Freelance Photographer, advice please. Media not crediting work

peannoir

Hi all,

I did have a look through other threads but some of them are quite old and thought it might be better to start a new one.

I'm after a little bit of advice if anyone in the photography business might be so kind as to share.

Briefly, started photography as a hobby with no real plan. Like I said, it was really just a hobby. But its kinda taken off a little bit. I was very lucky to get lots of opportunities luckily to practice my specific interest (sports) and I am more than happy for those folks to have use of my pics for free.

From that I got a few little gigs (free) that I was happy to do as they offered different scenarios and experience. Those images however were forwarded to media outlets. Again I was aware of that. But heres the thing. With the exception of 1 publication, none of the others credited my photos. In this particular instance, each of them would have received the exact same press release (of which I have a copy). One publication actually used all of my images as part of a major story as well as a few smaller images from 2 other photographers, who were both credited! Both those photographers have been doing the rounds for a while so I cant help feel like there might be something else going on. My pictures were the main part of the article however.

This happened again recently with another project. I was main photographer for a pretty big event. Press release sent to large regional newspaper with request for due credit. Opened newspaper few days later. Big two page spread with writers name emblazoned on it but not one mention of photographer. That really peed me off.

I have another big project coming up wherein the pictures will be sent to the same publication, possibly others. I am considering watermarking the images in an area that they can crop it off for publication but my thinking is that if they still do not credit me, I will at least have some avenue for complaint.

Lets not even talk about websites grabbing images and nothing. One guy actually contacted me directly for images, then printed big story online with his own name as author of course, but of course, not a word about who or where the photos were sourced from.

I know this is a long running issue for many, I'm not alone but its the fact that these publications were expressly told to credit images and have blatantly ignored this. The fact that they received these images for free is what adds to my annoyance.

Sorry about the long rant. My question really is this - Those images that have been printed are done, cant undo that. But if it were to happen again, which I am very sure it will, what avenues for reproach do I have?. I have no accreditations or anything but my work is obviously good enough for them to use for their articles so I feel the very least they should be doing is acknowledging it.

I would like to continue on this road so am wary about stoking a nest but surely I am entitled to be given credit where its due. It just seems like such a basic courtesy and have to say the fact that so many 'journalists' seem happy to carry on like this as well, is crappy. I can only imagine the outcry if one of their articles was prinited without due credit.

Rant over.

Any advice or guidance would be much appreciated.

uck51js9zml2yt

Send them the bill for using your images.

Kenny Logins

Do you have meta data setup in your processing software?

https://iptc.org/standards/photo-metadata/photo-metadata/

Irishphotodesk

Apologies for not responding sooner with my two cents.

Logic says the reason they are using the images is because they are coming with the article and assume they are paying the one person for the whole "article" .

Are you being paid to cover these events ? If so, does it really bother you if you are credited or not .... A "credit" won't pay your bills.

Would I be correct to assume that it's a tabloid newspaper using the article/images?

Do you know if the person sending the story has agreed to send images and words for the same fee? It's possible that they do not see you looking for payment so assume you are not worried about "credit".

I think you need answers from the people sending the press release/story out to the papers before doing anything else.

If you are not getting paid for covering these events then (and I don't want this to come across as harsh) why do you want the credit? if you don't value your images enough to request payment for them why would you expect someone to give your images "credit" in their publication, there is an old saying that if you work for free you will always be busy.

In an ideal world situation every image would have a credit embedded in the picture, but the real world all that matters is money.

Ps. Congrats on getting published.

peannoir

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Do you have meta data setup in your processing software?

https://iptc.org/standards/photo-metadata/photo-metadata/

Apologies for the delay in acknowledging your post. Yes I do. There is no issue with who it belongs to. And there is no ambuiguity with media outlet as to who took pictures. As I said, one contacted me directly for images and used them. He made sure he had his own name emblazoned across the article. I suppose it just seems at the very least to be professionally discourteous.
I'm new to all of this so learning lessons, harsh and otherwise all the time.

Thanks again.

peannoir

Irishphotodesk wrote: »

Apologies for not responding sooner with my two cents.

Logic says the reason they are using the images is because they are coming with the article and assume they are paying the one person for the whole "article" .

Are you being paid to cover these events ? If so, does it really bother you if you are credited or not .... A "credit" won't pay your bills.

Would I be correct to assume that it's a tabloid newspaper using the article/images?

Do you know if the person sending the story has agreed to send images and words for the same fee? It's possible that they do not see you looking for payment so assume you are not worried about "credit".

I think you need answers from the people sending the press release/story out to the papers before doing anything else.

If you are not getting paid for covering these events then (and I don't want this to come across as harsh) why do you want the credit? if you don't value your images enough to request payment for them why would you expect someone to give your images "credit" in their publication, there is an old saying that if you work for free you will always be busy.

In an ideal world situation every image would have a credit embedded in the picture, but the real world all that matters is money.

Ps. Congrats on getting published.

Hi there, thank you for your response. Not harsh at all. I appreciate and take on board all views and opinions.

Without writing another essay, I am very very new to this and essentially only started it a few months ago as a hobby so appreciate that I might be a bit green and naïve about many aspects. Its still a hobby but I've started getting a few little opportunities to do other bits and pieces from this and I am looking at maybe pursuing it up a few levels. Most of them are for community events, local sports clubs etc. I did not request any payment from them or from media as I was the one who asked to take the pictures in order to get much needed experience. I should add, all the publications are 'local'/provincial, but with healthy readership (all over 100'000 for print alone) and certainly not free to purchase and at least one 'story' was picked up by a website with a national viewership.
I completely agree with your saying about working for free. My previous 'career' was in the Arts and the amount of times I done my weeks shopping with all the 'exposure' I got.....:D

I guess my issue is that apart from the websites which have just lifted my images form other locations and used them, is the print media who received press releases which very clearly had me named as the photographer. I've copies of the press releases so know this to be the case. Why would they so blatantly omit this?

Another used my images, which were the main part of the article without credit while crediting the in house photographer for one of his images used and another randomers picture from 2 years ago!. Again there was absolutely no ambuiguity as to where the main photos came from as the writer of the article had been standing next to me when I was taking the photos!!.

I did get paid for a project recently and again the press release clearly named me as photographer but when published, no mention.

I suppose the credits are important to me because I am only starting out and especially as I am not getting paid for it, it just seems to be the least could be done. I put a lot of work into getting the best I can. I've noticed it seems to be more prevalent in non national publications. I've also noticed in a few publications that the quality of the published image tends to vary as well.

Those submitted by in house photographers are definitely better than the freelance submissions (or maybe I'm just getting paranoid). I just think its discourteous and wonder what the reaction would be if a piece of written work was published without proper accreditation.

This has become an essay, sorry.

Again I do appreciate your comments and advice. I wanted to throw my predicament out there just to get some more experienced opinions. I'll keep digging away at it and maybe its time I was not so accommodating...….

Thanks again. PO

pete4130

Don't stress about the credit.

Your reputation counts for more and keep track of where your images are being used so you can add them to your portfolio/CV of works. This will benefit you more than having your name mentioned in a publication.

The reality is, the layperson doesn't care where the images come from, or if they are good images or not. Most publications will use any images they can for an event, good or bad. Somebody at the end of the workflow gets words and images and publishes them without regard.

As you are new to the business, expect this, don't get too upset by it and know, sadly, its part of the process of becoming more established before you become a recognised name people turn to cover events.

peannoir

pete4130 wrote: »

Don't stress about the credit.

Your reputation counts for more and keep track of where your images are being used so you can add them to your portfolio/CV of works. This will benefit you more than having your name mentioned in a publication.

The reality is, the layperson doesn't care where the images come from, or if they are good images or not. Most publications will use any images they can for an event, good or bad. Somebody at the end of the workflow gets words and images and publishes them without regard.

As you are new to the business, expect this, don't get too upset by it and know, sadly, its part of the process of becoming more established before you become a recognised name people turn to cover events.

Hi Pete,

Thank you for your advice and kind words, its appreciated.

Yes I know being very new to this but learning all the time.

Thanks again and best wishes.

PO