Selling Shots To A NewsPaper (Again! But with a twist)

[Red]

In the next month I will be attending a big event in the States. It's a reunion that will bascially send this poor little town into mild chaos!

I will be on the coat-tails of the organiser as she's a friend of mine, and was helping organise it back at the start. So I have access.

I'm also trying to get status as the official photographer for the event.

The town paper will no doubt send their own people out to cover it a bit as it will be big and there's going to be a celeb or two there.

However, I shall have better access than the paper photog, so how should I go about selling images to the paper?

I'll be there a couple of days beforehand, so could get shots of the organiser (my friend) with the owner of one of the main event attractions, etc. I imagine these could be used for a run-up article, or used on the morning of the event.

Argh! So many questions and permitations!

I'll also have more access during the event, so may have more interesting shots.

So how should I go about this? Call the paper a week before? Call them a couple of days before when I have something to show them? Turn up at the papers office on the day?

Once all that is answered, we come to the payment stuff! I'll not ask how much, I have the link to the calculator, but surely I'll need a contract of some kind, and an invoice all prepared. Or do they have the contracts stacked up next to the printer, ready to use?

God that's a lot of questions!!

[tim]

I'd call the paper beforehand and have a chat with them. If they have their own photographer they might use pictures they take instead of yours, even if his are better, just because they've already paid for him so they might as well make use if his shots. You should talk to them beforehand so you know if it's worth your bother to go to a lot of effort.

The only picture i've sold to a newspaper I just said on the phone and on my invoice that they'd purchased "a license to use that image on that date", and that copyright remains mine. Actually all my photography related invoices say that.

Good luck!

[IndyJeff]

However, I shall have better access than the paper photog, so how should I go about selling images to the paper?


One thing I would caution you on, if you try to limit the access given to the paper, don't expect much coverage if any. I highly doubt that the organizer will want to limit their pr just so you can get a shot at selling a few $10-15 prints to the local paper.

My tip....don't spend any money you don't have in anticipation of a big paycheck from Smalltown News.

[PhotosGuy]

permitations! Good one! :D

[DaveG]

In the next month I will be attending a big event in the States. It's a reunion that will bascially send this poor little town into mild chaos!

I will be on the coat-tails of the organiser as she's a friend of mine, and was helping organise it back at the start. So I have access.

I'm also trying to get status as the official photographer for the event.

The town paper will no doubt send their own people out to cover it a bit as it will be big and there's going to be a celeb or two there.

However, I shall have better access than the paper photog, so how should I go about selling images to the paper?

I'll be there a couple of days beforehand, so could get shots of the organiser (my friend) with the owner of one of the main event attractions, etc. I imagine these could be used for a run-up article, or used on the morning of the event.

Argh! So many questions and permitations!

I'll also have more access during the event, so may have more interesting shots.

So how should I go about this? Call the paper a week before? Call them a couple of days before when I have something to show them? Turn up at the papers office on the day?

Once all that is answered, we come to the payment stuff! I'll not ask how much, I have the link to the calculator, but surely I'll need a contract of some kind, and an invoice all prepared. Or do they have the contracts stacked up next to the printer, ready to use?

God that's a lot of questions!!


The paper will expect - and deserves to expect - full access to everything. Most organizations spend a lot of effort begging newspapers and other media to cover their activities, so it would be counter productive for them to restrict the paper's access to an event, and ethically the paper won't pay for news!

From the paper's viewpoint their own staff photographers would almost certainly do a better job. You are on assignment three. Their shooter would be on assignment 2018, and more to the point they don't know if you are any good at all.

If this is a really small newspaper and the photographer is a reporter with a camera then they would probably like better photos. But that kind of paper has no money and their reporter/photographer's terrrible shot of the exterior of the building will do just fine, at least from the publisher's cost/benefit point of view.

If the organization wants to pay YOU and then submit your images to the small paper - for free - then the paper may look at this as welcome and supplimentary coverage.

My experience with larger daily newspapers is that if their staff photographer can cover an assignment they won't look at a stringer's work. And if the organization has a sense of "we'll keep the journalistic riff-raff out" then they can assure themselves of no coverage at all.

I doubt if the organization would throw a road block in the face of free coverage so you could make a few bucks, and this is just not going to happen unless the organizers are really stupid.

[Andy_T]

Still, if you talk to them beforehand they might decide to send their reporter somewhere else and rely on your material. But your friend would definitely want to have them there.

Best regards,
Andy

[Red]

The access won't be limited per se, but I will be going out to this event with the organiser, so I have the full back-stage pass.

Plus I will be there all weekend, so will be there for any shots, where the paper photog will turn up for 30 mins to an hour and hope to get something then.

[DaveG]

" ... the paper photog will turn up for 30 mins to an hour and hope to get something then."

And that will be enough.

[Red]

I get ya. Think I'll get a shot of organiser and main attraction owner a couple of days before the event, pop down to the paper to see if they want it for a run-up article.

Then if that works I'll try my luck after the event if I get anything good the paper didn't

Sound like a good plan?

[Red]

Good one! :D

:confused: I say something funny? :o

[tim]

I get ya. Think I'll get a shot of organiser and main attraction owner a couple of days before the event, pop down to the paper to see if they want it for a run-up article.

Then if that works I'll try my luck after the event if I get anything good the paper didn't

Sound like a good plan?

I still think you should talk to them first, to save dissappointment. If I spent a lot of time and energy getting photos hoping to get them published then got turned down i'd not be very happy.

[PhotosGuy]

permitations! Looked like a play on words.
"I'm also trying to get status as the official photographer for the event." = "permit" ation. ;-)
I guess you meant permutation?

[Red]

Hmmm, do I admit I can't spell, or take the accidental pun as intentional?

Thanks. Glad someone got it PhotoGuy.