Ever had a picture published in the newspaper?

[dennykyser]

Have any of you ever had a picture published in the newspaper, if so do you charge anything for it. I came upon an accident the other day and was detoured around, should I have stopped and took some pictures. (I am not an ambulance chaser by any means) just with the nasty weather was sure the newspaper would not be there.

Sure enough no pictures ever made it to the paper. Just curious if any of you take these kind of pics?

[scotgasch]

I have a couple of times but they did not want to pay anything for it...so they didn't get any pics...

However insurance companies do like to by pictures of an accident scene. So shoot away and give your card to a cop. He will have to include in his report that someone had taken pictures and he will have your contact info in the report. When the insurance company gets the police report they will see that you were there and got some photos. I would charge them at least 500.00 for them all or 100 a pic.

(EDIT) :shock: don't give the cop your memory card but you business card!!! :D

[Tom W]

I had my picture published in the paper a couple of times, but that's another story... :wink:

[DaveG]

Have any of you ever had a picture published in the newspaper, if so do you charge anything for it. I came upon an accident the other day and was detoured around, should I have stopped and took some pictures. (I am not an ambulance chaser by any means) just with the nasty weather was sure the newspaper would not be there.

Sure enough no pictures ever made it to the paper. Just curious if any of you take these kind of pics?

First off if you see a staff photographer from a newspaper there, keep on walking. A paper just won't buy something from a freelancer if they've staffed out the assignment. Unless of course it's one amazing photo!

Last summer I was coming back from delivering a commercial assignment and I found myself in the middle of a car (really a beat up old truck) chase. I ended up getting shots of the bad guy - after his engine blew up - as a bunch of mounties pounced on him. I sold it to a newspaper in town, but only after ther other newspaper told me and I quote, "We got enough pictures." Anyway it was used on the front page and I got a bonus payment for that. So it was front page and a lot of fun until I saw the two little kids in the car with the drunk father.

[IanD]

I had my picture published in the paper a couple of times, but that's another story... :wink:
Tom,
Be thankful it wasn't in the Post Ofice :shock:
Ian

[IanD]

I've had a few pictures of my race team in the local papers, but that is more of a promo tool for the team. Just about had to pay the paper to print the photo and story :lol:
Ian

[IndyJeff]

I have had 4 pictures go out over the AP wire working the Indy 500 as a stringer, paid $150 each.
I sold a picture of the Stan Fox crash in 95 to a Portugese newspaper. Paid $100 cash.
I have 3-5 images on WireImage.com and so far no payment for that.
I had a picture of my friends niece with a 5lb bass she caught in a smalltown weekly. I got a byline.
I have inquired at several racing publications and for the most part, they want an image but don't want to write a check for using it.

For the most part I have found that unless you get a spectacular picture of something very newsworthy, papers will give you a byline and maybe, if your lucky, $10-20 dollars.

It is a hard question, do you let them use an image of yours and get a byline and no $$$ for the exposure and maybe assignments down the road or do you hold out for $ and be happy with that? I guess each guy has to answer that on his/her own.

[GenEOS]

The local weekly papers here south of houston pay between $15 and $35 per image, but only to their contract stringers. If you send one in and they use it, you will get a free byline.

It is truely a labor of love and more of an underpaid hobby, than a career.
If I relied upon stringing for the local papers, I would starve.

[Icebreaker]

I had a couple of photos publishes in SKY NEWS magazone, a canadian astronomy mag. They were of the Northern Lights. I didn't get anyting for them though, cause I submitted them as a "readers Gallery" (aka Show off to your peers) photos.

[dennykyser]

That is kind of what I thought, but hey, a byline is better than nothing. It may be worth it to get the name out there a little.

[IndyJeff]

Denny what you can do is save the entire page when you picture is in a paper. Makes for a nice scrapbook/portfolio.

In 2002 when Tony Kannan crashed during the 500 I had 7 different friends around the country send me the pages of their local paper with my photo and byline.


One guy who shoots at Indy takes every photo he has published and has a 5x7 mounted on a plaque with a brass plate stating what, when, and where published. LOL I have said for years I am going to do that, and one day I will.

[dennykyser]

That had to have been a great feeling IndyJeff. Quite an acomplishment.

[J.A.F. Doorhof]

My pictures are rather often in the local newspaper.
Most of the time it are sports photo's of the team our company sponsors, I just take a bit more time than the staff photographer so they choose mine over the other ones.

I also made a few color frontpage pictures.

At the moment I have not had any money from them, but they alway's mention my name, I do it for the kicks, HOWEVER at the moment I'm talking with them about the future because they really like my shots, I'm thinking about € 10,00 for a published picture, just to have some fun.

Greetings,
Frank