does not appear to provide a viable and sustainable income for professional photographers and hence this is not a practice we can support.

Reducing any element of the creative process to this level of commodity business production and pricing appears to be counter to your own stated mission, “To promote the highest standards of excellence and integrity in visual communications.”

There are times when assignment work is not needed and stock fills the bill, but do not be fooled by a name. There is nothing “custom” about “stock”. “Custom stock” is simply assignment work done on speculation. Stock by its very definition is not custom and the pricing is commensurate with the more generic needs it fulfills.

The relationship between an art director and a photographer has a long tradition of being a wonderful creative collaboration and this premise has resulted in our most memorable advertising icons. You need only look at the samples on your own web site to clarify our position, and our dismay at hearing of this partnership.

We urge you to not ignore the threat that “Custom Stock” brings to our industry. We must consider building a future in which art directors and photographers are working together with respect and recognition of business practices that serve both well. Join us — educate your members and fulfill your mission.

Sincerely,

American Society of Media Photographers
Stock Artists Alliance
Advertising Photographers of America
Editorial Photographers