Beware, this is a wordy post with a specific audience in mind so many readers may have little interest in it. But it had to be done.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nSince I get many image requests I’ve decided it’s\u00a0past time to be more transparent and forthcoming\u00a0about my policy regarding image and print sales. Regular readers know I’m often (though not always)\u00a0reluctant to sell prints to clients\u00a0and my response to requests for other types of uses (as references\u00a0for paintings, sculptures and\u00a0tattoos and for use with software, websites, rubber stamps and a\u00a0host of other applications)\u00a0might often seem\u00a0inconsistent\u00a0. A “misunderstanding” involving a recent image\u00a0transaction has prompted me to finally lay it all on the line publicly – something I probably should have done long ago.<\/p>\n
The overriding<\/em> reason I photograph birds and\u00a0other critters\u00a0is because I enjoy it. A lot.\u00a0All of it, including but not limited to\u00a0being in nature and\u00a0doing something difficult like bird photography\u00a0as well as I can and feeling the deep personal\u00a0satisfaction of occasional success. And for me a big part of my photography is blogging about it. When I started my blog I was doubtful I’d keep it up for long but I quickly\u00a0learned that\u00a0I\u00a0enjoy all the writing and\u00a0image processing blogging involves and interacting with my readers. And\u00a0it seldom\u00a0feels like work. I worked for 33 years in a profession I loved but when I retired I washed my hands of work in the traditional sense.<\/p>\nBut photography as a business is old-fashioned\u00a0work! It involves\u00a0extensive\u00a0record keeping,\u00a0filling\u00a0out endless forms like\u00a0W9’s and other red tape,\u00a0many trips to the printer,\u00a0misunderstandings with clients – the list is endless. And dealing with those things takes time, time I’d much rather spend with birds or other photographic activities that I enjoy. Yes, it’s nice to make a little cash on the side to at least help with some of\u00a0my equipment and gas costs but with print sales at least I’ve found that the time involved\u00a0often isn’t worth the financial return.<\/p>\n
Here’s just a few of the many frustrations I’ve experienced in the past with\u00a0image requests of various kinds.<\/p>\n
\n- My very first print sale years ago was to another bird photographer in Washington state. I was sooo excited – someone actually\u00a0liked an image of mine enough to pay for it! But that print was damaged in shipping so I felt compelled to replace it at my expense (including\u00a0more shipping costs). That experience began to sour me on print sales right from the get-go.<\/li>\n
- Shipping prints out of country can be a nightmare in\u00a0red tape and currency exchange. I still have a stash of New Zealand dollars I was sent by a client several years ago\u00a0that is just too much trouble to exchange around here. Why she sent me cash in the mail (from\u00a0NZ of all places) I’ll never know.<\/li>\n
- Even when I donate images\u00a0to educational, conservation or military\u00a0organizations sometimes they don’t fulfill their end of\u00a0the bargain. When I donated some of my images to the Harrier (jump-jet)\u00a0pilot training program at\u00a0Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, CA they promised to send me some samples of\u00a0the completed software with my images in them.\u00a0They have\u00a0never sent me those samples, even after repeated requests for them to do so over several years and eventually they\u00a0just ignored my emails.\u00a0They never did live up to their end of the bargain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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![\"Sibling](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/burrowing-owl-9406.jpg\" "\\"burrowing-owl-9406")
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![\"burrowing](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/burrowing-owl-9440-ron-dudley1.jpg\" "\\"burrowing-owl-9440-ron-dudley\\"")
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\n- The last example I’ll include here (and the one that finally\u00a0inspired this post) began\u00a0several weeks ago when I received a request from a representative of a Florida university foundation asking to use these two Burrowing Owl images in a special card of thanks to be sent to their donors. To begin with they would print 500 copies of the card and\u00a0I agreed to allow use of my images when we\u00a0settled on what we both thought was a fair price and I was assured that all I needed to do to receive payment was send them an invoice. I sent her the images and the invoice\u00a0and then awaited payment. But then last week I was sent two more complicated forms (more red tape) that I had to fill out before eventually\u00a0being paid. I wrote back and told them to hell with it –\u00a0that I wouldn’t fill out the forms and I’d just take the loss. At this point in my life I really<\/em> despise menial work, especially when it wasn’t part of the original agreement. I know, that was\u00a0cutting off my nose to spite my face but that’s just the way it is…<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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So, if by chance you’re ever interested in requesting a print or any other use of my images here’s what my reaction would likely be in a variety of scenarios:<\/p>\n
\n- Print requests from known blog followers who live in country would always be considered and likely honored. I do appreciate their loyalty and besides I “know” most of them.<\/li>\n
- Print requests from others in country will be considered on a case by case basis (depending on the image and its quality, the size requested and other variables)<\/li>\n
- Print requests from locals would likely be honored. Locals can pick up their own prints and no shipping is necessary.<\/li>\n
- Requests for image donation for nonprofit educational or conservation purposes would likely be honored if high-resolution images weren’t required and everyone else involved in the project\u00a0but the photographer\u00a0wasn’t being paid.<\/li>\n
- Image requests from reputable publishers\u00a0will be considered and are always appreciated. I enjoy selling to publishers, both in country and overseas,\u00a0because those kinds of transactions\u00a0are generally without headaches.<\/li>\n
- I never honor requests for highest resolution digital\u00a0copies of my images except in the case of reputable publishers where the details of the\u00a0transaction\u00a0are covered by a contract. That’s the easiest way to lose control of my own images I know of.<\/li>\n
- Requests for image use for any\u00a0commercial or personal purpose where all I’m offered in exchange is\u00a0image credit and “exposure”\u00a0will be denied in a hummingbird’s heartbeat. Or more likely ignored. If I wanted exposure I’d join a nudist colony.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Perhaps my responses to various types of image requests may seem capricious and even petulant\u00a0to some but in a nod to that old scalawag Frank Sinatra, at this point in my life I’ve decided to do it “My Way”.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
Some pertinent notes:<\/em><\/p>\n\n- Those wishing to contact me regarding image requests can use the “Contact Me” button at the top of my blog<\/em><\/li>\n
- I realize that there are more efficient ways to manage print\u00a0sales specifically than the way I do it. Maybe I’ll use one of them sometime in the future but at this point print sales haven’t been enough of a priority to set it up<\/em><\/li>\n
- Please understand, I’m always honored and appreciative\u00a0when anyone\u00a0likes my images enough to\u00a0request their use for various purposes. But\u00a0if honoring those requests is more work than it’s worth to me I will often turn them down.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
And those situations where I do consider print and image requests.<\/p>\n
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