Photoclubalpha

Once again I got an email from someone requesting free use of some of the photos on my website. The person wants to use a fair number of my West Papua New Guinea photos. It was a very nice, polite email and she said it is for a non-commercial venture. It is always tough when people send me these sorts of emails. On one hand I am sort of inclined to just say, "Sure, go ahead." I have done that in the past, but I also am annoyed that many of the requests for free use come from people who are not working for free or others involved are not doing it for free. Anyway, I sent this reply:

I sometimes have allowed people free use of my photos, but I am more and more reluctant to do so because there are so many people who make these sorts of requests and say they can't afford to pay anything. Usually when I do a bit of investigating I discover that the person who makes the request is being paid for their work, the publisher is being paid for their work, the printer, writers, etc. are being paid for their work. It is rare that from beginning to end of the project for everyone concerned to be doing it all for free. That may not be the case in your situation though. Can you tell me who else is donating their time, work, and materials for this project? After I hear back from you then I will be able to better decide about your request. Thank you very much!

I do appreciate it very much that you contacted me rather than just quietly stealing my photos. That has happened several times also. Thank you!

We'll see if she replies.

Hi Henry - I think that seems a very fare approach on your part. The proliferation of images created and shared on the internet has massively devalued stock type photographs. There are so many people taking images as a hobby that would be delighted to have any form of recognition and would happily give their images away for free. I think people will always expect or at least try and get images now for free.

I must admit that I have given some of my images away, but this was to a charity that I also support and so it seemed a way of contributing a bit extra. This particular charity gets all of its images from supporters in this way. You make a good point in your message about other people giving their services free, e.g. I expect the printers were paid for the brochures that included my photos. It is a tricky situation.

Well, still no response from her. I didn't expect one since in the past I usually discover that they expect everyone to get paid except the person who owns the photos. There is a good chance she stole them and used them. I don't take photos for money, but I do get tired of people contacting me and expecting me to give them my photos.

I received a reply a couple of days ago from her. Here is the relevant part:

Although I mentioned earlier that the report is for non-commercial purposes, I have to say that some people who have been engaged in the report writing have indeed got some financial rewards although it may not be a lot. These people are the field researchers, graphic designer as well as the editor. I myself wrote the report and I get paid for my works.

She didn't say about others involved such as a publisher, printer, etc., but I am sure they are also getting paid. She did say she would be willing to pay a little:

We may offer you some amount of money but it may not be a lot due to the issue on limited budget as I mentioned on my previous email.

For me this is all just a hassle. I suspect that if I say okay she will not be satisfied with the photos on my website. She will ask for larger versions which I would have to get, process, etc. In the past when I have agreed to allowing use of my photos there are always follow ups requesting bigger ones and/or other requests. I have always regretted agreeing. She has been so nice and polite though that I am finding it a bit hard to just say no so I have procrastinated and not replied.

bakubo wrote: We may offer you some amount of money but it may not be a lot due to the issue on limited budget as I mentioned on my previous email.

For me this is all just a hassle. I suspect that if I say okay she will not be satisfied with the photos on my website. She will ask for larger versions which I would have to get, process, etc. In the past when I have agreed to allowing use of my photos there are always follow ups requesting bigger ones and/or other requests. I have always regretted agreeing. She has been so nice and polite though that I am finding it a bit hard to just say no so I have procrastinated and not replied.

Regardless their budget, there are price standards that depends on the size the pic will be printed, the quantity of magazines/reports they will print, etc. I'm not up to date about those standard rates, but probably DK can help you.

Of course, if those standard rates are not enough for pay for the time you need for treating their order, you have to figure out if the project is interesting for you, or if your ego sill be satisfied, or just decline the job.

Good article about all the requests for and expectation that people who create stuff that is these days called "content" (writing, music, film, photography, illustration) should work for free while the people doing the requesting and everyone else are getting paid for their work.

Slaves of the Internet, Unite!

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/opini ... 31027&_r=0

It also gets you to thinking about providing free content for places such as this forum...

I just email a link back to this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE

Ok bit OTT, but same applies to photographers. Honestly I can deal with small budgets ie they don't have tons of cash for xyz project, but giving stuff away sorry not going to happen.
I don't ask people to do stuff for me for free. I pay my plumber when he comes out (and I pay him more than he asks for) I pay people who provide me with a service and I'm happy to do it..

If I want to do work for charity of something like a giveaway that's great I'll volunteer. But I really find it quite rude and insulting for people to ask to use someone's work for nothing.

Some of you may also remember this earlier thread of mine on a similar subject:

http://www.photoclubalpha.com/forum/vie ... =21&t=4310

Here is a funny email exchange between a guy asking another guy to provide free work so the first guy can make money:

http://www.tickld.com/x/i-wish-i-worked ... -hilarious

Good one Henry

Birma wrote:Good one Henry

Yeah, I thought so too.

Although I have always kept it nice and polite I find it very annoying how I get these stupid requests that I provide free work and content to people who are getting paid for their part.

Rather apt I thought. http://www.dpreview.com/news/2014/03/28 ... =title_0_1
Greg

Good one, Greg. I am putting a copy of it here so people now and in the future can see it in this thread.

I guess I will never learn. Awhile back I received a request for free use of one of my panoramas. The request was from a local chapter of a well known social welfare organization that does very good work. An old friend has been associated with a different chapter in another state for many years. Anyway, the request was to use a small version of it on the homepage of their local website for a short time. I checked the website and they had a small panorama there so I could see how mine would be used. As I have said, in the last few years I have stopped giving permission for free use of my photos, but since I knew about the org and the use was just a small version only on the homepage and for a limited time I replied with a nice message giving permission (although explaining I normally didn't) and saying how my good friend had been associated with a different chapter of the org for many years.

Well, it has been 10 days and not even a simple one word reply just saying thanks or anything. A few minutes ago I sent another email and withdrew my permission. Never again.

A couple of weeks ago a woman in Amsterdam sent me a very nice, courteous email requesting use of some of the photos she had seen on my website. She said she is an artist and uses photos to make paintings. She gave me the link to her professionally made website that had examples. Her work looked interesting, but it was hard to tell if she makes real paintings or if she does it all on a computer. I didn't dig around on her website enough to see if I could find any info about that. She also sells them for thousands of euros each. I noticed her most recent one was priced at 7350 euros. I replied equally nicely and courteously and complimented her on her work. I mentioned that I saw that she sold her work so would she make an opening offer for the several photos she was interested in and that could begin our negotiation? She replied thanking me for my time and that was the end of it.

See also my 2010 post:

Requests for free use of my photos

viewtopic.php?p=42231

I am glad that she had the courtesy to ask rather than just steal.