However at the urging of several friends I finally joined one or two. I have every intention of joining more but it's always about the indecision of what am I going to get out of it and where will I find the time. My gym membership goes unused.. tomorrow - I'll go - for sure!
My two proud paying memberships are with ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers) and EP (EditorialPhotographer.com). Both incredible organizations for photographers by photographers.
ASMP has chapters nationwide but what has always chapped my lips is the hypocrisy that exists when members who by join are suppose to further the cause and financial health of the local professional photographic community. One more than one occasion I find members signing work-for-hire contracts and other such predatory contracts or just plain working for substandard rates. These offenses hardly uphold the health of community. Worse yet when it's the board members and muckedy-mucks of the organization.
What gives with this sort of behavior. I certainly try to walk the walk and talking the talk. My intentions are not to be the lowest bidder but to push it as far as possible because as a member of organizations such as ASMP I owe it to all my "brothers" to uphold these "soft- by-laws".
ASMP recently has been dealing with member unrest when it became public that the board where paying one-another to provide services which could have been fulfilled for free from the general members. A minimum of 3 bids should have at least been solicited for fair-play.
The moral of my twisted rant is about fair-play and if you are going to join and even rise to controlling stakes in these professional clubs do your upmost uphold the standards that are being advocated by the group or advocate higher ones yourself.
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