Selling photos online... official MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

electrodent

Hi Guys,

Hoping for some advice from the wise minds of this forum

Has anyone had any experience of sports photography as an amateur? I enjoy taking part in running, cycling and triathlon events and the official photographs of the competitors are always really expensive. Has anyone ever tried to sell "unofficial photos"? My photos aren't going to be as good as the professional's but they would be cheaper. Are there any legal issues around selling "unofficial photos"?

Any advice or thoughts welcome

ah7386

pennyforthem wrote: »

Told ya so .....

Please stop with all the stupid smileys, your messages are beginning to feel like spam and to be honest you seem a little childish.

darich

pennyforthem wrote: »

Told ya so etc etc blah blah blah

Run along and find an adult now.

Phil_B_6

A Word of warning when trying to sell your photographs to some organizations.
Over the past years I have sumbitted to some of the weekly magazines aimed especially at women. I have had photographs used but unless you buy every magazine every week you do not know they have used your pic.
They don't automatically tell you. To make matters worse it can take over 6 months before your pic appears.
If you are lucky enough to spot your photo and you chase the magazine they usually give you an excuse "sorry your payment must have been misslaid".Also come other press agencies seem to have the same policy. So just a word be carefull and watch them like a hawk.

clio2008

Hi everyone

I like taking random pictures of nature and things I see around me, be it clouds or pebbles.
Ive been doing this for sometime and have been getting a lot of positive feedback for people about my pictures.

After doing alot of research I decided it wouldnt hurt to put some of my pictures on a website where I can sell them.
A big thanks by the way to everyone who posted in this thread as I have been able to get some serious information and guidance to help me on my way :beer:
I registered with Photographers Direct last week, emailed them the url to where my pictures are stored online last night, and got an email back today informing me that my registration has been validated and an invite to upload my pictures to their website.:j Only thing is I have read someone comment that when they were informed that their registration had been validated, by PD, only certain pictures were selected. I did not get this in my email from them...so does it mean all my pictures have been selected? Hope its not a silly question lol

chrisbur

First you need to prepare your pictures according to the instructions on the site, and then upload them to the site. You are given enough space for about 200 pictures. Full details are in the FREQUENTLY IGNORED QUESTIONS once you have signed in.These pictures will then be judged and given a PD rating, if the rating is high enough then you get more space to upload pictures. You will also get more space if you make a sale

Katie-Kat-Kins

darich wrote: »

Jamlaw - If you believe that buying a better camera will give you better photos then your belief is sadly misplaced.
Does a chef buy better pots when he wants to make a better meal?
The photographer takes the photograph - the camera is merely a tool.

But you need the right tools to do the job, you can't paint the mona lisa with a bic biro!!!!

You don't need all the latest most expensive kit but you do need something suitable for the task you are undertaking.

loulou_1984

electrodent wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Hoping for some advice from the wise minds of this forum

Has anyone had any experience of sports photography as an amateur? I enjoy taking part in running, cycling and triathlon events and the official photographs of the competitors are always really expensive. Has anyone ever tried to sell "unofficial photos"? My photos aren't going to be as good as the professional's but they would be cheaper. Are there any legal issues around selling "unofficial photos"?

Any advice or thoughts welcome

I work in the photography industry but haven't come across this type of thing before. I'm unsure of the answer but be wary of where you are when taking the photos - if the event takes part on private land, you may not have a right to be there with your camera. I'm sure someone with experience can help more.

Phil_B wrote: »

A Word of warning when trying to sell your photographs to some organizations.
Over the past years I have sumbitted to some of the weekly magazines aimed especially at women. I have had photographs used but unless you buy every magazine every week you do not know they have used your pic.
They don't automatically tell you. To make matters worse it can take over 6 months before your pic appears.
If you are lucky enough to spot your photo and you chase the magazine they usually give you an excuse "sorry your payment must have been misslaid".Also come other press agencies seem to have the same policy. So just a word be carefull and watch them like a hawk.

I work for a picture library and we have this all the time. I know the bigger agencies employ a person just to go through the papers and mags to find unnotified usages. I would say the majority of usages have to be chased up, often several times which is why so many photographers choose to place their work with picture agencies rather than trying to do the work themselves.

Katie-Kat-Kins wrote: »

But you need the right tools to do the job, you can't paint the mona lisa with a bic biro!!!!

You don't need all the latest most expensive kit but you do need something suitable for the task you are undertaking.

Yes very true - if you want to sell an image for print, there are minimum requirements on quality. Composition and lighting are important, but the right camera, a good set of lenses and filters are too.

darich

Katie-Kat-Kins wrote: »

But you need the right tools to do the job, you can't paint the mona lisa with a bic biro!!!!

You don't need all the latest most expensive kit but you do need something suitable for the task you are undertaking.

You've slightly misunderstood what I was getting at.
I completely agree that you need the right tools for the job - good quality equipment.
I was trying to make the point that buying expensive equipment doesn't automatically make your photographs good.
There are so many factors in a photograph and the right tool is just one of those factors. You also need to have an eye for composition, correct exposure, sharp image, good light, good photoshop skills etc..

There are minimum requirements for submitting to agencies and libraries but buying an expensive camera that meets or exceeds those requirements won't mean automatic acceptance if you can't spot a good image with your eye or get the expsoure right.

Katie-Kat-Kins

I was agreeing with you really - you need the right tools to do the job but the tools alone can't do it for you.

Anyway do you think that someone could produce suitable photos for selling on these sites if, they have a good (trained) eye, excellent photoshop skills and a good quality bridge/super zoom camera but not a DSLR??

I'm on here looking for ideas for an extra income for DH, he's first and foremost and artist but did photography as part of his college and uni course. He has sold greetings cards with his landscape photos on previously, and we have a few blown up and framed at home.

He uses his camera for his business but couldn't justify the cost of a DSLR simply for collecting artists source material - he finds it ok for everything but action shots. He was also concerned that if he had a DSLR the hassle of multiple lenses and the amount of kit he'd have to carry would mean that he would take it out less.

I don't want to spend ages with him looking at the sites sorting out photos and submitting them if they won't be good enough because of his camera.