Magazine Question...

[Steve Parr]

I was told this morning that one of my photos appears in the May issue of Acoustic Guitar Magazine, without a photo credit. I was hired to do a photo shoot for someone, who then submitted the photos to the magazine. I was paid nicely for the gig.

Should I be all tweaked over the fact that there's no photo credit?

I haven't seen the issue yet (I hope to today), so I'm just going by what I was told.

Muchos grassyass...

[Longwatcher]

I am mixed on this one.

I do know that photo credit is not always given for shots in magazines.
Since you were paid for the shoot, I would not personally be very bothered by this. I am of course presuming you were aware that the shot could be used for publication?
On the flip side I would also want any of my published photos to have credit and so far have been.

If the shot was taken for free then they better have my credit associated with the photo. That is a condition of all "free" use.

[brivett]

I rarely ask for a credit - It pigeon-holes you.

If you get a credit on a sports pic, people think of you as a sports photographer and don't call you for PR work... works in a thousand directions...

[nater]

Who "owns" the image? Did you give your client full usage rights when they paid you for the shoot? I think that this is critical for deciding if they were in a position to give permission for the magazine to publish the shot.

[Steve Parr]

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

First, I granted the person who hired me full usage rights. In all honesty, I knew, going in, that they were only going to be used for the magazine.

I'm not too bent over the whole thing. Yeah, it would be nice to have the "by line", but the lack of it won't keep me from adding it to my portfolio.

Also, brivett, I never even considered the idea of getting pigeon-holed into one form of photography...

[brivett]

many photographers have more than one portfolio website..... weddings ceratinly don't mix with advertising....

[pristic]

Well, in Aus (NSW) he who pays for the shoot owns copyright unless otherwise stated.
I used to do Corporate and Wedding Video and that was a MESS when it came to copyright. It was not lust the picture or what was in it, it was audio, background sounds, background music as well as everything you need to deal with in photography like logos, trademarks, etc... ahhh what a mess.

If I knew beforehand that it was going into a Mag then I would have either made it clear I had to get credit or that I didnt want credit.... if I didnt know where something was going, and I gave them full rights... well they do what they want pretty much and no cred is their choice.

I would be pumped that my work was/is in the mag and ask them for a copy for free :) but not tweaked that I didnt have credit... especially in your case.

Peter.

[RossW]

Magazines sometimes lump all the photo credits together in fine print on one page, or bury individual credits in the crease... so it may be there after all. If you really want the acknowledgement, contact the magazine... they may put a small mention about the missing credit in the next issue if you ask nicely. As you point out, you were paid for the "work for hire," and assigned the rights to your client -- but it would have been a nice gesture for him/her to have made arrangements with the magazine to give you the credit. Congrats, regardless!

[Steve Parr]

Magazines sometimes lump all the photo credits together in fine print on one page, or bury individual credits in the crease... so it may be there after all. If you really want the acknowledgement, contact the magazine... they may put a small mention about the missing credit in the next issue if you ask nicely. As you point out, you were paid for the "work for hire," and assigned the rights to your client -- but it would have been a nice gesture for him/her to have made arrangements with the magazine to give you the credit. Congrats, regardless!

Thanks.

I thought the client was going to make that arrangement with the magazine.

I'll contact then and see what they say. Hell, the worst that can happen is they say "no"...

[JaertX]

I'd only be mad if the photo was credited as "courtesy (insert your client's name here)"

You can still use it in your portfolio/resume!

[Steve Parr]

I'd only be mad if the photo was credited as "courtesy (insert your client's name here)"

You can still use it in your portfolio/resume!

Well, I wonder how big a deal it would really be. After all, I sold the photos and rights to use them to the guy who supplied them to the magazine. It would've been nice to get the by-line but, like you said, it'll still find its' way into my portfolio...

[KennyG]

Steve, ask the magazine for a letter confirming the picture is yours and file it for future use where you are asked to submit examples of your work. If you don't it could be anyone's picture as far as a potential client is concerned. Most magazines will do this for you.

[Steve Parr]

Steve, ask the magazine for a letter confirming the picture is yours and file it for future use where you are asked to submit examples of your work. If you don't it could be anyone's picture as far as a potential client is concerned. Most magazines will do this for you.

Never even thought of that. I'll do that.

Thanks!

[Croasdail]

I'll second that... I also get tear sheets too and attach the two... just nice to have when someone asks for examples of your published work. Many times these are not the same images that I would consider as part of my professional portfolio work as it is usually more ordinary stuff... not that most of what I do isn't ordinary. Congrats on the work being published.

[Steve Parr]

I'll second that... I also get tear sheets too and attach the two... just nice to have when someone asks for examples of your published work. Many times these are not the same images that I would consider as part of my professional portfolio work as it is usually more ordinary stuff... not that most of what I do isn't ordinary. Congrats on the work being published.

Thanks.

I just found out that the guy I shot the photos for did ask for the magazine to include a credit.

I'm going to write to the publisher tomorrow and see if I can get a letter which states that the photo which was published is mine...