Posted by Luke Ormand on January 21, 2011 at 10:04 AM
I'm sure I'm not in the minority when it comes to photographers being asked to "donate" their photos pro bono to some website, newsletter, magazine or otherwise. These requests seem to roll into my inbox rather frequently and they usually annoy me due to a lack of professionalism and a high level of presumption on the writer's part. However, everynow and then I'm compelled to offer up some of my images and I did that recently to a group called the Pine Barrens Society whose goal is to protect Long Island's Pine Barrens and underlying groundwater. They wanted a photo for their newsletter - simple enough.
A few weeks later I got an e-mail from them forwarding me information about a project at a local NWR looking for photos for a big collage. The person contracted to do the project had a grant and is paying a good chunk of change per photo - and lucky for me they will be using a good number of my images.
I would have never found out about this opportunity if I hadn't donated that 1 photo which of course cost me nothing and was for an organization I support. While it's easy to cast these freebie seekers aside - it can pay (literally) to be kind, curteous and generous.
How cool is that! Nice when it works out so well, over and above the opportunity to help organizations you believe in.
The other requests for freebies? Surely there's a new term for "round file."
Posted by Jim Sabiston on January 21, 2011 at 1:08 PM
Luke,
Excellent! I always consider requests from organizations such as the Pine Barrens Society, I should send them some recent work of mine taken last fall. I'm happy if they can benefit from it, they do good work.
BTW - I have several gallery shows coming up. If you have a chance, stop by to say hello. I was awarded one of 11 slots in the Annual Artist Invitational at the C2 Gallery in Patchogue. The reception i stomorrow (Saturday) afternoon and evening. I will be attending. Details here:
They are opening a new expandad gallery in March and I will be one of three featured artists for the grand opening of the new gallery. No reception date is set as yet, but I will post an announcement when it is.
Posted by Luke Ormand on January 21, 2011 at 2:30 PM
Jim,
Congrats! That sounds like a terrific opportunity - especially with Patchogue's new emphasis on art and artists. I'll try and check it out - though don't believe I can make the reception tomorrow.
Also, the project I'm working on is for Wertheim NWR's new Visitor's center which will feature a big collage among other things. Nice to see us Long Islander's getting some good projects!
Here's an unsolicited tip to sustain the insights. One of my favorite things to contribute is a patted and framed print for the fund raising annual dinners of my favorite causes. Yeah, they get some good money from it, but I almost always get extra sales from folks that attend the dinner, but weren't successful bidders. As a matter of course, I always donate a portion of the income from subsequent sales back to the outfit that gave me such good exposure at their dinner.
Oh, I pat them lovingly before passing them along to customers.
But I can't type!
Thanks for the catch. Yeah, I meant "matted."
Posted by Brad Hill on January 22, 2011 at 9:18 AM
Hi Luke,
I have donated images - both for use in publications and as framed prints for fundraisers - to selected conservation groups for years. I have to admit that I'm very selective in who gets them because, like many, I get a lot of requests. I like doing this as supporting/promoting conservation and environmental initiatives is a large part of why I'm a photographer.
A couple of cautionary notes:
1. It can be worth asking the group you're donating to how they manage their digital assets. You may THINK that the person you have dealt with is totally clear on the image usage (e.g., single use, only on brochure X appearing on Y date, etc.), but if this person leaves the organization, will the next person who takes their place know about the agreement? This EXACT situation happened to me and a large group of bear images of mine I donated to a local conservation group for a slide show ended up in the hands of the Sierra Club for a related slide show (OK with me) but then they ended up in the Sierra Club's image bank. I'm now much more careful in asking exactly HOW the images will be controlled - things like "will usage rights be embedded into the metadata?", "who has access to the images?", "what procedures do you have in place to communicate usage rights to all who have access to your image bank?", etc. You be shocked at how even some very large conservation groups have digital asset management schemes that amount to "chucking things in folder"...
2. Related to the point above, being too liberal in permitting your images to be used for various causes (even great causes) CAN reduce the value of the images. This is especially true if that same image is offered up as a Rights-Managed (RM) stock photo. Some buyers may want geographic exclusivity and, of course, if they do they have to pay more for the image. How much they pay will be partly determined by how large of an area they want the exclusive for (and, of course, for how long). But...if you've been allowing the image to be used by others, you can't give the buyer the exclusivity.
Just food for thought - exposure is great (and it's great to contribute to worthwhile causes), but be aware of the potential consequences...
Cheers...
Brad
Posted by Luke Ormand on January 22, 2011 at 12:50 PM
Brad,
Thanks for the added details... never really thought about the digital rights management thing beyond making it clear to the person using the photo that it's for x use at y time (but you bring up an excellent point about what happens to that image once it's in their possession).
As for your second comment, another excellent point. Can you explain the "geographic exclusivity" thing a bit more? That's a new concept to me (and I would image others)
- Luke
Posted by Jim Bullard on January 22, 2011 at 9:10 PM
I've donated many photos to the Adirondack Mountain Club. I've also done some 'assignment' shooting for them for free. I'm a member and believe in what they are trying to do. I've donated work to local PBS art auction and as fund raising bonuses for NPR too. Never got any additional paying business from any of it.
I did have a problem once with a local publication that ADK sent a press release to with one of my photos. The publisher rolled the photo into their library and reused it without permission or credit. The publisher claimed he didn't know it was copyrighted. I can believe it. He didn't even know how to access metadata. Now when I donate work that might be used in that manner I specify that when sending it out the press release has to include a notice that the photo(s) are copyrighted and for use only in conjunction with the press release. Any other use must be negotiated with the rights holder (me).
Posted by Reed Bowman on January 22, 2011 at 9:32 PM
Luke, I even did an assignment for the US Fish and Wildlife Service for free. They wanted a photo for a brochure and I gave them the image and the right to use it to advertise a National Wildlife Refuge. The image recently was posted on the White House's web page (http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/01/07/working-together-protect-everglades) (its not even one of my favorite or best images) and that has generated a bunch of business.... so I agree, sometimes, especially for those starting out and for those for whom the conservation impact is as much a motivation as a paycheck (i.e. meaning we have other jobs), giving something away pays big.
Discussion
10 repliesA few weeks later I got an e-mail from them forwarding me information about a project at a local NWR looking for photos for a big collage. The person contracted to do the project had a grant and is paying a good chunk of change per photo - and lucky for me they will be using a good number of my images.
I would have never found out about this opportunity if I hadn't donated that 1 photo which of course cost me nothing and was for an organization I support. While it's easy to cast these freebie seekers aside - it can pay (literally) to be kind, curteous and generous.
- Luke
The other requests for freebies? Surely there's a new term for "round file."
Excellent! I always consider requests from organizations such as the Pine Barrens Society, I should send them some recent work of mine taken last fall. I'm happy if they can benefit from it, they do good work.
BTW - I have several gallery shows coming up. If you have a chance, stop by to say hello. I was awarded one of 11 slots in the Annual Artist Invitational at the C2 Gallery in Patchogue. The reception i stomorrow (Saturday) afternoon and evening. I will be attending. Details here:
www.c2gallery.com
They are opening a new expandad gallery in March and I will be one of three featured artists for the grand opening of the new gallery. No reception date is set as yet, but I will post an announcement when it is.
Congrats! That sounds like a terrific opportunity - especially with Patchogue's new emphasis on art and artists. I'll try and check it out - though don't believe I can make the reception tomorrow.
Also, the project I'm working on is for Wertheim NWR's new Visitor's center which will feature a big collage among other things. Nice to see us Long Islander's getting some good projects!
Pete D.
But I can't type!
Thanks for the catch. Yeah, I meant "matted."
I have donated images - both for use in publications and as framed prints for fundraisers - to selected conservation groups for years. I have to admit that I'm very selective in who gets them because, like many, I get a lot of requests. I like doing this as supporting/promoting conservation and environmental initiatives is a large part of why I'm a photographer.
A couple of cautionary notes:
1. It can be worth asking the group you're donating to how they manage their digital assets. You may THINK that the person you have dealt with is totally clear on the image usage (e.g., single use, only on brochure X appearing on Y date, etc.), but if this person leaves the organization, will the next person who takes their place know about the agreement? This EXACT situation happened to me and a large group of bear images of mine I donated to a local conservation group for a slide show ended up in the hands of the Sierra Club for a related slide show (OK with me) but then they ended up in the Sierra Club's image bank. I'm now much more careful in asking exactly HOW the images will be controlled - things like "will usage rights be embedded into the metadata?", "who has access to the images?", "what procedures do you have in place to communicate usage rights to all who have access to your image bank?", etc. You be shocked at how even some very large conservation groups have digital asset management schemes that amount to "chucking things in folder"...
2. Related to the point above, being too liberal in permitting your images to be used for various causes (even great causes) CAN reduce the value of the images. This is especially true if that same image is offered up as a Rights-Managed (RM) stock photo. Some buyers may want geographic exclusivity and, of course, if they do they have to pay more for the image. How much they pay will be partly determined by how large of an area they want the exclusive for (and, of course, for how long). But...if you've been allowing the image to be used by others, you can't give the buyer the exclusivity.
Just food for thought - exposure is great (and it's great to contribute to worthwhile causes), but be aware of the potential consequences...
Cheers...
Brad
Thanks for the added details... never really thought about the digital rights management thing beyond making it clear to the person using the photo that it's for x use at y time (but you bring up an excellent point about what happens to that image once it's in their possession).
As for your second comment, another excellent point. Can you explain the "geographic exclusivity" thing a bit more? That's a new concept to me (and I would image others)
- Luke
I did have a problem once with a local publication that ADK sent a press release to with one of my photos. The publisher rolled the photo into their library and reused it without permission or credit. The publisher claimed he didn't know it was copyrighted. I can believe it. He didn't even know how to access metadata. Now when I donate work that might be used in that manner I specify that when sending it out the press release has to include a notice that the photo(s) are copyrighted and for use only in conjunction with the press release. Any other use must be negotiated with the rights holder (me).
Reed