Many of the editors now are ex-magazine, and they hire editorial photographers like myself to bring a different kind of picture making to stories. Because the freelancers don’t have to work on multiple stories per day like the staffers, we have time to add some production value to the assignments-lighting, extended time with the subject, etc. I do get a lot of so called ‘bread and butter’ but I also look at each assignment as a possible page in my book, and when those assignments and subjects coincide, you’ll find me spending hours if possible making the images I want to make.

Sure NYT is getting a helluva deal- but so do editorial magazines-or shooting for indie pubs.

IN the end you have to find your subjects, make your pictures, and pursue new clients as your friend ultimately did. If you think relying on any one publication to make it for you then I think that is going to be disappointing.

Granted, the person who wrote this “testimony” is probably asking (although he or she states otherwise) because he or she would like to know the value in this kind of time-sensitive imagery. More importantly, however, from this arises a very important point, which is to always be aware and cautious when granting rights to allow usage of your photography. It’s important to understand what it means as an artist to sign those rights away to another party. As it’s already been said, it’s best to find an agency to assist you with this process and advise you in the licensing of your work – larger agencies such as AP and GETTY will advise you to a certain extent, but on a more impersonal level because of their conglomerate status. If you are interested in the art of your photos being upheld, best to try and become apart of the roster within a smaller, upcoming syndication agency.

Seriously? That’s what you were thinking? About yourself?

“What do you do in this kind of situation when time is precious? Who do you call? ”

How about calling 911? Did the photographer on scene even consider it or were they too busy trying to grab some fame? Is this what we’ve become?

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/explosion-on-sixth-avenue/

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/02/the_radio_shack_at_6th_avenue.html

Does anyone know of any in the UK?

The simple fact is that the NYT front page use of a photograph is unlikely to lead to prospective clients beating down a photographer’s door to give out new assignments. As the case at point demonstrates, it might very well lead to immediate sales from those wanting to exploit the event by concurrent publication. Problem is that few photographers have the experience to maximize revenues from those kinds of sales. Syndication is the best route to take by letting the experts do the selling.

As for exclusivity being traded for a contract under which you might never be given another assignment, and again, if and when given one, you will lose the most valuable rights connected to the work, it is a really bad trade off. Selling a high value usage for a low value day rate plus a promise is like giving into the request from ADs: Give me a break on this job, and I’ll take care of you on the next one. I used to answer that with OK, provided you give me the purchase order for the next one now. You cannot pay the electric bill with a promise.

Finally, at the risk of really sounding discouraging, but I think necessarily so, I have to mention this. I have a good friend in NYC who freelanced for the NYT for years. She did numerous assignments for what she described as a way to always have bread and butter on the table. When she refused to sign the NYT contract, the Paper that had assigned hundreds of jobs to her told her that her work was really not satisfactory, and they would not be using her in the future. Of course, it had nothing to do with her refusal to sign the contract without some adjustments in it. NONSENSE.

After the loss of a “bread and butter” client she pursued new clients to fill the gap. What she found out was that her tear sheets from the Times didn’t really impress a lot of people because the subject matter was just ordinary and the photos, by the very nature of the subject matter and its use, were not unlike those shot by dozens of other NYT photographers. The new work she got was driven by her non-NYT images and personal work.

Generally, people hire a photographer because they appreciate his or her work and not because of who they shot or shoot for. They are buying talent and not a resume.