Star Wars & Newspapers - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

05/16/2005 11:17:54 AM · #1

Here are a few straight from cam/resized and tagged pics I took today in Leicester Square, London, marking the SW Ep III premiere.

I fired a couple off to the papers to their picture desks. Not sure if I have been very professional about it - I know that time is critical with these things so chucked them on an e-mail with some brief details, my name and number, and sent them in to the major papers' picture desks. Anyone know how I should have done it?

BobsterLobster

Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro

05/16/2005 11:23:45 AM · #2

Very cool... I'm incredibly interested to see how your quest goes for media interest. Let us know what happens!

05/16/2005 11:49:32 AM · #3

One paper so far has called - my targetted photo of a Stormtrooper reading the Evening Standard Lite may be in tomorrow's Standard or Standard Lite. They will pay me a fee! Cool!

gloda

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

05/16/2005 12:23:28 PM · #4

I almost can't sit still anymore. I'm gonna see the movie tomorrow in a midnight screening, the premiere here in Luxembourg. w00t!
And congrats on your featured photograph Matthew!

05/16/2005 12:29:24 PM · #5

I don't know about the UK but here in canada, NO news papers will use editorial shots offered by union/asscotiation non-members.

leaf

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

05/16/2005 12:33:16 PM · #6

hey gil, what do you mean by that?

I took some pictures at an arcade fire concert the other week (i had a contact through a friend) and send them to some oslo newspapers (where the concert was) but got no feedback. Perhaps i chose the wrong email addres. In any case i was thinking of sending them to some canadain newspapers, but what do you mean about union/assoiation non members

05/16/2005 12:45:57 PM · #7

"union/asscotiation non-members"
[[[ LAME ]]]

Sorry, if you're a professional and an amateur gets better shots. Well oh well....I hate trade protectionisms like that.

When I was in high school we had a water pipe break in the ceiling. The ceiling and wall remained unpainted for two years. Why? Because union contracts specified "only" union painters could paint the school buildings. And because the school system had a whopping 2 painters - and these being union workers equate to the equivalent of .2 professional painters. So the back log of work was 2 yrs.

Even if the teachers or parents wanted to paint the buildings they could not without legal repurcussions. So who suffered? The students! Why...because of unions.

I worked in a union job. Most of the people did not even do their jobs...it was sickening.

05/16/2005 02:09:40 PM · #8

OK first lets not confuse Editorial and News, if a person takes a shot of a flaming 747 crashing into a mountain, all news media will want it, but if a person takes a picture of a F1 car in the padock...no luck, since logically the news outlets already either file shots or have dispatched people to the event. This is the difference between Editorial shots and News.

Message edited by author 2005-05-16 14:12:07.

05/16/2005 02:26:29 PM · #9

Gee....well...if non-member's shot is BETTER than union member's shot. Use the better one.

All a union is, is an organization that takes money to make it's members exclusive when competition can out perform it's members.

Yes, there was a major use for them in history. Yes, we have much to thank unions for. But unions have in so many ways - become the exact entities they were fighting.

Unions = mediocrity

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

05/16/2005 02:54:55 PM · #10

Originally posted by theSaj:

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

05/16/2005 03:13:01 PM · #11

Originally posted by theSaj:

When I was in high school we had a water pipe break in the ceiling. The ceiling and wall remained unpainted for two years. Why? Because union contracts specified "only" union painters could paint the school buildings. And because the school system had a whopping 2 painters - and these being union workers equate to the equivalent of .2 professional painters. So the back log of work was 2 yrs.

Even if the teachers or parents wanted to paint the buildings they could not without legal repurcussions. So who suffered? The students! Why...because of unions.

Is it not the school district's respionsibility to recognize that 2 painters is an inadequate number to serve their needs, and to hire more? What the union does is prevent the district from requiring those two painters from being forced to do the work of four or more, at the risk of their health, safety, and quality of life.

05/16/2005 03:21:37 PM · #12

America and unions = recipe for thread hijacking.

How should one go about sending photos to the papers in more enlightened states?

05/16/2005 03:45:55 PM · #13

Originally posted by legalbeagle:

America and unions = recipe for thread hijacking.

How should one go about sending photos to the papers in more enlightened states?

If you read my posts, you'll notice I mention the actual reasons newspapers will not accept editorial materials from non-member shooters so I'll explain,

If an editor receives a image from a non-member he/she will have to get proof of origin and then settle a contractual agreement with the photographer regarding copyrights, this is a complex and fastidious process which the editors have no time for, especially when editorial materials (such as your pics from SW) are highly covered by member shooters and are easily available on the news wires.

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

05/16/2005 04:05:11 PM · #14

There are other factors, the editor would need to spend a lot of time confirming proof or origin, the person submitting the shot would have to contractually agree to forfeit copyright usage ect, ect... it's not just about unions, it's about a lot more.

"Is it not the school district's respionsibility to recognize that 2 painters is an inadequate number to serve their needs, and to hire more?"
[[[ You can thank the courts, which have upheld the unions. Thus, where as for the price of those two painters they could contract out for a dozen workers. And since the school system is incapable of firing anyone in less than a year's time and without paying them an entire year's pay (for not working). You essentially get a situation in which the school system finds it much more beneficial to simply NOT paint.
]]]

"What the union does is prevent the district from requiring those two painters from being forced to do the work of four or more, at the risk of their health, safety, and quality of life."
[[[That's what they used to do. Now, those same workers do not have to do the work of .2 painters.

I'm sorry, I've done co-ops at union based municipal facilities. As an intern, the city got 5x more work out of me for my $5. I actually checked all the meters and did the obligatory rounds. Most of the union workers just sat on their butts all day doing jack. And would make 3 or 4 rounds instead of the obligatory round every hour. And usually they only did half the rounds, just copying figures from before.
]]]

If unions, focused on protecting workers and not protecting mediocrity; I'd totally support them! But I've watched teachers not show up to class for 3 months (except on Fridays to collect their checks). Then it takes a year for the teacher to be fired and she has to be paid a year's severence in salary. Any non-union job where you only showed up on pay days for 3 months would have fired you over 2 months ago.

Don't preach to me the benefits of unions. I'm 29 - I grew up suffering greatly because of unions.

"If an editor receives a image from a non-member he/she will have to get proof of origin and then settle a contractual agreement with the photographer regarding copyrights, this is a complex and fastidious process which the editors have no time for, especially when editorial materials (such as your pics from SW) are highly covered by member shooters and are easily available on the news wires."
[[[These are valid reasons. But NOT reasons to be exclusive. If said incident was not covered and there is an interest in said incident - they should still be open. Of course, I imagine in most cases the professional will have better photos than an amateur (most cases not all).
And I see all of those as valid reasons. But to completely close the door with a blanket policy "no non-union entries" sucks. It's still their right as a private business.]]]

thatcloudthere

Canon EOS-1D

05/16/2005 04:14:44 PM · #15

Originally posted by leaf:

Don't get me started about photography and "The Arcade Fire"...by request of 'the band', I wasn't allowed to take my DSLR into their show in Toronto a few weeks ago.

Geez, a bunch of guys who were lucky to play in La Salla Rosa a year and a half ago are really letting the fame get to their pocketbooks, eh?

Oh well...

05/16/2005 09:14:10 PM · #16

Originally posted by thatcloudthere:

Originally posted by leaf:
hey gil, what do you mean by that?

I took some pictures at an arcade fire concert the other week (i had a contact through a friend) and send them to some oslo newspapers (where the concert was) but got no feedback. Perhaps i chose the wrong email addres. In any case i was thinking of sending them to some canadain newspapers, but what do you mean about union/assoiation non members

Don't get me started about photography and "The Arcade Fire"...by request of 'the band', I wasn't allowed to take my DSLR into their show in Toronto a few weeks ago.

Geez, a bunch of guys who were lucky to play in La Salla Rosa a year and a half ago are really letting the fame get to their pocketbooks, eh?

Oh well...

yeah that can suck...bands like that need all the exposure they can get!

Discraft

Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC for Canon

05/16/2005 09:41:31 PM · #17

Great shots.. good luck on the media world... Or at least good luck getting in. :)
Which lens did you use to take these photos?

NovaTiger

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO Macro Super II for Canon

05/16/2005 10:24:56 PM · #18

I'm going to the midnight opening! I have my tickets already!

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

05/17/2005 09:20:48 AM · #19

Thanks everyone! My photo of a stormtrooper reading the Standard Lite is on page 21 of today's Standard Lite:

And I agreed a fee: not enought to live on, but good pocket money.

It is not glamorous - the only reason this got picked up, I think, is because it was something that was very different and relevant to the paper that I called.

I have learned something from my limited exposure. I think that various people are right that it may be difficult to get photos from an e-mail on to the picture editor's desktop unless there is something different or unique about them. And even then, you probably have to have a better sales technique than me. probably a few words about the event, a caption for the image, and an in-line image readily viewable. Seeing as they want 3-4MB .jpgs, a decent camera and minimal cropping assist them in choosing, but I guess that they would probably want to see in-line thumbnails with the option of downloading full size images from an on-line host.

I conclude that it is probably difficult to get into the daily press very regularly unless you know who to call and get heard, but if you come up with newsworthy photos and call people quickly, they can be accepted.

BobsterLobster

Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro

05/17/2005 09:24:19 AM · #20

Superb shot, congrats.
One of my friends from school is now a staffer (photographer) at the Evening Standard, I haven't spoken to him in years. I wonder if I should get in touch? I feel a bit bad that I'm really interested in him as a professional contact!

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

05/17/2005 10:35:42 AM · #21

great shot....

(can't wait to see what the DPC Enquirer does with that one... ;)

neophyte

Nikon D810

05/17/2005 10:56:28 AM · #22

Great capture! It exhibits what I believe to be the essence of photography, That there are photos everywhere; you just have to find and take them before they dissappear. I much prefer this to a set up photo (as good as some of them are). Nice. And Lobster, I wouldn't worry about it. More than likely they'd be glad to have a friend in the business. I know I would.

Message edited by author 2005-05-17 10:59:47.

gloda