Local paper use my picture !

gus607

gus607

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Mike
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A neighbouring house caught fire last night. After submitting a few pictures to the local paper, they used one of them on their website.

Thankfully no one was injured in the fire. Today the house is gutted.

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Story here. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/h...ell-house/article-1887906-detail/article.html
 
Most of the time you wont get paid unless you agree it before hand but sometimes it is just nice to see your own pics published. If you wish to be paid you need to ask a couple of papers if they want the pic and how much they would be prepared to pay but a lot of the time they will get free pics from several people and just choose the best free one.
 
Being paid will be a thing of the past shortly.

I'm sick to death of seeing the crap pictures on northwest news and the sad people thinking 'oooo i got my picture on TV or printed aint i good' and not getting paid
 
To be honest, many local papers rely on Contributed images. I've sent in a couple myself & have no problems with not getting paid.. They should generally credit, and if it's a local paper then that's free advertising. Fine by me!

Well done on getting your image published!
 
louise-knight said:
They should generally credit, and if it's a local paper then that's free advertising. Fine by me!
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it's not free advertising, no-one ever saw a reader submitted pic of a burning house and went 'omg I wonder if they do weddings'. But I digress...

In this case, the local rag probably has a photog on payroll, but either didn't hear, or more likely, didn't care enough (it's one burning house...), about the incident to get him to go over there to take a few pics. Therefore they'll have grabbed the best one that got emailed in as a 'reader pic'. No-one was done out of a job, no pro was sat at home eating 9p noodles because of this... I'm a grumpy git about the mere prospect of genuine work being taken away by 'haveago bob's who then produce crap, but this isn't one of those instances...

OP, well done, please don't let the (f)lame fest that happens whenever someone gets their picture on the local rag or bbc's 'reader's pics' bit get to you, good work :)
 
itsdavedotnet said:
it's not free advertising, no-one ever saw a reader submitted pic of a burning house and went 'omg I wonder if they do weddings'. But I digress...
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I didn't really mean in this instance. Just trying to put a positive spin on grumpy people saying "you should've been paid", that's all :shrug:
 
itsdavedotnet said:
I'm a grumpy git about the mere prospect of genuine work being taken away by 'haveago bob's who then produce crap, but this isn't one of those instances...
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I'm sure all these arguments have been done to death, but if your livelihood is really being threatened by 'haveago bob' producing crap then you need to step up your game or revise your business model. We live in a market economy and no-one is owed a living.

Well done to the OP. :)
 
but if your livelihood is really being threatened by 'haveago bob' producing crap then you need to step up your game or revise your business model
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Like any trade, its the damage they do in the short term. It happened in the printing industry years ago.

I'd like to clarify i wasnt saying this picture was rubbish, just that free pictures will have an effect on someones livelihood.

Some people want to think how they'd feel if it happened to them.
 
louise-knight said:
To be honest, many local papers rely on Contributed images. I've sent in a couple myself & have no problems with not getting paid.. They should generally credit, and if it's a local paper then that's free advertising. Fine by me!

Well done on getting your image published!
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Tosh...how is it free advertising?! How many jobs have you got by people phoning and saying "ooh I saw your snapshot in the local rag"?!

I'm just thankful I don't rely on this sort of work to make my living...I've got my areas of work and I'm quite happy with them. If I was doing "local spot news" I'd be spitting right now.
 
jamesb84 said:
Tosh...how is it free advertising?! How many jobs have you got by people phoning and saying "ooh I saw your snapshot in the local rag"?!

I'm just thankful I don't rely on this sort of work to make my living...I've got my areas of work and I'm quite happy with them. If I was doing "local spot news" I'd be spitting right now.
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I meant if it's your image and your name is next to it, then that is advertising what you do to people who read/view it. I didn't literally mean that it's going to get you work, but in your local paper then it might get your name about a bit.
I wasn't referring to a snapshot or images like the OPs, I was referring to those people who may contribute sports images, portraits, events, that sort of thing. Lighten up a bit it was only a comment..
 
louise-knight said:
I meant if it's your image and your name is next to it, then that is advertising what you do to people who read/view it. I didn't literally mean that it's going to get you work, but in your local paper then it might get your name about a bit.
I wasn't referring to a snapshot or images like the OPs, I was referring to those people who may contribute sports images, portraits, events, that sort of thing. Lighten up a bit it was only a comment..
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Perhaps I should ask my landlord or electricity supplier if I can pay my rent and bills with tearsheets and photo credits then!? :cuckoo:

I'm sorry I won't lighten up with this issue...this is some peoples livelihoods...mine included. I don't turn up at your place of work and do your job for a piece of paper with my name on it do i? So stop doing it to photographers!
 
It really depends what you said in your original email to them. If you simply sent the photos without explicit permission to publish, then you can complain and ultimately take them to the small claims court.

We had a problem with a local newspaper - they printed one of our pictures front page, on page three and reproduced it on their website. They only credited one then refused to pay on the basis that they were reader pictures - we're a photo agency.

Tread carefully.
 
dcash29 said:
just that free pictures will have an effect on someones livelihood.
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My local newspaper laid off 3 freelance photographers a year ago, they now just have the 1 staff photographer they always had on a salary.
 
Have you read some of the comments on the story???

hmmmmm , the estate people again

leo, the hairdressers commented on 05-Mar-2010 09:05
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Is it true that Rickets and Scurvy are still prevelant in Bulwell?

billy, Living in this Labour generated hell hole.
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and I thought it could get brutal on here!!


If you're happy that it got printed then well done :thumbs:
 
Nice pic, in all my career as a press photographer I never once saw flames....

For the first and final time a byline in newspapers for marketing purposes, is virtually worthless. I've had pictures in local, large regional and national newspapers (front pages in both the Guardian and Telegraph), with bylines, and they have not once resulted in a phone call requesting work, except reprints.
Maybe I've been unlucky and I'm sure there are exceptions, but newspaper publishers are now more interested in profits than quality, which is why they will nearly always take the free reader submitted pics over the images supplied by freelancers/agencies.
One of the reasons I don't bother with news anymore, unless that is if I see Michael Jackson walking out of a club with Bin Laden, Jade and John Lennon.
 
jamesb84 said:
I'm sorry I won't lighten up with this issue...this is some peoples livelihoods...mine included. I don't turn up at your place of work and do your job for a piece of paper with my name on it do i? So stop doing it to photographers!
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And in your line of togging do you ever, or have you ever, speculated to accumulate?

Yes?

I will say no more then
 
jamesb84 said:
Perhaps I should ask my landlord or electricity supplier if I can pay my rent and bills with tearsheets and photo credits then!? :cuckoo:

I'm sorry I won't lighten up with this issue...this is some peoples livelihoods...mine included. I don't turn up at your place of work and do your job for a piece of paper with my name on it do i? So stop doing it to photographers!
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Feel free to turn up at my work and try and do my job - I very much doubt you'd be able to do it though. In fact lots of people do volunteer work at my place, which I don't mind at all.
 
Well done to mike (OP), i have submitted a pic or two to the same paper and been printed. In this instance i doubt the paper would have got a reporter to the scene of the fire in time to catch the fire in full flame.
 
Thanks for all the positive comments !

I never set out to make any money I was quite happy to give the pic i for free.

Being a hobbyist with no aspirations to be a pro tog I just enjoy photography for what it is. in my case taking pictures ! I frequent this forum to learn.

If sending pics to the local rag upsets a few of the forum members, then I make no apologies. Surely you can't feel threatened by my photography

To those who say I'm taking their bread & butter, I say when you give some one a lift in your car think of the poor taxi drivers you are depriving of work. I think not.

So I bow out of the forum now, my sincerest thanks to the members who have given me help & knowledge over the time I have been a member.
 
gus607 said:
Thanks for all the positive comments !

I never set out to make any money I was quite happy to give the pic i for free.

Being a hobbyist with no aspirations to be a pro tog I just enjoy photography for what it is. in my case taking pictures ! I frequent this forum to learn.

If sending pics to the local rag upsets a few of the forum members, then I make no apologies. Surely you can't feel threatened by my photography

To those who say I'm taking their bread & butter, I say when you give some one a lift in your car think of the poor taxi drivers you are depriving of work. I think not.

So I bow out of the forum now, my sincerest thanks to the members who have given me help & knowledge over the time I have been a member.
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Are you leaving the forum due to constructive criticism? :thinking:
 
gus607 said:
So I bow out of the forum now, my sincerest thanks to the members who have given me help & knowledge over the time I have been a member.
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Grow up.
 
jamesb84 said:
Perhaps I should ask my landlord or electricity supplier if I can pay my rent and bills with tearsheets and photo credits then!? :cuckoo:

I'm sorry I won't lighten up with this issue...this is some peoples livelihoods...mine included. I don't turn up at your place of work and do your job for a piece of paper with my name on it do i? So stop doing it to photographers!
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I count myself as a photographer.. so ultimately I must be keeping myself out of work? No.

I didn't post my comment to cause drama and start a pathetic little argument over something as petty as this. At the end of the day, if it's not bringing the money in then get another job to support yourself.


I'm really sorry to the OP for feeling they must leave the forums over something like this, it's a shame everyone can't just get on. Hopefully they will be back again soon.
 
C'mon people let's calm down here. He might've given the photo away, but if it's his first print [even if it's only on the web] I think we should be patting him on the back. Granted, he shouldn't persist handing photo's out, but everyone start's somewhere.

So, well done OP, don't take offence at the comments as they are just pointers, but please bear in mind some people on here work full-time as photographers (myself not included) so they may see this as a slight threat to their industry.
 
Well done getting your shot printed :) Don't worry about some people crying about you giving it away for free, if you enjoy seeing your shot in print, go for it!
 
I go to track days and give my friends free images of their cars whizzing round. Its my camera, my memory card and my decision.

If you feel intimidated, then raise the bar !!

ps: i hope the OP comes back on and puts these comments behind him. :(
 
One of my pictures got put in the paper once, they couldn't offer me any money because it was a small-ish paper and they said none of them could really be used. Next thing I know, one of my pictures was printed in the paper quite large and I felt quite used to be honest. I didn't know much about marketing my photography so it was my own fault.

Good when you see it in the paper though.
 
It amazes me that if you post saying that you gave a photo to a newspaper or TV then you get criticised.

However if you post in Out of Focus asking about problems with a car or central heating etc etc you get loads of advice.
No one replies saying that you should get a professional to do the work otherwise you are depriving them of their livelihood. :shrug:
 
If you rely on photography as your income, to pay the bills and put food in your mouths, I think you are entitled to feel disgruntled about people giving away their photos for free. It's scary thinking about how many togs have lost their jobs at local and regional newspapers, just because people send in their pictures. It might be worth trying to see things from their point of view. As someone who is in the early years of their career, I've realised that in the majority of cases, you gain nothing for giving your work away for free. You devalue the industry and the next time that person wants a picture - they'll expect it for free.

Well done for getting your picture published, I don't think anyone is having a go at you personally - you are probably just unaware of what this means for photographers. However this statement is just a bit silly.

To those who say I'm taking their bread & butter, I say when you give some one a lift in your car think of the poor taxi drivers you are depriving of work. I think not.
 
Suvv said:
It amazes me that if you post saying that you gave a photo to a newspaper or TV then you get criticised.

However if you post in Out of Focus asking about problems with a car or central heating etc etc you get loads of advice.
No one replies saying that you should get a professional to do the work otherwise you are depriving them of their livelihood. :shrug:
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You might on a Car-Mechanic's or Plumber's Forum - if such things exist?
 
kieranmcmanus said:
If you rely on photography as your income, to pay the bills and put food in your mouths, I think you are entitled to feel disgruntled about people giving away their photos for free. It's scary thinking about how many togs have lost their jobs at local and regional newspapers, just because people send in their pictures.
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Again, nobody is owed a living. Perhaps we should ban digital photography altogether what with all the people put out of work by digital printing etc

While we're at it we should go back in time and ban the Spinning Jenny - putting all those poor weavers out of work. :(

We live in a market economy - if something is readily available it will make it harder to sell for reasonable money. Unless you are advocating communism perhaps?

Being arsey and whining about it isn't going to change anything. If you are actually talented/hard-working/business minded I bet you aren't going to be worried one little bit by amateurs sending in pictures.

It might be worth trying to see things from their point of view. As someone who is in the early years of their career, I've realised that in the majority of cases, you gain nothing for giving your work away for free. You devalue the industry and the next time that person wants a picture - they'll expect it for free.

Well done for getting your picture published, I don't think anyone is having a go at you personally - you are probably just unaware of what this means for photographers. However this statement is just a bit silly.

To those who say I'm taking their bread & butter, I say when you give some one a lift in your car think of the poor taxi drivers you are depriving of work. I think not.
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Go on then, explain why it's silly? Is it because you personally place a higher value on photography than driving a car perhaps?
 
Giving a friend/family member a lift is a bit different to sending your pictures to papers for free or charging peanuts. You obviously have a different opinion. I don't think I was being arsey or whinging and I'm happy to say I am hard working enough to try and find other avenues of income, not just local news. Digital photography is great, but what it has brought is this culture that everyone can be a photographer. I'm not saying don't take pictures - photography is great and I encourage that. I discourage anyone from giving their photographs away for free or peanuts. I mean what is anyone actually gaining from giving a picture away for free?
 
I can kind of see both sides to this.

So many local papers have folded (excuse the pun) in recent years. If a local paper is existing by the skin it's teeth can you really blame them for making use of images provided by the general public free of charge ?
 
kieranmcmanus said:
Giving a friend/family member a lift is a bit different to sending your pictures to papers for free or charging peanuts. You obviously have a different opinion. I don't think I was being arsey or whinging and I'm happy to say I am hard working enough to try and find other avenues of income, not just local news. Digital photography is great, but what it has brought is this culture that everyone can be a photographer. I'm not saying don't take pictures - photography is great and I encourage that. I discourage anyone from giving their photographs away for free or peanuts. I mean what is anyone actually gaining from giving a picture away for free?
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Sorry I wasn't saying you were being arsey or whinging but some people in this thread and others definitely are.

Ultimately, if someone wants to send in their picture purely for the satisfaction of seeing it used in a paper - what right has anyone got to tell them they shouldn't do that?

I kind of agree that some things have been devalued to an extent, I make a living from music and it's the same in the music industry - loads of people are happy to do gigs etc for free. If they enjoy themselves then why the hell shouldn't they though. I'm all for people getting paid a fair wage for their work, but in professions where the line between work and pleasure are often blurred it's often tricky.

Trying to stem the tide by bitching and moaning at people isn't going to help. It's like record companies trying to stop downloading by calling people thieves and trying to sue them. What they are finally realising is it's not going to work, and they need to change their business model to reflect what's actually happening.
 
Congrats to the OP if your happy we should all be happy!

As for the rest, the total lack of understanding of free market economics is staggering.

Oh and all my pictures are available for free as I made a conscious decision to never ever make any money out of this hobby!
 
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