Here's the expert on cost/fees for use of photography. Additionally, Rohn offers a program where you can get a Fax with assignments, daily, weekly, or monthly. Of course the price varies accordingly. Steve Shapiro, Carmel, CA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rohn Engh" <orders@xxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <sgshiya@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 6:42 PM Subject: Your PhotoAimLite is here. ######################################## Key words in this issue: Registering | Tax Payments | Exposure | World Rights | Light | Critique Service | Competition | Travel | Specializing | Newswords: | SELF-TAUGHT | PULITZER | TIMID TIMES | ARCHITECTURAL | SPACE | AMERICA 24/7 | ACTION | PRICING | FASHION | ######################################## ## PhotoAimLite monthly newsletter for January ## 400 ######################################## PhotoAimLite, the monthly newsletter from PhotoSource International. <http://www.photosource.com> ==> ISSN 1530-0511 If you no longer wish to receive PhotoAimLite, see the instructions at the end of this newsletter. ######################################## ....and now you can Sell To Both Markets ```````````````````` A reader wrote: You say in your book, "Sell & Resell..." that one should specialize in certain areas. That sounds good. What if right now in my stock file I have all sorts of generalized photography? Should I market those to many types of markets, or should I just start shooting material for specific markets, and forget about marketing what I have? - - - - You can sell both your general pics as well as your specialties. Here's how. In my book, "Sell & ReSell Your Photos," in Chapters 2 and 3, I show you how to determine what your marketing strength areas actually are. These are the areas you should specialize in (you may have two or several major areas). Thanks to your great interest in those areas, you're no doubt quite knowledgeable in those fields, or subject areas, and speak the language of buyers who focus on those areas, whether astronomy, nursing, hang gliding, etc. Yes, this is where you should start specializing. Photobuyers focused on that subject matter will be happy to learn you have a deep selection of photos in their particular feature area. Other photographers won't have coverage as deep. The buyers would rather shop with you, with your many photos of and familiarity with the subject area, rather than have to contact several different photographers who might each have just a few pictures. Want to read more of this article? Go to: http://www.photoaim.com/cb61.html The question has two sides. . . Photographing in a Nursing Home ```````````````````````````````` As our government officials tighten security restrictions under the banner of making us all more protected in our homeland, we as editorial photographers should examine the impact on our own photographic output. Let's take the case of a nursing home. Granted, none of us who have relatives residing in a nursing home need unwanted visitors in the form of snooping photographers taking pictures of our loved ones. But what if a loved one were suffering indignities at the hands of an unethical and incompetent nurse, doctor, or other nursing home employee? Our reaction would be different. Perhaps you've bumped up against this constraint: "You need a model release to photograph any patient in a licensed health care facility in any U.S. state." Such statements are not law -- and they often come from a nursing home health care professional, "protecting" their Turf. Yes, we all honor laws that protect private health care information, such as tests, x-rays, financial background, etc. These laws don't apply to "right-to-know" documentation of living and working conditions. We are not commercial photographers; we are editorial photographers who capture life around us. THE OTHER SIDE We can all agree on the "ethics" of taking photos in a nursing home. But we must also view the other side of the question, "What if photos actually were not allowed to be taken in nursing homes unless the photographer had model releases from the persons pictured...?" I am reminded of an article that appeared last year in the New York Daily News, "Fatal Errors - Report Finds Nurses' Mistakes Led to Thousands of Deaths." To quote from the article: "Poorly trained or overwhelmed nurses are responsible for thousands of deaths and injuries each year in the nation's hospitals, according to a Chicago Tribune investigation." Since 1995, at least 1,720 hospital patients have been accidentally killed and 9,548 others injured from mistakes made by registered nurses across the country, the Tribune's analysis of 3 million state and federal computer records shows." (By the way, figures are even higher related to doctors' errors, according to several stufies.) Want to read more of this article? Go to: http://www.photoaim.com/cb60.html Our Critique Service ```````````````````` "These photographs miss the boat. We have marked your package 'Refused." "Please cross us off your list; we have eliminated you from ours." Have you received rejection slips like these lately? Probably not. Most photo editors are compassionate people and they don't wish to destroy you with damaging words. But because they are nice guys, they are destroying you with their kindness. If you're going to make it as an independent photographer who has a long-range program of marketing pictures digitally or through the mail -- you might as well take any needed medicine now, save yourself a lot of time and postage, and get a free critique from the folks who know the stock photo business best -- the photo editors. If your photo submission has been returned, capitalize on your investment of time and postage and benefit from our photo marketing critique service. > mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx< Phone: 1 877 404-7790. If you've got the guts and thick armor, plus the commitment that you want to produce excellence in your photo illustrations - you'll value this critique that zeroes in on the marketing aspects of your stock photos. If you're normal -- you'll find the critical part of the response a bit hard to read. But why kid yourself? If you want to be strides ahead of your competition, why not learn what you're doing wrong -- correct it -- and shorten your route to success in the world of photo illustrations. -RE TRAVEL NOTES ```````````` by Jeffery Hoare Competition It seems that if you become even mildly successful as a travel photographer, other things will start to come your way. Whether you seize those opportunities is up to you, but I almost invariably do. It means that I can promote myself and the work I do to a wider audience. Some of this will end up not making much of a splash, but along the way some good and potentially rewarding things do result. For example, after giving a lecture about my work, "Addicted to Light," I was subsequently asked to be one of the judges on a recent international photo competition, the Travel Photographer of the Year, which is at www.tpoty.com . This took place over three days as the response had wildly exceeded the organizer's expectations (just short of 10,000 entries were received!). Entries come in from people aged 6 to 88 years old, plus the diversity and range of countries traveled, too, was astonishing. Want to read more of this article? Go to: http://www.photoaim.com/trvnt67.html CONTRACT CARVING ```````````````` You receive your first contract. What's next? Be prepared to negotiate. Publications today want to anticipate all options that might come up in the digital era we now find ourselves in. So, you're going to find they want to make their contract as broad as possible. It's up to the photographer to whittle the contract down to reality. Here are some suggestions for you: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Contract: Photographer hereby grants to Publisher one (1) time publication rights to Photographer's stock photograph(s) and ongoing rights, as described below. The rights granted are nonexclusive. Translation: This means you can sell and resell this photo to other publishers and it is not an "all rights" sale exclusively to this publisher. If it were an "all rights" sale, you'd want to charge three or four times or more, your original asking fee. Contract: The rights granted are applicable in all media, including, but not limited to, all electronic, world-wide web, CD-ROM, optical, digital and other media whether now known or hereafter invented. Translation: As we move into the Digital Age, publishers want to be sure they don't run into any future snags where it is not clear whether electronic rights are also included in the license fee. Should you tack on an extra charge in case the publisher wants to (in the future) use the image for an electronic purpose, such as a one-time use on their Website, or in a sample CD-ROM? Not necessarily. Unless your name is a household word in the industry, you should go along with the client's request for electronic rights, for no extra charge. This might come as a jolt to long-time stock photographers who see electronic rights as an additional use. However, as we move further into the digital age, "electronic rights" are going to be a "given" and undistinguishable from standard "print" rights. So, the door instead is open for you to charge a higher basic fee than you have usually been charging. You have the option of charging an extra fee for electronic rights, but you might, as a newcomer, price yourself out of the market. The answer to this dilemma is probably to originally charge 10 to 25% more for your one-time use of photos when you get in discussion with a photobuyer. If they really are interested in using your image, they'll find a way to cover the cost of your higher fee. That way the negotiation will go smoothly when they ask, "Does this include electronic rights?" You will be able to say "Sure," and sound like the good guy. Contract: The right to publish the Photograph(s) one (1) time in any form throughout the world in the above-named Magazine. Want to read more of this article? Go to: http://www.photoaim.com/gen535.html TWO EXPOSURE GUIDES ``````````````````` When in doubt, bracket. That's the basic fallback for difficult exposure situations where you can't trust your in-camera meter. There are now available two laminated pocket guides, however, that attempt to eliminate, or at least reduce, the doubt. (1) The Pocket Field Guide to Evaluative Metering, www.birdsasart.com, $19.95. http://www.photosource.com/pbk/0000000002 Well-known bird photographer Arthur Morris presents five helpful tips and 60 illustrated situations to help you decide when and how much to modify your camera's evaluative meter recommendation. Though the illustrations are mainly bird photos, the tips can apply to various scenarios. (2) The Black Cat Extended Range Exposure Guide, www.blackcatphotoproducts.com, $19.95. http://www.photosource.com/pbk/0000000003 Jim Lehman's guide disregards meters and relies solely on the well-known sunny-16 rule. It's a three-part wheel, where you set film speed and either f-stop or shutter speed to correspond to specific situations. The guide then returns a recommended exposure setting. Lehman's list of lighting conditions is fairly comprehensive, and he explains how to expand it. Though different in approach, both guides can function as quick reference and learning tools to increase your exposure expertise. - David Arnold & Gail Rutman INVOICING YOUR CUSTOMERS. Sending an official invoice capitalizes on the tendency businesses have to pay other businesses before individuals. Looking like a pro will keep you from getting left out in the cold. Accounting departments recognize a professional-looking invoice as a document requiring attention, whereas personal letters of agreement get glossed over. Make your photobuyers' lives simple by including an invoice which they can forward to the accounting department. Create an invoice that looks like an invoice, and include it when submitting a letter of agreement to a photobuyer. Print the invoice on your company letterhead and be sure to include the date, an invoice number, the name and address of the publication, the commissioning photobuyer's name and title, date of submission of the photos or article, the agreed-upon fee, a statement detailing your payment timetable expectations, and instructions on to whom and where to send payment. Separate your paid invoices from those still outstanding and keep them in separate files for easier tracking. Make your billing procedures habitual and efficient. THE MASTER GUIDE FOR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHERS, by Bill Silliker, Jr. Beginning with equipment and what to look for in cameras, lenses, auto focus systems, and more, the author moves on to how to control your background, and making the most of your lighting. Also included are methods for getting close to animals, using specialized approach techniques and blinds. (ISBN: 1-58428-114-6; $29.95; 128 pages) Contact: Amherst Media, 175 Rano St, Ste 200, Buffalo NY 14207. Phone: 1 800 622-3278. Fax: 1 800 622-3298. http://www.photosource.com/pbk/1584281146 STARTING YOUR CAREER AS A FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER, by Tad Crawford. The well-known author and authority on freelancing provides step-by-step advice covering the multitude of concerns facing aspiring and beginning freelance photographers-from compiling a portfolio to building a sound business. Lists of professional organizations, sample contracts, copyright applications, release forms, the ASMP Code of Ethics, and a helpful bibliography make this a handy reference. (ISBN: 1-58115-280-9; $ 19.95) Allworth Press, 10 E 23rd St, Ste 510, New York NY 10010. http://www.photosource.com/pbk/1581152809 Let photobuyers know where to find you. Take out an ad in the Blue Pages section of the PhotoSourceBOOK 2004. Only $99. <http://www.photosource.com/107> ESTIMATED TAXES: ANOTHER DEADLINE COMING UP ``````````````````````````````````````````` By Julian Block On April 15, most taxpayers filed their 1040 forms for 2002, and many made their first estimated tax payment for 2003. And before they know it, another deadline is just around the corner. Monday, September 15th and Monday June 16th (the 15th fell on a Sunday this year), were the due dates for the second and third quarterly installments of your estimated income tax (including any self-employment tax) for 2003, if you were obligated to make payments because your estimated tax exceeds $1,000. Who has to make estimated payments? Individuals with income from sources not subject to withholding, a category that includes stock photographers and other self-employed individuals who operate businesses or professions as sole proprietorships, in partnerships with others, or as independent contractors. TIP. Even when withholding is subtracted, it might prove insufficient, as can happen with salaries and bonuses received by you or your spouse. The law authorizes the IRS to exact penalties for insufficient quarterly payments or for failure to pay the installments on time as they become due. It is immaterial that your final estimates are enough to eliminate any balance due when you submit 2003's 1040 form in 2004. DODGING A BULLET. There are "safe harbors" or exceptions that relieve you of any penalties for above-$1,000 underpayments. You need not fret about penalties as long as you made payments (remember to include withholding taken from paychecks) for tax year 2003 by the due dates of April 15, June 16, Sept. 15, and Jan. 15 that exceed a specific benchmark. Want to read more of this article? Go to: http://www.photoaim.com/txtct87.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - December 30th Window for Submitting PhotoSourceBOOK Applications Extended In response to feedback from our members, the deadline for submitting applications for entries in the PhotoSourceBOOK Directory and affiliated membership in the PhotoSourceBANK, has been extended to January 30th. Please note that the gateway will not accept applications submitted after January 30th, 2003. For more information about submitting your application for the PhotoSourceBOOK, please see http://www.photosource.com/44 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ######################################## This month's featured photographer on PhotoSourceFolio: Barry Mansell: (http://www.photosourcefolio.com) ######################################## PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE NEWS ``````````````````````` Note: If the URL is long, it may extend to two lines. In that case - clicking on it won't work. Instead, "copy and paste" the URL. Wild about photography - "You go to these places and then you come home - and you long to go back again," said Lisa, 40, a SELF-TAUGHT photographer, who has earned a living taking photos for 10 years. http://www.jsonline.com/news/ozwash/jan04/198384.asp The Photographer Who Makes Writers Look Like Authors - Writers have often agree to have their photo taken with a degree of awkwardness, distrusting the connection between literature and personality http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/11/arts/design/11KENN.html First U.K. ROYAL BABY PHOTOS Released - Prince Andrew became interested in photography while in the Royal Navy and published a book of mainly black-and-white pictures two years after buying his first camera in 1983. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040110/ap_on_re_eu/b ritain_royal_baby_1 AP Photographer Roberto Borea Dies - A PULITZER Prize-winning photographer who produced thousands of compelling pictures from wars to the Olympics during a 30-year career with The Associated Press, died Tuesday. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040107/ap_on_en_ot/o bit_borea_2 For Magazine Designers, These Are TIMID TIMES - At a time when selling just 40 percent of newsstand copies is considered acceptable, editors are increasingly relying on safe, formulaic covers instead of takingchances on conceptual images or memorable photographs that are often iconic in nature. http://www.pdnonline.com/photodistrictnews/headlines/article_display.jsp ?vnu_content_id=2065298 Starting ARCHITECTURAL Photography Part 2: Copyright and Permissions http://photography.about.com/library/weekly/aa100603b.htm New Book Captures Costa Rica in SPACE Photography - NASA scientists and Costa Rican students have collaborated to publish a new book that captures the splendor of Costa Rica's varied landscape as photographed by astronauts from space. http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=13357 Shutterbugs gain greater exposure with digital photography - Ventosa heard about a book project called "AMERICA 24/7," whose editors were seeking submissions of digital photos. The book's editors chose one of his photos for publication. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-n/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/01/05/DDGBB42IGF1.DTL A persistent photographer finally lands his big 'fish' - The photograph, a spectacular sports ACTION shot, wasn't taken by chance. The picture came about because of the photographer's planning and persistence. http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle% 2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031773037064&path=!news!columnists&s =1045855935174 Photography business needs help on PRICING. Marcia Gold uncovered an interest in photography after raising five children and having a successful career in social work. "I realized that light was beautiful," said Gold, who instantly knew she wanted to do something with the discovery. "At the time, I didn't know how to put film in the camera." http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/business/5525.php Art + Fashion = New FASHION Photography This exhibition of fashion photographs would send voyeurs into a state of shock. http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=73062 Want to read more "Photography in the News"? Go to: http://www.photoaim.com/pitn.html ######################################## PhotoAimLite is a collection of excerpts from our weekly newsletter, PhotoStockNotes, available through the web anywhere in the world $5.00 per month. >http://www.photosource.com/psnintro.html Feel free to forward this issue of PhotoAimLite to your photographer friends. ######################################## To cancel your subscription, send email to: orders@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with "PhotoAimLite UNSUBSCRIBE" as the subject line. ######################################## PhotoAimLite monthly newsletter is a product of PhotoSource International, Rohn Engh, Director, who is solely responsible for its contents. To sign up for our newsletter: http://www.photoaim.com/order.html For information about PhotoSource International: http://www.photosource.com/services.html ######################################## 400 Next Month: Registering A Photo
