Photo journalism

Yesterday (10/27) I was the only one to photograph the arrival of the first set of quintuplets born in the state of West Virginia. No other media was present at the time so that makes my images the only ones in existance.
My question is how do I find out if a magazine is interested in the photos and a story. I work in the NICU in the hospital that they were born in so I have a great inside perspective of everything.
I have tried looking up the magazine contacts but have not had siccess in finding editors or newsroom numbers.
Thanks,
Clay

redspyder wrote in post #4205973
Yesterday (10/27) I was the only one to photograph the arrival of the first set of quintuplets born in the state of West Virginia. Clay

I would contact your local papers first. Call the main number and ask for the photo desk or the person in charge of photos. They will contact their editor to see if the paper wants them. You can expect about $50 an image in a big paper. Next contact the Associated Press. I have not dealt with them and don't know how they work but if AP picks it up all the news agencies will get a crack at them. Tell them you are interested in selling the images and ask how they normally work. They will likely give you an honest answer. If you can write a story to go with it, or at least a line or two of details, AP will probably be more interested.

Be sure to get a release from the parents BEFORE selling any photos.

Thanks short5 and 20droger

A few issues, first you do not need a release as long as the usage is editorial in nature (news). But if you wanted to use it to make commercial images then you would need a release.

2nd. Make sure that your facts regard the quints are accurate for captions sake. If you have a good captions for each image then all the better. Do not contact the AP. They have an allrights grab for all stringers.

3rd Contacting the news desk for a local or regional weekly is not a bad idea, dailys probably won't want it primarily due to fact that two or three days will have already passed. Do not expect $50 per image, in my experience that is way over the upper limit of what papers actually pay. Newspapers have very tight time frames and often low or no budgets. Babies being born even unsual ones are not really hot news.

4, Check the facts too on any other quints being born in your area, I think you may find others...

I hope this helps,

Les

I don't really know much about any of this, but shoudn't the photo be copywrited or something too? Sorry, I'm naive about this stuff...

LBaldwin wrote in post #4206704
. Do not contact the AP. They have an allrights grab for all stringers.

Good advice,what do you mean by "allrights grab"?
$50 may indeed be high for a local paper. I live in the D.C. area and papers and news outlets pay a premium.
If it is the first set born it should have prime local interest as well as some national interest.

short5 wrote in post #4206875
Good advice,what do you mean by "allrights grab"?
$50 may indeed be high for a local paper. I live in the D.C. area and papers and news outlets pay a premium.
If it is the first set born it should have prime local interest as well as some national interest.

OK in the world of editorial magazine or newspapers many of the largest outfits want ALL rights to your images and to pay you a one time fee. In other words you pay:
1. your insurance, both vehicle, gear and medical
2. All costs of your gear including purchases, repair and replacement
3. All costs associated with any shoot you do

They GET ALL YOUR IMAGES FOREVER FOR ONE LOW FEE!!.

You might make a few hundred bux but they get reprint rights, re issue rights and international rights and you no longer have any control nor do you get any added uncome from resale or stock...

Les

Well the new news is that after telling me I owned the pictures, the hospital is now saying that they were under the impression that I was working for them, and that they control the images. They said that they are willing to pay me for them and that they will make sure I recieve credit for them. 2 things come to my mind:
1. I asked for permission to photograph them as a photographer not an employee and was granted permission in return for allowing the hospital to use some of the images internally.
2. It just so happens that I was on the clock when they were born.
So do they really have the right to the pictures?

uh oh bring on the Lawyers. Really these are not big dollar pictures and even if you hit a bunch of papers at $50 a piece you are not getting rich. I would take what your work is offering. You will avoid any conflict with work and may make more than you could elsewhere. What are they offering to pay? Tell them you want do be their official photographer. Do they have a news letter?

It's really nnot the money, heck I get more shooting football than I would with these. It has everything to do with the historical context and the credit. I hope that doesn't sound to egotistical.

No not at all. Insist all images carry a credit.

Redspyder, I was waiting for this shoe to drop. If you did them on their property while being paid by them (regardless of your "real" job) they probably do own the rights to the images.

In house photographers give up the rights to their images in trade for a paycheck. So you do have a rough road to hoe at this point. BUT if your employer did not specifically send you to shoot the images then you may have an argument. At this point the best thing you can do is Contact Caroline Wright at www.photoattorny.com and drop her a line with a question.

At this point the images are lessening in actual value quickly, has your employer givin you anything in writing?

Les

Hm, honestly, do for the heck of it. Sure it's a possible way in etc or get some money, but if you've never been in a newspaper or anything before, it's just kinda fun. While babies aren't the honest thing and the set of 4 are on records in W VA, I know W Va...*shivers*...do the following but don't worry too much on the details. SO you see your pic everywhere, it's still yours to show as, "back in the day."

That was me at least when I was doing it. But only like a couple of times. After that I probably still got screwed in these terms but I made money and at the time, it's all that mattered.