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View Full Version : Don't forget those stock photos!


gmen
27th of January 2005 (Thu), 15:09
There have been a bunch of very useful threads here recently. So I thought I'd chime in with (a hopefully useful) one of my own.

The seasoned pros amongst us will be well aware of this revenue stream... but it's still worth emphasising the value of taking and submitting 'stock' photographs at each event you attend on behalf of a publication. Obviously their value will be dependent on the agreements you have with the publications in question, but there is certainly good money to be made in this area.

In my case, a significant amount of my work is based around football... therefore as well as shooting the newsworthy action material, I'm also always trying to capture some good quality individual shots of the players, managers and sometimes even the stadia at the same time.

Most editors can't get enough of these types of photographs - but it's easy to overlook their value to a newspaper/magazine. They are vital for certain stories, good 'filler' material and can save the day when problems arise - e.g. a game doesn't get covered due to illness, equipment failure, etc. They should still be strong images, well captioned in the IPTC data... and obviously best submitted at a quiet time rather than along with your precious deadline material!

It's always a pleasant surprise when they get used. For example, here's an image that had been sat on file for a couple of months that popped up on the news stands last weekend - the player in question had just received an England call-up...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/tearsheets/images/ts01.jpg

You need to keep your eyes peeled as well... checking the publications that you submit to on a regular basis... then get ready with that invoice!

blinking8s
31st of January 2005 (Mon), 20:11
great shot...

i got a call about some photos the other day, various ranges actually...legal stuff is giving me a headache!!! i dont know squat about this

gmen
1st of February 2005 (Tue), 01:09
great shot...

i got a call about some photos the other day, various ranges actually...legal stuff is giving me a headache!!! i dont know squat about this

Obviously the legalities have to come first! If you are dealing with 'stock agencies' then you will need explicit agreements on usage. The majority of sports images won't come with a model release - so editorial use is the limit. Also, there can be limitations imposed by the organisers of events as well which you need to be aware of.

As I explained in the original post, the stock images I submit are generally additional pictures from 'booked' jobs - i.e. the sports editor will receive 5-10 action shots from the game by deadline. Then a day or two later I'll provide a selection of individual shots of the players, managers, etc. These stock images will stay on file until (maybe) they are used with a relevant editorial piece at some point in the future. As long as you have negotiated a good 'contract' with that publication, you can then go about invoicing for their use.