Anyone shoot for Patch.com?

Patch.com, owned by AOL, operates a couple hundred hyperlocal online "newspapers" across the country. They pay photographers $50 for freelance photo assignments, which isn't generous but not bad considering Patch covers stuff so local the event might be five minutes away.

I've shot one assignment for them so far, and have a few more booked. It was covering a Tae Kwon Do black belt ceremony where five very talented martial artists were displaying their moves, sparring, defending themselves from attacks with weapons, and karate chopping and kicking through wooden planks.
http://glenrock.patch.​com …k-belt-test#photo-5889233
I let the karate master take a look at the images on my camera's display as the event was ending and he asked if he could buy some of them. Unfortunately the Terms of Patch.com give AOL exclusive rights to the images for 90 days.
However I'm pretty sure that photographers can sell all images they want from shoots that don't make it to Patch photo galleries.

Has anyone had any experience shooting for them, or do you have any kind of opinion about it?

What does your contract with AOL say? that they have exclusive rights to any photos used for 90 days? or they have exclusive rights on all photos taken while on assignment?

if your 'buddy' who was standing next to you shot a strikingly similar image, but not the same (aka perhaps 1/10 of a second before or after the frame that you shot), you could in theory sell your image to AOL and 'your buddys' image to the dude.

Also, what will he be using it for? if he just wants a sweet print to hang on his wall, you could probably sell him that print and AOL would never know the difference.

I know someone else who shoots for Glen Rock PATCH. Was always curious as to what her terms were.

JacobPhoto wrote in post #12386977
What does your contract with AOL say? that they have exclusive rights to any photos used for 90 days? or they have exclusive rights on all photos taken while on assignment?

if your 'buddy' who was standing next to you shot a strikingly similar image, but not the same (aka perhaps 1/10 of a second before or after the frame that you shot), you could in theory sell your image to AOL and 'your buddys' image to the dude.

Also, what will he be using it for? if he just wants a sweet print to hang on his wall, you could probably sell him that print and AOL would never know the difference.

^^^ This for sure.

I shoot for Patch and have for a few years now. You can't have it both ways where your shooting for yourself and for the Patch. Other newspaper photographers don't do it that way and they will not let you either. I just get in and get my photo's and leave.

Excuse the newb comment, but how do you go about picking up these freelance jobs with patch? Do you send them a resume/portfollio, and wait to be contacted to do assignments?

Whip7605 wrote in post #12410684
Excuse the newb comment, but how do you go about picking up these freelance jobs with patch? Do you send them a resume/portfollio, and wait to be contacted to do assignments?

I found about 6 Patch sites for my town and surrounding ones (I live in a very populated area of central NJ) and emailed their editors with a brief resume/portfolio on a blog. Just say you're looking to do some freelance photo assignments and if they like your work and they don't already have enough photographers they might give you a shot. Four editors came through with work out of the six.

Thanks for the reply! Interesting...my work isn't nearly there yet, don't even have a portfollio set up, but I could see myself doing this in the future.

Whip7605 wrote in post #12422350
Thanks for the reply! Interesting...my work isn't nearly there yet, don't even have a portfollio set up, but I could see myself doing this in the future.

Maybe your work is "there" enough, don't sell yourself short until you compare your work to galleries already being submitted to your local Patch sites.

True, and thanks for the confidence. I think I take ok photo's, but need to work on my attack...putting together a portfollio and a pitch!

What about telling the Instructor that you can not sell him the images because they are AOLs and not yours but that you would love to come back and do a shoot with him and some students.

RiveraRa wrote in post #12447128
What about telling the Instructor that you can not sell him the images because they are AOLs and not yours but that you would love to come back and do a shoot with him and some students.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!