[Leica] When should a printer refuse to print a photograph?

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

In Chicago in the 60's the half toners union was famous for having a big say
as to how sexy anyone saw any pix which went through them and they all did.
And these were middle glass stocky Chicago white guys with a narrow field of
world view. I wonder if that still is ongoing?

--------------------
Mark William Rabiner
Photography
mark at rabinergroup.com


> From: Jim Shulman <jshul at comcast.net>
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:29:27 -0400
> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] When should a printer refuse to print a photograph?
> 
> They have a right to refuse whatever work they care to refuse.  You have a
> right to find another printer.  Considering the state of the economy, and
> especially the dramatic drop-off in print work, that must be one very
> principled printer! (or they have a large client with strict moral 
> standards
> who must be placated; I've known printers who would refuse other jobs that
> might offend a major client.)
> 
> Many years ago when I was in the printing industry some printers would 
> print
> skin magazines, and others wouldn't go near them.  Some printers will only
> print Democratic Party materials, others only Republican.  It's just a
> matter of finding a printer who can accommodate your needs.
> 
> Jim Shulman
> Wynnewood, PA
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net at leica-users.org
> [mailto:lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of kyle
> cassidy
> Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 2:13 PM
> To: lug at leica-users.org
> Subject: [Leica] When should a printer refuse to print a photograph?
> 
> I got word yesterday, via Twitter, that the printers hired to do the
> program for the American Repertory Theater's production of Cabaret
> (which I had shot the images for) had refused to print the book
> because of one of my photographs, which they found objectionable
> ("censurable" was the actual word they used).
> 
> It's Cabaret, you know, a play that has Nazi solders, nudity, cross
> dressing, sex and drug use -- it's been playing since the mid 1960's
> and Bob Fosse made a movie of it -- so I'm guessing you know what
> you're getting into when you're printing the souvenir program guide.
> But they were resolute. They'd print it if some text was moved to
> cover certain parts of the female anatomy in one image but that was
> it. I was a bit baffled -- as far as photographs go (of the sort that
> might be used for the program guide in a play about Nazi's and
> strippers that has a Parental Warning notice at the theater door) it
> was pretty tame and certainly not something that you couldn't find in
> any issue of Vogue -- I was also a bit surprised that a printer would
> offer opinions usually left to the art director. My involvement in the
> project was over weeks before so I wasn't on the front lines -- rather
> I watched it unfold on Twitter -- and it unfolded with a big bang as
> theater people, designers, and whomever else picked up the ball and
> started making a loud noise. In the face of the mini Internet
> firestorm the issue got resolved, like a bit of flotsam caught in a
> bend in the stream that gets freed eventually by the rush of water and
> the thing was gone -- but it was very interesting to watch unfold.
> 
> More thoughts on the matter and lots of photos (some possibly Not Safe
> for Work, depending on where you live) are collected here:
> 
>   http://kylecassidy.livejournal.com/616860.html
> 
> and I'm very interested in your thoughts on the rights &
> responsibilities of the person in the Photomat booth (so to speak) --
> at what point can or should they put their foot down and say "I'm not
> printing this trash."
> 
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> 
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