Getting credit/photos published

[DHA]

I am trying to get into an area of sporting photography (not the mainstream football/motorsport) and have approached a few magazine publications with a view to submitting photographs to them hoping to get credit/published photos to get a foot on the ladder.

I had one reply which has asked for a particular type of photo (they said they use a sister publications photos in the main for free) and if good enough they would consider paying (a small fee) for it prior to publication.

At this point I am not after money, I actually want to see if I can get something published in a magazine which hopefully would lead to more opportunities. If I ask them to publish some of my photos for no fee at this point am I more likely to get published than if I get a fee from them?

[LaSarthe+Back]

DHA said:

I am trying to get into an area of sporting photography (not the mainstream football/motorsport) and have approached a few magazine publications with a view to submitting photographs to them hoping to get credit/published photos to get a foot on the ladder.

I had one reply which has asked for a particular type of photo (they said they use a sister publications photos in the main for free) and if good enough they would consider paying (a small fee) for it prior to publication.

At this point I am not after money, I actually want to see if I can get something published in a magazine which hopefully would lead to more opportunities. If I ask them to publish some of my photos for no fee at this point am I more likely to get published than if I get a fee from them?

Sure you are more likely to get published if you do not ask for a fee. Would you like a free TVR or would you like to pay for one? Of course they will bite your hand off if the photo is genuinely worthy of publishing.

You will do more harm though to future prospects because you are perpetuating the myth that digital photography is free. It is not. How much did those nice lenses cost you? The computer and software with which to get the photos from camera to sending? And more importantly, your time. If you value your time so little as to give away your work for free, why should you expect a customer to value your time enough to consider paying you?

NEVER give your stuff away for free, unless you are getting an approriate benefit in return.

My advice would be to build up a portfolio, and ask for a meeting to show your work. Give them your website address so they can qualify you enough to spend their time speaking to you and take it from there. If they say "we thought you'd do it for nothing, digital's free ain't it?", get up and walk away, they wil only take bigger liberties in the future.

HTH

[DHA]

Thanks for the advice.

Hadn't considered it like that. The lenses, body etc did cost a bit (and will no doubt cost more in the future!!!)

[Snapper7]

As a pro photographer I would say never work for free, you damage the whole profession and the reality is that you are paying to work for nothing.... Get real.

A friend of mine recently lost a client due to some idiot who offered to work for free, when the idiot couldn't do a job they came back to the person who used to work for them and then expected him to work for free........

Get real, how would you feel if someone pitched up at your place of work and offered to do your job without pay only to find yourself to be no longer required?

Edited by Snapper7 on Friday 9th October 22:45

[K16SST]

I personally think it's mildly fraudulent to put "work" on your CV when you were not paid for it (unless you specify it was "voluntary" work) imho. I'll never shoot anything worthy of publish - but if a commercial organisation wanted to use an image of mine - just for the "credit" - i'd tell them to go pay a proper photographer.or pay me.

Would you valet someone's veyron for free, just so you could say you valeted a veyron ....? I think, to be taken seriously, you have to know your work is worthy of payment If you think it's good enough to print, don't be shy about submitting an invoice

best of luck

Edited by K16SST on Saturday 10th October 02:48