ethics....

got a call from a prospective client in toronto.
wants to have "Incognito" photos done of a trailer park for "selling purposes".

sounds like people might be getting thier homes sold out from under them... or the land at least, by a company that doesn't want to lose any rental income in the mean time...

leaning towards saying no, may just quote ridiculously high price and hope they go elsewhere...

what do you guys think?

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Fired many shots. Didn't kill anything.

If you don't fancy the job, then just refuse it?

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Best regards, John

John my feeling is that you only get to say 'no' once. So perhaps suggesting a reasonable price but an unreasonable time frame - you're just way too busy will leave open the albeit slim chance they may offer work again in the future.

Mike

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You can see some of my shots at my Flickr account.

I had a similar job a while back for a firm of commercial surveyors (not sure if that is the phrase in Canada) who were selling commercial properties. 'Totally confidential' since the sale would generally mean job losses for the employees. The daft thing was they were intending to put the properties on their web site!

I don't know, Don, I have no worries about Paparazzi chasing celebs but when its the other end of the social scale I would be asking myself the same question you are.

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Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -

It's not uncommon for owners of commercial property to be secretive in setting up a sale but in this case it's not a job I would take on for the reasons mentioned by others. We're in the midst of a "trailer park" scandal up here at the moment and it makes scary reading if you're in the market for a residential caravan, as we call them in these parts. link

Al

I'll do it for them - at a reasonable daily rate to include travel time and costs !

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.
K20D, *istD, MZ-S, Super-A, ME Super, MX
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, DA* 300,
DA 50-200, FA 24-90, FA 20-35,
M 400-600, A 50 f1.4, A 28 f2.8, A 70-210, M 35-80, M 50 f1.7
A x2S teleconverter and a few others ...

I've done land surveys for clients who didn't want the current occupants to know what was going on. It's not fun. With photography you might have a better shot at getting the pictures without anyone questioning you, but I wouldn't bank on it and people who think they are about to lose their jobs or homes can get pretty unpleasent.

I'd ask for danger money.

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you don't have to be mad to post here



but it does help

Time to break out the old buttonhole-flower-disguised-as-a-camera!

On a more serious note, WTF?! I would just take their money (up front of course) and go and do the shoot. If anyone asks what you're doing just tell them the truth. You're not being paid to lie to people.

I don't see any ethical conflict here at all. Either the company owns the land or it doesn't.

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Tim
AF - Pentax K5, Sigma 10-20/4-5.6, Tamron 17-50/2.8, Sigma 30/1.4, Sigma 70-200/2.8, Tamron 70-300/4-5.6
MF - Vivitar CF 28/2.8, Tamron AD2 90/2.5, MTO 1000/11
Stuff - Metz 58 AF1, Cactus v4, Nikon SB24, Raynox 150, Sigma 1.4x TC, Sigma 2x TC, Kenko 2x macro TC, Redsnapper 283 tripod, iMac 27”, Macbook Pro 17”, iPad, iPhone 3G
Flickr • Fluidr • PPG • Street • Portfolio site
Feel free to edit any of my posted photos! If I post a photo for critique, I want brutal honesty. If you don't like it, please say so and tell me why!

that may not be the way the client sees it

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you don't have to be mad to post here



but it does help

last week I shot some portraits for residents of a group home...
downs syndrome, brain injury, mentally challenged people.

Having clients hug you and express so much joy and pride in your work is worth more than money.
Seeing somebody hold up a print and call herself pretty, esp a person that might not normally see herself that way was rewarding.

then this week the phone rings only once and it's about people losing thier homes..., before Christmas...

sucks.

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Fired many shots. Didn't kill anything.

Perhaps, but once you've taken their money what are they going to do about it? Sue you? They can hardly write lying into a contract.

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Tim
AF - Pentax K5, Sigma 10-20/4-5.6, Tamron 17-50/2.8, Sigma 30/1.4, Sigma 70-200/2.8, Tamron 70-300/4-5.6
MF - Vivitar CF 28/2.8, Tamron AD2 90/2.5, MTO 1000/11
Stuff - Metz 58 AF1, Cactus v4, Nikon SB24, Raynox 150, Sigma 1.4x TC, Sigma 2x TC, Kenko 2x macro TC, Redsnapper 283 tripod, iMac 27”, Macbook Pro 17”, iPad, iPhone 3G
Flickr • Fluidr • PPG • Street • Portfolio site
Feel free to edit any of my posted photos! If I post a photo for critique, I want brutal honesty. If you don't like it, please say so and tell me why!

The usual consultants/builders trick is to quote high knowing that you will not get the job - but at least you have not turned down work!!

Dave

Don. Sounds like you already know what you think is right to do. It sounds cheesy but go with your gut instinct, I've gone against my instincts a couple of times on design jobs and always regretted it afterwards. Sounds like you know what you think of the job. As others have suggested, if you value keeping the possibility of working for the company again, politely turn the job down on grounds that you're fully booked but suggest someone else they can contact. Don't lie for anyone.

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K20D | DA*16-50 | DA*50-135
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MacBook Pro | Dell U2410 Monitor | Wacom Tablet
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price a little high, busy for a couple weeks.
so I guess they wanted faster/cheaper...
no call back
;0)

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Fired many shots. Didn't kill anything.

Just re-read your original post ...

By "selling purposes" they could mean to sell more space on the park rather than sell the land.

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.
K20D, *istD, MZ-S, Super-A, ME Super, MX
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, DA* 300,
DA 50-200, FA 24-90, FA 20-35,
M 400-600, A 50 f1.4, A 28 f2.8, A 70-210, M 35-80, M 50 f1.7
A x2S teleconverter and a few others ...