Do local town papers not pay for photos?....

photographyman

photographyman

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Alan
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As above really, after speaking to local paper again, they say "unfortunately the sports section doesnt have any funds".

Is this the case?

I have tried to sell them a couple of pictures, they are keen to have them but for a byline??
 
I think that is probably the case for most local papers, certainly what I was told when I contact mine some time ago. It is up to you if a byline is enough....it wasn't for me.
 
photographyman said:
As above really, after speaking to local paper again, they say "unfortunately the sports section doesnt have any funds". Is this the case? I have tried to sell them a couple of pictures, they are keen to have them but for a byline??
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I know it's hard but stick to your guns. Your name in lights will not pay the gas bill
 
Thanks Jimmy. Its not enough for me TBH. This is why pros cant make the money as well as freebies being given out all over the place but on the other hand how do we start to make a name for ourselves.. especially if we are serious about becoming pros one day?

Just thinking..;)
 
Thanks Asterix. I do agree with you totally but at times I also get a little frustrated...
 
90% of people who look at credits are photographers themselves. It maybe nice having your name in lights but in reality, its next weeks fish and chip wrapper and its quickly forgotten about

Stick to your guns, no payment, no pics
 
Cheers whitey. I have just emailed them back to tell them that exactly that. Thanks.
 
whitey said:
90% of people who look at credits are photographers themselves. It maybe nice having your name in lights but in reality, its next weeks fish and chip wrapper and its quickly forgotten about

Stick to your guns, no payment, no pics
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+1.
 
photographyman said:
but on the other hand how do we start to make a name for ourselves..
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I think your approaching this in the wrong way... You dont get a name for yourself by getting pics in local press free or paid.. Who are you thinking you will get a name with? Other papers? To be honest they are not interested in what you ahve had published... To be honest I cant think of anyone who is apart from family and friends...

Given your location.. I presume a local paper is probably owned by the MEN who in turned owned by....
 
DemiLion said:
...Trinity Mirror
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I knew.. I just didnt want to list the whole tree... and if it is them as I suspect as they seem to own 90% of the papers in the greater manchester area..... they do pay... they get an awful lot of freebies.. but if they need something then they pay... every month ;) ;)
 
I have been contacted twice by my local paper asking to use my photos, as soon as the mention of money I get the old we do t have a budget for that, my reply is simply no budget no photo.
They are more than happy to take money from our hands should we wish to advertise any services with them, so it should be a two way thing.
 
I had a, shall we be polite and say "discussion", with a local editor regarding a photo he wanted to use of mine. Enquiry came in the form of a "request" which I replied with "how much?" Told me they had no budget for this but happy to give my website credit to drive(?) some business my way! Asked him if he edits the paper for the same credit? Replied with an "no of course not!" in a rather curt manor to which I told him neither do I and unless he has a budget for photography not to contact me again! Needless to say he never has and seems happy to use excellent amateur photos of anything he can.
 
Hi kipax,

I meant even more local than that, like my town papers. The Men has little interest in the rugby league section, I have asked them a few times.

I agree with what you are saying with regards to making a name for yourself, but by this I meant if local sports groups saw it maybe they would be interested?? Just a thought. I had a boxing photo put in the local paper last year, coincidence or not, not sure???shortly after that I saw a small increase in traffic and also made quite a few sales.

Thanks for your advice Kipax, its much appreciated.

I will not be giving away free pictures, to help all hard working togs out there who deserve it....;)
 
snapzz said:
I had a, shall we be polite and say "discussion", with a local editor regarding a photo he wanted to use of mine. Enquiry came in the form of a "request" which I replied with "how much?" Told me they had no budget for this but happy to give my website credit to drive(?) some business my way! Asked him if he edits the paper for the same credit? Replied with an "no of course not!" in a rather curt manor to which I told him neither do I and unless he has a budget for photography not to contact me again! Needless to say he never has and seems happy to use excellent amateur photos of anything he can.
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That's pretty much how my discussions with my local press also went
 
photographyman said:
Hi kipax,

I meant even more local than that, like my town papers. The Men has little interest in the rugby league section, I have asked them a few times.

I agree with what you are saying with regards to making a name for yourself, but by this I meant if local sports groups saw it maybe they would be interested?? Just a thought. I had a boxing photo put in the local paper last year, coincidence or not, not sure???shortly after that I saw a small increase in traffic and also made quite a few sales.

Thanks for your advice Kipax, its much appreciated.

I will not be giving away free pictures, to help all hard working togs out there who deserve it....;)
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I would almost place my hard earned cash on the fact that, your little local town paper is also under influence from trinity mirror
 
I don't think it will make a blind bit of difference there will be some glory hunter looking to get his/their pics in print and be happy with a mention under the image.

I don't see it changing in the near future either. My own personal view is that you need to be supplying to a niche market or have some other unique selling point.
 
They maybe the same people how do it "for the love of the game, not the money".....
 
photographyman said:
Hi kipax,

I meant even more local than that, like my town papers. T
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Thats what I meant... when I say MEN i didnt mean the actual paper MEN but a local town paper owned/run by the MEN who pay the bills.. after they get it from even bigger trinity mirror

heres just a few up north titles :)

Accrington Observer
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Metro News
Middleton Guardian
North East Manchester Advertiser
Oldham Advertiser
Prestwich Advertiser
Rochdale Observer
Rossendale Free Press
Salford Advertiser
Stockport Express
Macclesfield Express
Wilmslow Express
South Manchester Reporter
 
Leigh Journal is part of Newsquest and they do pay for image use. Well the Bolton news do.
 
Once you go down the free route and the "we will credit the photo with YOUR NAME" route how can you ever charge later!
 
I had the same with the Argus in Brighton. I emailed a photo to the picture editor who asked whether "He could assume it was free to use?" When I said no I got no reply

I was very tempted to email him to tell him not to go into work next week as the paper had found someone to do his job for nothing...

Nick Froome
 
Thanks Guys. No freebies from me. Although someone else has been giving away free photos to get them in the same paper...:/ and if im correct they came from what I thought to be a professional outfit..

I can understand now why actual pros and also semi pros get peed off.
 
My local weekly newspaper pays (part of the Newsquest Group). Always get paid within 30 days, just a pity not all locals papers pay.
 
photographyman said:
Thanks Guys. No freebies from me. Although someone else has been giving away free photos to get them in the same paper...:/ and if im correct they came from what I thought to be a professional outfit.. I can understand now why actual pros and also semi pros get peed off.
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Who supplied free Alan? DM me of course. The amount of agencies now offering free pics for exposure and a head up on each other is alarming
 
Tha trend with local papers now seems to be set up a Flickr/Facebook site, encourage everyone to post their photos and then use them for free...not just papers though some photography mags are following the same path too:shrug:

Simon
 
our paper pays for photos and also milage when I work for them.

Its not a bad rate either per photo so some papers do and will pay but I can see why they use their own reporters as often as possible as with only a few photos its easy to hit £100.
If they paid what they pay per photo for the whole paper there wouldn't bee much point as I would be making a far better deal out of it than them!

I would presume the fact of pay or non pay would equate to how much profit margin the paper has.

However that doesn't excuse the fact of them wanting to use things for free, I can only presume this is due to a rise in people offering their services as free, only a while back at a wedding one of the guests said to Iain and I "well anybody can take a photo" so that is the mentallity of people in todays day and age, stupid.
 
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simonkit said:
Tha trend with local papers now seems to be set up a Flickr/Facebook site, encourage everyone to post their photos and then use them for free...not just papers though some photography mags are following the same path too:shrug:

Simon
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Have you got any examples of this please?Thanks.
 
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