I'm a real photographer??

[janewilliams20]

Maybe... this is the second time someone's wanted to use one of my photos. No, the third.

First time, as reported here, was Schmap, using a picture of a Bristol pub. Second time was also Schmap, but they'd got their geography wrong, and once I'd pointed this out, they didn't get back to me.

But this time... this time it's the BBC. They've got a GCSE revision website called Bitesize. They're producing Flash movies of each of the poems on there. And for this poem, they want this photo. There's a contract to sign, and everything.

Wow.

Comments

[mr-malk.livejournal.com]

Wow indeed. And I would guess that if you thought you would sell a photo, that would be an odd one to be picked, but there's no denying its suitability for the piece.

I always rather liked Seamus Heaney. Studied his work for some exam or another... I forget which one... A Level probably... Even if some people call him "Shameless Heaney" for the liberties he took with his translation of Beowulf!

Good stuff Jane, congrats.

[janewilliams20.livejournal.com]

Well, "sell" isn't quite the word, as I'm not getting any money for it, but yes. It's a straight recording of an event, nothing clever about it. Which in this case is exactly what was needed.

I'd never met Seamus until recently, but I was rereading his Beowulf on holiday. A few months ago I'd have been pretty horrified at the liberites taken, too, but since then I've seen the film. And I followed it up by reading Grendel (http://www.amazon.com/Grendel-John-Gardner/dp/0679723110).

[mr-malk.livejournal.com]

Still, you can refer airily to your photography contract with the BBC from now on! Not an exclusive club perhaps, but still a prestigious one!

[soren-nyrond.livejournal.com]

Go for it !!! Major props !!! (whatever they are)

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

If you're taking good snaps, you might consider signing up and posting to istockphoto.com. I use them all the time, as does everyone I know in publishing.

[janewilliams20.livejournal.com]

You use them rather than Flickr? I'll take a look - thanks. I hadn't previously though of my snaps as anything out of the ordinary, though, and this in particular isn't something I'd have singled out from the rest. Any suggestions as to what sort of thing would be worth posting to istockphoto?

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Like I say - I and all the designers I know (not many admittedly, and hardly representative) look at istockphoto. When I've tried using Flickr to source pics I've found the people I've tried dealing with unprofessional and so I haven't really gone back.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Surf the site for a while and see what people are posting. It tends to be used for corporate/promo shots so nice simple clear images tend to be good.

[janewilliams20.livejournal.com]

I've just read their very detailed guide to what will and won't be accepted, and what they're looking for and what they've got too much of. It's somewhat intimidating. Their copyright issues and "model release" forms probably cut out everything I've ever done, including the photo the BBC wanted.

Still, I've read it, I'll bear it in mind from now on. Some of my food&drink shots might work, at least the food ones. Drink ones tend to contain the brand name of the drink...