Travel Writer wants to use my photo's

Hi all,

I was just asked by a writer from www.gadling.com if she can use some of my photo's for doing some type of gallery for Gadling. It is a travel website. She said she would credit me by pointing back to my website.

My response back to her was. "In addition to the link what will your budget allow for the non-exclusive use of my photo's on Gadling website"

Her response back was this "Unfortunately at this time we
don't pay for photos. It's more of a great opportunity to showcase
your work on a high-profile travel site (we've won many awards, like
#1 Travel Blog on the Internet from Viator). Please let me know if
you're still interested and we can start brainstorming a theme."

What would you do? Should I do it for the exposure? I have only given my photo's to an online magazine once and that was for one of my photographer teachers for her blog.

Any thoughts? I'm new to this type of request. I do need more exposure.

Thanks All!

Cindy Garwood

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Stick to your position - if your photos are good enough for them to use they are good enough for them to pay you.

Ask the writer if she is doing the writing for free...

Dan brings up a great point !

I agree with Dan. It looks like it is an AOL owned blog/company - they have money. If they are high profile, multi-awarded, they have funding.

Hello Cindy

Dan and others are correct. This is a spot sponsored by AOL, the individual articles have sponsored links. This is a for profit site. Credit for a photo is ok but what will that buy you? Im sure the writer is not doing it for credit and linking back to her website. This site has money.

Please do not fall into the trap the sports photographers are in. Many sports photographers have lost their livelihood because too many GWC's (Guy or Gal With Camera) are willing to give their photos up for free or access to a sporting events. This is leading to the death of a profession for a segment of photographers

It's unlikely that simple photo credit will do you much, if any, good. Go for the cash or kindly decline the offer. It seems nowadays that more and more photogs are willing to give their work away for free and as a result more and more users are expecting us to do just that.

You might ask just how many folks in that company work for "free"; not just the writer. It won't get you anywhere, but you might just have some fun with it since you won't be getting anything from them anyway! From that kind of exposure you just might get other companies asking for free images for THEIR sites, too. BEWARE.

Why is an award from Viator so great? Who or what is that? Never heard of it. People can say they won an award from just about anywhere. If the Travel+Leisure, National Geographic Traveler or Fodors recognized their site, that might be noteworthy. Don't be lured in by "we were awarded as #1 Travel Blog". They are hosted by AOL. If they are sponsored by AOL, then AOL can pay for the use of the photos. If all of the contributors are doing it for free, then they are all being taken to the cleaners by someone who is pocketing the ad income and not sharing it with the people who are making it possible. If the contributors are being paid, you too should be paid.

Looking at the Viator site shows they are a travel agency. How can Viator be objective about an award given to a travel blog that probably features ads that point back to Viator? What is the criteria for the award .. most number of ads pointing to Viator?

No free ride!

Thank you all for your comments. I did reply back to her and declined. She did tell me she gets paid to freelance from that company and she said she understands where I am coming from.

Did she offer to stick up for you and ask that you get paid? Probably not .. as long as she gets paid, she's happy. Way to stick together and help the other creatives who are bringing AOL money to get paid (ding at her, not you Cindy).