That makes a lot more sense, Justin. Still seems nuts to not just assign the shoot but I have no idea the rarity of those particular shoes.
Agreed on the insanity of such schemes, John. I actually signed up for OnRequestImages back in 2006 when I was living in Buenos Aires, the contract was ok, not great. Then an actual assignment came up and lo and behold they needed me to sign an updated contract that was totally one sided and insulting. Never did anything with them, they went bankrupt a few years later after some vulture capitalist invested some $8 million into them.
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Patrick Bennett
patrick@patrickbennett.com------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 04-01-2023 05:06 PM
From: Justin Hoch
Subject: Wonderful Machine Stock Request
I think it's legit. My sense of it is that they're doing a history of the sneakerhead world and are looking for photos of rare shoes. There's a movie coming out about the genesis of the Air Jordan brand, so if it were tied to that, I wouldn't be surprised. There was a request that went out last week for Nike shoes, including a pair that goes for $250,000 on the open market. So I don't think it's a scam. They're really trying to find photos of difficult-to-find shoes. The provided photos are of different shoes they already have for the series.
I don't have any inside info about it, so I don't know for sure, but this is my take on what it's about.
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Justin Hoch (he/him)
jhoch.com
fireinsideproject.com
Original Message:
Sent: 04-01-2023 11:39 AM
From: Patrick Bennett
Subject: Wonderful Machine Stock Request
Apologies, I didn't make it clear who the email came from. It came from Wonderful Machine as a stock photo request. They get 50% of any stock sale.
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Patrick Bennett
patrick@patrickbennett.com
Original Message:
Sent: 04-01-2023 10:31 AM
From: Walter Rowe
Subject: Wonderful Machine Stock Request
Did it come from a legitimate NYTimes address? Was it possibly spoofed? Would NYTimes really send a Dropbox link to upload images?
Original Message:
Sent: 03-31-2023 08:04 AM
From: Patrick Bennett
Subject: Wonderful Machine Stock Request
I got this today, reminds me a lot of the defunct On Request Images. Am I wrong to be cynical? They are asking for exactly what they show they already have in the shoes on white background, I'm sure they're looking for different takes on this but it seems like a helluva way to get a thousand photographers to go out and buy the shoes on the chance their shot will get picked.
The email:
New Balance and Reebok Sneakers for The New York Times
The New York Times is seeking images of specific high-end New Balance and Reebok sneakers for an upcoming ad campaign.
Images of the following products on white knock-out background are needed:
- Reebok: Club C 85 Vintage
- Reebok: Classic Leather Chalk Cold Grey
- Reebok: Instapump Fury 95
- New Balance: Concepts x 999 'The Kennedy'
- New Balance: Bodega x 997S
*Please see attached reference images of the shoe models, colors, and styling*
Budget: $2000/per image
Usage: 1 year Unlimited Use (Excluding Print Advertising)
Deadline for Submission: Wednesday April 5th, 9am ET
Submission Guidelines: Jpegs, 1000px on the long side at 72ppi. Please include your full name in the metadata and file name. Submit to the link below.
Upload Images to: https://www.dropbox.com/request/IGs4lOG4iB056hLyCQ6K |
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Patrick Bennett
patrick@patrickbennett.com
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