How do you know if a request to buy is genuine?

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

03/01/2009 02:46:18 PM · #1

I have just received the following request through airplane-pictures.net to use my Red Arrows shot :

====================================================================================================
Name: Sabina Dowell
Organisation: McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Dear Mr. King,

I am a photo researcher gathering photos for a college-level engineering textbook being published by McGraw-Hill. My author has seen a photo of yours on airplane-pictures.net (ID 35311).

I am wondering if we can have your permission to reproduce this photo as a 1/3 page interior illustration in our book. For your information, we have a pressrun of 46,000 with World, English distribution and a Korean language translation. The book will be produced in print and e-book formats.

Our budget for this use is $200. For reproduction purposes we would need a 300 dpi file.

My deadline is Tuesday so I hope you see this email soon.

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Sabina Dowell
Photo Researcher
USA
====================================================================================================

The email address they used however is @verizon.net

Looking at verizon.net it seems to just be an ISP so I would have thought the email address would be McGraw-Hill

Does this sound fishy or would a "photo researcher" use a personal email address rather than a company one

I will reply saying yes and send them an invoice before I send the full quality but just wanted any opinions anyone regarding the authenticity.

Thanks for any advice
Robert

Message edited by author 2009-03-01 15:13:10.

justine

Canon EOS-50D

03/01/2009 02:53:30 PM · #2

Googled her name, seems like she's the real deal.
Maybe move forward,,,slowly and see what shakes out.

BeeCee

Nikon D40

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

03/01/2009 02:54:48 PM · #3

I have no experience but nothing really raises any red flags for me. I'd imagine a publisher this size would have a large number of researchers working from home and probably doesn't provide them all with business email addys.

No harm in following up and asking to see the contract, is there? :)

Good luck!

eta; now I'm getting an inkling of one reason textbooks are so expensive. $200 per photo for such a limited run, not to mention all the other costs... It definitely would add up!

Message edited by author 2009-03-01 14:58:12.

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

03/01/2009 02:55:03 PM · #4

Originally posted by justine:

Googled her name

Duh, why didn't I think of that!! Cheers for that, I will send her the following invoice which I *think* covers the usage

**********************************************************
Invoice

Remit to: Robert King
Bracknell
Berkshire
England

March 1st, 2009

Attn: Sabina Dowell
McGraw-Hill Higher Education
USA

Client: McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Project: licensing fee, photography: college-level engineering textbook, pressrun of 46,000

licensing Fee: $200.00

Payment Terms: Immediate

Terms of use: (Subject to the Terms and Conditions below)

1. Use of one stock photograph of Red Arrows, Image ID 35311 on www.airplane-pictures.net, copyright owned by Photographer Robert King, is granted to McGraw-Hill Higher Education for use in a McGraw-Hill Higher Education college-level engineering textbook; pressrun of 46,000.

2. No other rights for use of this photo are granted in this agreement.

3. The digital photograph covered by this agreement may remain in the possession of the Client. Robert King retains sole intellectual property and copyright of the photograph. Only the right to reproduce it in the brochure described in #1 above is licensed to McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

4. This invoice is your notice that you have permission to reproduce the image for the use described above. No further property release is required.

5. Please forward one of the printed materials containing said photograph to Robert King at the address above for inclusion in portfolio. Copyrighted materials included in this publication will be used only for the purpose of displaying the photo purchased to other prospective photography clients.

Thank you.

Signed: Robert King

**********************************************************

Message edited by author 2009-03-01 15:12:41.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

03/01/2009 02:57:00 PM · #5

Well, the level of appropriate detail they provide makes it seem more genuine ... it should be easy enough to verify with the publisher if they have such a project and if this is how they'd typically go about this.

Now, their budgeted amount seems a bit low for the stated use(s), but I'm lousy at judging stock photo prices, so maybe it's not that bad, especially if you aren't actively trying to sell it, but that this is just "gravy" money ...

I'd just try and check it out tomorrow morning first, but it looks like it could be a pretty good opportunity to me. Good luck!

PS: You could look up that address in a variety of ways -- if it resolves to a saloon I think your level of suspicion should increase several-fold ... ;-)

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

03/01/2009 02:58:15 PM · #6

As a photo researcher, she is very possibly independent of McGraw Hill. She says the book is "to be published" by MH, not that she works for them. It all sounds legit to me. And I do work in publishing, albeit at the low end :-)

R.

Message edited by author 2009-03-01 14:59:33.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

03/01/2009 02:58:57 PM · #7

Cool, thank you very much for all your replies :)

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

03/01/2009 03:01:22 PM · #8

Originally posted by bobonacus:

Only the right to reproduce it in the brochure described in #1 above is licensed to McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Don't you mean "textbook", not "brochure"?

R.

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG APO IF for Nikon

03/01/2009 03:03:06 PM · #9

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by bobonacus:
Only the right to reproduce it in the brochure described in #1 above is licensed to McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Don't you mean "textbook", not "brochure"?

R.

Oh yeah ;)

amathiasphoto

Nikon D300

03/01/2009 03:07:52 PM · #10

...you could always request a phone number and call her- this is something that I have done before. If they give you a number to contact them at, call and make sure (but it would most likely be legit at this point), and if you dont hear from them again, then its probably a fake, and for the better that they didnt follow up with you.

dainmcgowan

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

03/01/2009 05:15:39 PM · #11

nice one, congrats Robert.

makes a nice change to read something like this instead of the 'my photo has been stolen threads'!

Lonni

Nikon D700

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

03/01/2009 07:29:05 PM · #12

Congratulations Bob!

Such a great image too :)

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

03/02/2009 10:46:52 AM · #13

Thanks :)

All seems totally legit, she even asked me to change to wording slightly on the invoice to cover the use for "English distribution and a Korean language translation"

BeeCee

Nikon D40

03/02/2009 12:32:08 PM · #14

Very cool then. Congrats!

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

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

03/02/2009 12:34:12 PM · #15

Congrats again. See if you can get them to include a free copy of the book in the licensing fee.