Photo picked for magazine publication

[yhelothar]

So I got an email today from a Harley Davidson magazine who wanted to use one of my photos on deviantart on their publication.

They're asking what they would need to use for photo crediting. What kind of info should I give them?

 

[ghost03]

It's basically up to you and any licensing you or deviantart may have on the image.

If you're not too concerned with it, you could just put something simple like "J. Smith 2011" (with your name of course). Or "astroidea 2012". etc.

 

[ghost03]

Also congrats. Getting an image in a major publication is a big deal!

 

[yhelothar]

Thanks, it looks like I'd just give them my name and that's it eh?


Here's the photo.
http://astroguy.deviantart.com/art/Angeles-Crest-193277083?q=gallery:astroguy&qo=2

 

[Spoooon]

Great photos!

 

[yhelothar]

Great photos!

Thanks!

 

[virtuamike]

Congrats. Get paid.

 

[yhelothar]

Congrats. Get paid.

This is the first time I've been selected for publication. Should I still ask? What would be a reasonable amount?

 

[virtuamike]

This is the first time I've been selected for publication. Should I still ask? What would be a reasonable amount?

Find out what they're using it for, go from there.

 

[RampantAndroid]

Thanks, it looks like I'd just give them my name and that's it eh?


Here's the photo.
http://astroguy.deviantart.com/art/Angeles-Crest-193277083?q=gallery:astroguy&qo=2

Any info on how you took it? Gorgeous!

 

[yhelothar]

Any info on how you took it? Gorgeous!

Thanks!
I took it with my tired old Pentax *ist DS with a kit lens. I'm on a budget so all I have is the kit for wide-angle and a 50mm for when I want to focus on a subject.

I took it early in the morning where I noticed the suns rays reflecting off of the roads and accentuating all of the curves of the mountains was a majestic sight of epic proportions. Then I dug out an epic sky pic to photoshop into it.

I then added some additional light to the roads and the sun to give it that cinematic look that JJ Abrams is so well known for.
The gradient tool in radial mode in screen blending mode at a low opacity is awesome for adding bling.

The image was also originally very soft. I added some USM. But this adds halos to the high contrast regions. So I went back with the history brush tool to brush those halos out.

 

[slatr]

Marked for later

 

[Arxinall]

swag

 

[Paladin3]

*This is meant to be constructive criticism, not to be insulting.*

Please don't give your work away for free. Doing so really hurts profession and will absolutely not help you kick-start a career. All it does it make it harder for working photographers make a living.

Editors prey on young and amateur photographers for free work. They promise exposure, bylines and future paid work. After you get tired of never being paid they move on to the next sucker.

I would ask for at least a $300 fee in exchange for granting them one-time usage right to the image. That's pretty much rock bottom for one-time usage. Make sure everything is in writing and keep copies of the contract. Make sure they understand you retain the copyright to the image.

Unfortunately, asking to get paid may make them decide to not use your photo. If more photographers would say no then we wouldn't have this problem with editors expecting free work. Ask the editor if he works for free.

 

[Syborg1211]

*This is meant to be constructive criticism, not to be insulting.*

Please don't give your work away for free. Doing so really hurts profession and will absolutely not help you kick-start a career. All it does it make it harder for working photographers make a living.

Editors prey on young and amateur photographers for free work. They promise exposure, bylines and future paid work. After you get tired of never being paid they move on to the next sucker.

I would ask for at least a $300 fee in exchange for granting them one-time usage right to the image. That's pretty much rock bottom for one-time usage. Make sure everything is in writing and keep copies of the contract. Make sure they understand you retain the copyright to the image.

Unfortunately, asking to get paid may make them decide to not use your photo. If more photographers would say no then we wouldn't have this problem with editors expecting free work. Ask the editor if he works for free.

While I understand where you are coming from, I respectfully disagree that everyone should charge for the rights to their image. It would be one thing if a publication asked the OP to take a picture for them, and he went out and did it for free. However, the OP already took the photo with seemingly (I'm guessing) no intent to get paid for the picture he took. Then a publication comes along and asks if they can use his image. If he says yes, he gets bragging rights, which could be enough compensation in itself.

I just had a similar experience where Google asked to use one of my images in a commercial of theirs. Being able to tell my friends and family that my image was used by Google was all the payment I really needed at this point. Heck, I'm sure there are people who would pay to have that happen to them. Now, if Google had come to me and asked me to photograph a similar event for them, I would likely ask for compensation for my time that I haven't already invested.

 

[xchangx]

While I understand where you are coming from, I respectfully disagree that everyone should charge for the rights to their image. It would b... e one thing if a publication asked the OP to take a picture for them, and he went out and did it for free. However, the OP already took the photo with seemingly (I'm guessing) no intent to get paid for the picture he took. Then a publication comes along and asks if they can use his image. If he says yes, he gets bragging rights, which could be enough compensation in itself.

I just had a similar experience where Google asked to use one of my images in a commercial of theirs. Being able to tell my friends and family that my image was used by Google was all the payment I really needed at this point. Heck, I'm sure there are people who would pay to have that happen to them. Now, if Google had come to me and asked me to photograph a similar event for them, I would likely ask for compensation for my time that I haven't already invested.

I agree with paladin3. Coming from someone that's been published many times, always get compensated somehow. Credit is NOT compensation. It hurts the industry.

Also... Congrats!

 

[yhelothar]

Hmmm, well I really just want one publication at least, so I don't want to risk it. One publication can bring potential opportunities. It's interesting to hear your perspectives though.

I just felt like giving the image another edit.
http://astroguy.deviantart.com/art/Majestic-Angeles-Crest-Highway-363212259?q=gallery:astroguy&qo=0

 

[Aharami]

nice! congrats!

 

[destrekor]

Hmmm, well I really just want one publication at least, so I don't want to risk it. One publication can bring potential opportunities. It's interesting to hear your perspectives though.

I just felt like giving the image another edit.
http://astroguy.deviantart.com/art/Majestic-Angeles-Crest-Highway-363212259?q=gallery:astroguy&qo=0

Now you're really stretching the Bay/Adams look.

I do love it though. Perhaps why I shell out money to watch their flicks.

I think, against my initial reaction however, that I do prefer the first version you linked.

 

[ghost03]

I would ask for at least a $300 fee in exchange for granting them one-time usage right to the image. That's pretty much rock bottom for one-time usage. Make sure everything is in writing and keep copies of the contract. Make sure they understand you retain the copyright to the image.

I respect what you're saying and agree with a lot of it, but to me, $300 is an awful lot for a single use image right from an indie photographer. I've designed several ads for medium-circulation publications and I don't think I've ever paid more than $20 for a single use indie stock image.

To the OP, if you're interested in making money from your photography, I would suggest switching from deviant art to something like http://www.istockphoto.com. There is an approval process, but your images seem high enough quality that I think you can get through it. I wouldn't turn around and ask Harley Davidson for money, instead, I would use it to build your portfolio and make a stronger application for places like istockphoto.

 

[yhelothar]

Now you're really stretching the Bay/Adams look.

I do love it though. Perhaps why I shell out money to watch their flicks.

I think, against my initial reaction however, that I do prefer the first version you linked.

Haha actually I just went home and saw the edit on my home color calibrated IPS screen and it looks quite overcooked and some of the colors of the distal peaks looks awkward.

That's why you don't photoshop on an uncalibrated TN screen!

 

[destrekor]

Haha actually I just went home and saw the edit on my home color calibrated IPS screen and it looks quite overcooked and some of the colors of the distal peaks looks awkward.

That's why you don't photoshop on an uncalibrated TN screen!

You remind me: I need a color calibration device. Thanks!

 

[Paladin3]

I respect what you're saying and agree with a lot of it, but to me, $300 is an awful lot for a single use image right from an indie photographer. I've designed several ads for medium-circulation publications and I don't think I've ever paid more than $20 for a single use indie stock image.

To the OP, if you're interested in making money from your photography, I would suggest switching from deviant art to something like http://www.istockphoto.com. There is an approval process, but your images seem high enough quality that I think you can get through it. I wouldn't turn around and ask Harley Davidson for money, instead, I would use it to build your portfolio and make a stronger application for places like istockphoto.

$20 is what, working three hours at a McDonalds? And you don't need hundreds or thousands of dollars in equipment, training and talent to work at a McDonalds.

I guess it comes down to how selfish you are and how willing you are to undercut people trying to make a living at photography.

I was a news photographer for 13 years, and that was how I paid my bills and fed my family. I've been published all over the US and overseas in newspapers, books and magazines. I've got several regional and national awards for my work, but I left the profession in 2000 because it's too damn hard to make a living at it. Publishers can afford to pay their photographers shit because of all the young and amateur photographers who think working for free will get their foot in the door. All it really does is harm the profession.

I'm sure you will do what you want to do, though. Congrats on having an image published. Let me know when you sell one.

 

[Syborg1211]

$20 is what, working three hours at a McDonalds? And you don't need hundreds or thousands of dollars in equipment, training and talent to work at a McDonalds.

I guess it comes down to how selfish you are and how willing you are to undercut people trying to make a living at photography.

I was a news photographer for 13 years, and that was how I paid my bills and fed my family. I've been published all over the US and overseas in newspapers, books and magazines. I've got several regional and national awards for my work, but I left the profession in 2000 because it's too damn hard to make a living at it. Publishers can afford to pay their photographers shit because of all the young and amateur photographers who think working for free will get their foot in the door. All it really does is harm the profession.

I'm sure you will do what you want to do, though. Congrats on having an image published. Let me know when you sell one.

The unfortunate truth is that photography is also a fun hobby, which most people don't do with any intent to make any money at all. If someone with no intent to make money gets an offer to have their photo published, the excitement of telling family members or friends about it is often times enough compensation for the person. Why should the person risk losing that excitement asking for money they had no intent on making in the first place?

Sadly, it does hurt people trying to make a living as a photographer, but going around insisting that everyone charges for their images isn't a practical way of coping with this reality. There will always be people willing to give their hobby images away for free so it's up to you as a professional to try to add more value to your product to make the publications want to use your images over a random person's.

 

[aphex]

amazing shot, love it!