Sky diving photos needed for feature story: will be published

[bentritton420 0]

Hello skydivers, My name is Ben Tritton and I am a freelance journalist currently writing a three page feature story on skydiving for Hedd Magazine- one of the UK's fastest growing men's magazines.

We are available nationwide in WHSmith and other independent retailers.

I have to source some images for the piece and I am hoping some of you have some really good quality images we could use. If we used your image, You would be fully credited in the page it is used on and get to see your photo in print.

I have some of my own images but they are not good enough quality to be spread on the page.

Like I say though they need to be good quality and show sky diving at its best.

If anyone can help me out please email me at [email protected] with your images or if you have any other queries please contact me.

Hope someone can help me out.

Thanks guys.

[dragon2 0]

This should be in the camera forum.

That said, does the photographer get paid? Good quality photographs are shot by good quality freefall photographers, who have invested a lot of jumps, money and time to get where they are. Getting credits is perhaps "nice" for a beginner, and will likely net you beginner type photographs only, if any.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[bentritton420 0]

Thanks, I'll put it in the camera forum. No unfortunately the photographer would not get paid. We would be happy with some beginner photos, mine are beginner, it's just that the camera I shot them on was not such a good one so they don't look too good stretched out on the page.

Thanks for your help though

[tsalnukt 1]

I'll try and find something. I don't want any money. I don't mind helping someone out. Pay it forward kind of thing. Any particular format or quality preferred? Any discipline or particular skydiving shots preferred? You can message me as well if you want. talk to you later

[davelepka 4]

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No unfortunately the photographer would not get paid

Are you being paid? My guess is yes, and seeing as this is a for-profit publishing venture, so should the photographer.

Just for reference, the United States Parachute Association publishes a monthly skydiving magazine called Parachutist. A subscription to the magazine in included in the price of a yearly membership to the USPA, and in fact, this is the only way to get Parachutist. Paid subscriptions are not available, and you cannot buy it in stores.

Despite all this, Parachutist pays photographers when they use their photo. Professional or amateur, if they print your photo, you get a copy of the magazine and a check.

Don't show up looking for a handout, it's unbecoming.

[wildcard451 0]

Well, since my post in the photography forum went in the trash I will re-iterate Dave again with a re-hash of my thoughts on this matter here.

You are here representing a Magazine that is that widely available. It is fucking disgraceful that you are here offering "photo credit" instead of offering to pay a photographer for their work. Did you tell your publisher that you can't pay them because of your budget? I doubt it. I am sure that people are paying for advertising space if you are that widely distributed, or did you give all that space away for free?

I am tired of people disrespecting photographers by not wanting to pay them for their work. If you want good quality images that will be suitable for publication, you will need a shot from a jumper who has taken many years to craft the skills needed to get that shot, as well as rather expensive gear required to obtain said image. If you were National Geographic then you might be able to get away telling me that exposure in your magazine will get my name out there, but then again, you would also have the professional courtesy to pay me for my work.

Photographers: if you do not put value on your work, no one else will.

As far as the gentleman asking for free pictures here - I hope you get quality of photos submitted equal to the value that you put on them.

[Divalent 89]

The concept is illustrated here very nicely:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2a8TRSgzZY

[davelepka 4]

What's really funny is that even though the video is generic in what industry it pretains to, the bulk of the comments are about photography. Hit's the nail right on the head.

[davelepka 4]

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I don't want any money. I don't mind helping someone out. Pay it forward kind of thing

No. Paying it forward is helping someone who cannot help themselves. Giving of yourself for the benefit of those less fortunate.

The OP here is looking for a handout. He is being paid for his work, but does not want to pay for a photographer. He freely admits that he could not capture suitable images himself, but does not want to pay someone else to do that job.

Flip the situation, imagine yourself going to a writers forum and stating, 'I have some stunning images I want to have published in a national magazine, but the publisher is asking for 5000 words to go along with them, can anyone here put that together for me for free?'. What sort of response would you expect.

Nobody here is looking for $1000/image, but to offer $0 for your time, expense, and effort is bullshit, and I urge you not to indulge him.

[tsalnukt 1]

I have been paid for services and I have paid for services and I have been given things/services as well as given my services/skills. I feel that paying it forward doesn't have to mean that you are helping someone that can't help themselves. It means returning the favor. It means doing some things for free instead of getting paid because it may come back around to you later on. Has the value of the almighty dollar so consumed the world that no one will do anything for free!? Does anyone remember back in the "old days" when experienced jumpers would jump with noobies just for the fun of it! Good luck getting someone with some skill to jump with a noob for fun these days. Everyone is a coach and everyone wants something for it. It's a shame that people have such a hard time doing anything just for the fuck of it.

Yeah, the guy is looking for a handout...who cares. If all you professional photogs out there don't want to give up your precious images that you have so much money and time invested in, then just ignore the request. Move on. There are plenty of "non-professionals" out there that are willing to give out some kick-ass photos in exchange for credits. Instead of telling the guy he won't get anything but crap unless he pays for it, Encourage some amateurs to step up an submit some pics.

[davelepka 4]

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Instead of telling the guy he won't get anything but crap unless he pays for it, Encourage some amateurs to step up an submit some pics.

Why? All it does is drive down the value of everyone's work.

Again, I'm not a slave to the 'almighty dollar', I could see donating pics or services to all sorts of causes. Some of them might be charity-based or for people less fortunate than I am, and others might be for people I feel are worthy of my goods or services based on the quality of their character.

In this case, the guy is a stranger, a non-jumper who is looking to improve the quality of his product, which he is producing for his own personal profit, with the addition of someone elses work, but he is not willing to pay. Again, he gets paid for his work, but you don't get paid for yours.

I would suggest that my viewpoint of not giving away images you worked to produce is far more reasonable than your willingness to accomodate some random guy who randomly posted on the internet looking for a handout to make his for-profit article more appealing to his publisher. He's not a jumper looking for help with a college project, or a DZO looking for an image to make a poster for a charity drive he's hosting, it's some dude who admits that he was unable to get suitable images, but he still wants his piece published (and his paycheck signed), so he wants a handout.

[DocPop 1]

Compensation is not always monetary.

Someone might see the opportunity to be published in a high quality magazine as ample recompense for their time and effort.

Possibly....

"The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls."

~ CanuckInUSA

[tsalnukt 1]

thank you.

Does accepting an amateur's work really drive down the value of yours?? If someone wants professional quality then they should/would be willing to pay for a professional. If the request is far below your level of professionalism then don't bother responding. Yes I am sure he is doing it for his gain. He did say he was a freelance journalist so he may not have a huge photo budget to pay for professional freefall photography. Maybe he is trying to make a name for humself so that he may one day get paid the big bucks. The guy just asked for some photos to accompany his article. I don't recall him asking for professional, high quality, super glossy, matted framed and signed photos (but i'll double check). He just asked for some good photos. I'm sure there are people out there that don't make their living as photographers that have some decent photos of skydivers that would like to have their picture published in a magazine for the sheer glory of having their photo in a magazine.

[normiss 622]

yes it does.

"sheer glory"??? That's pretty damn funny right there.

[DocPop 1]

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yes it does.

Welcome to a free market economy.

"The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls."

~ CanuckInUSA