A luxury yachting holiday firm has been slammed for advertising roles for professional photographers as ‘unpaid,’ even asking them to bring their own equipment and pay for their own flights to jobs in the Caribbean.
The ads posted by The Yacht Week, once described by GQ magazine as a sailing holiday experience ‘popular with the world’s moneyed youth,’ state that it’s looking for ‘unpaid’ photographers and ‘media production’ staff.
The brand claim it was an ‘error’, explaining that the multiple adverts featured ‘outdated’ wording from pre-2018, though the main ad on its website continues to state it is ‘unpaid’ almost 48 hours after being alerted to it.
Photographer Graham Snook has spoken out against The Yacht Week advertising for unpaid photographers, even asking them to buy their own flights to jobs in the Caribbean
Photographer Graham Snook first spotted the job last week but was outraged when he spotted it reading ‘the first trip is an unpaid position, but trust us, it’s worth doing even if you normally wouldn’t work for free.’
The 47-year-old, from Waverley, Surrey, also found ‘conditions’ at the bottom of the application form detailing that the new recruit would be responsible for providing their own equipment and covering travel costs, which he estimates would run into thousands of pounds.
While the role can be found on the ‘work with us’ section of The Yacht Week’s website, Graham believes it could actually leave workers ‘out of pocket’ – with flights alone potentially costing up to £2,000.
A disclaimer on two job applications read: ‘1. The position is unpaid, 2.The photographer is responsible for his own equipment, 3. The photographer is responsible for getting to the start location on his own and cover the travel cost themselves, 4. Day 8 will cover local costs, such as food and lodging.’
When going through the application form, applicants must know about software and camera equipment and are required to list all of their tripods and kits
The ’boutique floating festival’ trips take in beautiful seas across Croatia, Greece or even the Caribbean and feature six-litre bottles of Belvedere vodka, champagne showers, stripping and plenty of selfie-stick waving
Graham claims getting people to pay for their own travel is ‘exploitative’ and is ‘taking advantage’ of photographers.
Graham claims getting people to pay for their own travel is ‘exploitative’ and is ‘taking advantage’ of photographers.
The Yacht Week has since claimed that the ‘error’ has been amended, although only being removed from two application forms, the main advert still states the roles to be ‘unpaid.’
The brand said all photographers since 2018 have been paid a minimum of €400 upon receipt of agreed deliverables.
The ad also states ‘remuneration’ is ‘experience based’.
They said it was ‘standard’ for short term contractors ‘to get themselves to and from site and to bring their own equipment’, but said they do offer a ‘discretionary contribution’ towards travel.
The ’boutique floating festival’ trips take in beautiful seas across Croatia, Greece or even the Caribbean and is described as featuring six-litre bottles of Belvedere vodka, champagne showers, stripping and plenty of selfie-stick waving.
Graham said: ‘Taking advantage of those who enjoy photography and getting them to pay their own travel could be seen as exploitative.
Graham has £30,000-worth of equipment for his photography and spends ‘thousands of pounds’ on insurance each year, in addition to investing time after each job editing images
‘Is it a holiday or is it work? Obviously, this benefits the company and you can see why they do it.’
He explains that by stating ‘remuneration depends on experience,’ the company can decide to not pay.
When going through the application form, applicants must know about software and camera equipment and are required to list all of their tripods and kits.
It is only at the bottom that they include in the terms and conditions that it is an ‘unpaid job.’
Graham said he doesn’t ‘accept that.’
He has travelled all over the world for work and claims he often works ‘until sunset’ to get the correct photos of yachts and has emphasised it is a ‘full working day,’ and not a holiday.
On their website, The Yacht Week advert lures in photographers with the promise of ‘an epic experience’, after stating ‘the first trip is an unpaid position, but trust us, it’s worth doing even if you normally wouldn’t work for free’
As a professional photographer Graham can spend thousands of pounds on insurance each year for his £30,000 worth of equipment. He has equipment insurance, personal indemnity insurance, and public liability insurance.
Graham who has mroe than 20 years’ of experience photographing yachts under his belt explains that he has travelled the world and seen all these ‘fantastic places,’ but is keen to emphasise that it is ‘still work at the end of the day.’
He goes on to detail that this is not a ‘nine-to-five job’ because you could be getting up when the sun rises and working constantly throughout the day to find other things to photograph, until the sun sets in the evening.
As a previous staff photographer for a yachting magazine, Graham says that his cameras would generally last for about three years before ‘salt water and corrosion’ would eventually ‘kill them’
Then there’s the time is takes after each job to edit the images.
‘For me, as a working professional, it’s a full working day. It’s not a holiday where I take my camera,’ he explained.
He sympathises that it is difficult because people do want to get their work published and there’s a ‘pride’ in that, but not paying people ‘undermines the profession completely.’
Although he accepts that it is other photographers’ choice to work for free, it does take away work from commercial photographers.
He said: ‘Every job has a different pay level, but as soon as you start making money from other people’s work, it’s only fair that you should start paying for it.’
On its website, The Yacht Week advert lures in photographers with the promise of ‘an epic experience’, after stating ‘the first trip is an unpaid position, but trust us, it’s worth doing even if you normally wouldn’t work for free’.
‘Every job has a different pay level, but as soon as you start making money from other people’s work, it’s only fair that you should start paying for it.’
Graham reveals that his most expensive lens costs over £5,000, this in addition to studio lights, video camera equipment, tripods, lenses and sliders.’
As a previous staff photographer for a yachting magazine, Graham says that his cameras would generally last for about three years before ‘salt water and corrosion’ would eventually ‘kill them.’
He is baffled that The Yacht Week is expecting photographers to put their equipment in that environment, especially when insurance doesn’t cover them for cumulative damage.
Even as an amateur photographer, every time one of his photos got printed he was paid.
He said that the company will NOT get someone with 20 years of experience who ‘can work form helicopters’ without paying them
Speculating that in the ‘advent of influencers’ and people wanting ‘more and more stuff,’ it has become ‘that thing of do it for exposure.’
Graham, whose photos have appeared on magazine covers for the last 20 years, says that it only seems to be creatives who are expected to ‘work for free.’
He then filled in the rest of the application, but only to point out to The Yacht Week that they could get his fantastic photography if they pay for it.
Graham said: ‘I did point out in my application that ‘this is what you could get if you actually paid someone’.
He said that the company will not get someone with 20 years of experience who ‘can work from helicopters’ without paying them.
A spokesperson from The Yacht Week, owned by Day 8 Experiences Ltd, said: ‘We were made aware of some outdated copy on our website, advertising an unpaid photographer role.
The Yacht Week has responded that it has ‘paid all photographers and content creators since 2018 and continues to do so. They receive a weekly fee for their time and deliverables, and all on site travel, accommodation and expenses are also paid.’
‘This has now been amended and, for the avoidance of doubt, The Yacht Week has paid all photographers and content creators since 2018 and continues to do so. They receive a weekly fee for their time and deliverables, and all on-site travel, accommodation and expenses are also paid.
‘We also offer a discretionary contribution towards international travel, although as short term contractors it is standard for creators to get themselves to and from site and to bring their own equipment. If any photographers were put off applying due to the website copy error we would like to apologise and invite them to reapply.’
After hearing that The Yacht Week said the adverts were all using ‘outdated copy’, Graham said: ‘It said it was an unpaid position on the website and on the application forms.
‘I pointed this out to them using their application form but I haven’t heard anything from The Yacht Week.’