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View Full Version : Having your sub-par work published / used



Mike Poe
02-17-2008, 11:56 AM
From time to time I have been asked to allow an image I’ve taken to be used that I felt was not that great. It may be I snapped it to document a rare species in the area and the local newspaper wants to use it or a magazine decided to publish an image that while it is OK it is not representative of my work.

Do you allow the use but ask they not give you credit. How have you handled this decision in the past . Do you have any regrets ?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Mike

Doug West
02-17-2008, 02:50 PM
For me being a nobody, if the person wanting to use my
image thinks its good enough, that's good enough for me.

Personally, I think its even more important to get the credit
so others can see your A game if the interest is there.

For example, I made the cover of a county park publication.
The image they picked wasn't what I considered my best.
But because my credit was my web address, I got a request
to put on a presentation for a local library.

No image. No credit. No presentation.

Another example...take one of those publications that show
off a particular city. How many times have we seen an image
that was out of focus, bad light, etc.? We might think that image
is technically flawed, but hey, that photographer can say they
were published.

In the end, as the photographer, we determine what's seen anyway.
If it was good enough to show a prospective client, you deserve
the credit.

Doug

Harold Davis
02-17-2008, 05:54 PM
well said, doug.