One of the questions I'm asked far too often, is will I photograph something for "experience." I respond to this question with "no."
Asking a photographer who has a legitimate business with a business license, like I do, is like going into a restaurant and asking the chef if he'll cook you something in order for him to gain more experience. Not only does experience not pay the bills, or put food on the table, but experience is something that a photographer should have before they even consider starting a business. A photographer should be able to go into a job knowing that they will be able to provide quality results before even advertising or declaring themselves a professional photographer.
This doesn't mean I'm not always constantly in need of experience, but experience is gained either while taking assignments, and learning from mistakes or from the photographs you take or by practicing at home in situations where I'm practicing and building my skills at home. Not shooting for "experience"doesn't mean I don't "barter" either. There have been a number of times where I have reduced the cost of a session for an organization because they offer me something in return, such as a discount or free advertising. The difference between bartering and shooting something for free for experience is different in that I am getting something in return.
I attribute people thinking that photographers will shoot for free to two things. The first is that the person doesn't want to pay for a photographer, because they feel quality photographs aren't worth anything. The second, which also influences the first reason, is inexperienced photographers who don't really know what they're doing, but who think they're professionals because they have an entry level dSLR and charging almost nothing and providing a large number of unedited, low-quality photos.
So the next time you're in the market for a photographer and are considering asking them to provide their services for experience, ask yourself if you would do your job for only experience, and no pay.
