I had answered a Craigslist ad requesting a second shooter for two weddings over an upcoming weekend. The ad said his usual assistant was not available, and though these two particular jobs were temporary, it could possibly lead to future work. The ad also requested an online portfolio and an hourly rate.
I received a reply from Wayne Springfield stating he'd reviewed my portfolio and thought that we had similar tastes in photography. He then laid out the general description of the weddings, stating that if I were still interested to give him my phone number so we could arrange a conversation to discuss the details. He'd also agreed to my hourly rate. Again, he closed his email stating that if I were still interested, he'd like to discuss the details over the phone and for me to give him the best time and number he could call me at.
I replied to his email, restating my interest and giving him my phone number and time (s) to call. I never received a call. A week later, I emailed him again and received no response. I found his phone number and left a message saying we needed to discuss the details, since the weddings were a week away.
An hour or so later, he called me back and left a message saying there must have been a miscommunication because he never intended to tell me he'd chosen me as the second shooter. He ended up hiring a female because since his regular assistant is a female, he was more comfortable working with another one. He'd made no attempt to contact me saying he'd chosen someone else, and in the ad, he'd made no mention of his preference for females.
So, in short, I lost a $275 job because I'm a male.
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