Travel images required for website in return for publicity and links

Sorry but this is a joke of course. Free photographs to use for your business - for you to earn money! Excuse me if I sound angry, but I am. I try to make a living by selling hard-worked travel images to libraries, newspapers, magazines etc.
What about this instead: "I am a photographer who needs to travel for business, so you give me a free holiday and I will add your link and bio to my website".

Is this a joke? Do you really think photographers don't value their work at all?

Amateur photographers may be interested yes, people who've taken good photos purely for the enjoyment of it rather than to make money. We all have to start somewhere.
We dont expect to have professional or even semi professional photographers who rely on their work to earn a living offering us their services.
I really dont think it's a request that should make you 'angry' as it wasnt aimed at people who try to earn a living from photography. Perhaps we should have made that clear, but at the same time, I dont think it warrants these aggressive responses.

No, this isn't a joke, we have spoken to 'professional' photographers about using their images and we can't afford to at this stage. It was actually a 'professional' photographer who said to us that a few years ago, before he relied on his photography as his sole income, he would have gladly offered permission in return for some publicity and it was him that gave us the idea of asking if anyone would be willing to do this. Of course, we know photographers value their work and we would hope that there is 'someone' out there that will be proud to have their images displayed on our website in return for some publicity, and if we can help with any travel 'perks' we would be glad to do so. Sometime, it's not all about making money and as I said in my last post, we all have to start somewhere.

Sorry Tanya, I didn't realise you and your business were just aiming for amateur photographers who take great photos for pleasure. I didn't realise that you wanted to exploit these guys who perhaps imagine that by giving their great work away for free that they will then be on the first step of a success ladder.
Sorry, it wasn't aggression it was just plain bewilderment.

On one hand I don't think $150 for several hundred images would kill your business (I hope you've planned investing some money in marketing). I'm talking abut micro-stock web sites, like www.shutterstock.com - they offer excellent value for your money.

On the other hand, feel free to browse www.photoprospect.com - you might be interested in the Landscapes album. I'm sure you'll find there something that you like - please let me know what you chose (for my information).

To the above posters - sorry, but it makes me happy to see my photos put to use. And the hassle of selling them isn't worth the effort in my current situation (don't get me wrong, I would love to work on assignment, but it's very hard to get into this business especially w/o leaving your day job).

Regards,
Jean

I don't wish to exploit anyone David, that's not my intention.

Thank you Jean. I agree $150 wouldn't kill my business, but these aren't the kind of figures that have come up so far when we have been searching for images. Perhaps I should have thought more carefully about the wording in my original posting and instead of saying 'we don't have anything' in the budget, I should have said 'we have very little in the budget'. I really appreciate the links you have sent me and I will take some time to study these and I will contact you directly about the landscape images you mention.

Do you have any other suppliers who work for you for free? Do you take a salary or draw from the business or do you hope to do so in future ? Do the hotels or carriers you use provide a free service in return for a positive mention on your website? Promoting your business is not an option; you need to budget for it properly and use the images you think will support your offer, not just those you can get for free.

Buying a licence to use an image from a stock agency for use on a website doesn't cost a fortune , as my monthly statements from a few of them testify; especially if the image is to be small. If you don't want to do that make an offer to a photographer that you'll pay the going commercial rate (find out what that is from stock agencies and be specific) in a year's time if your business has survived that long. Just don't join the ranks of the clueless and greedy, trying to use a non-existent " the exposure will do you good" argument to appeal to the vanity of photographers. If Coca Cola volunteered to put my name on all their advertising materials, I imagine I'd be interested and that I wouldn't be alone. A newish travel company that no-one's heard of? No, sorry.