print bought for use as a cover-illustration will bring home a bigger
cheque than if it were used merely as one of many illustrations. Too,
_Illustrated World_ pays $3.00 and more for prints used in its
pictorial section, but $2.00 for those used in its mechanical
department. Other magazines do not make this distinction.
After all, the price paid depends wholly on the usefulness and quality
of the print. If, sometimes, as in the case of the _Ladies' Home
Journal_, the payment is made with a view to the photographer's
reputation, it is only because news-photographers of experience produce
prints of a higher average quality than beginners do. But, if a
beginner "delivers the goods," the editor is just as glad to pay to him
the large cheque as he is to pay it to any one else.
A few examples of prices paid will be of interest. _Collier's_ pays
$3.00 for non-exclusive prints and $5.00 for exclusive prints, and from
$25.00 to $100.00 a page for layouts (spreads). _Illustrated World_
pays $3.00 for each print. _Popular Mechanics_ pays $3.00 and up, and
$25.00 a page for layouts. _Popular Science_ reimburses at the rate of
$3.00 for each photograph, and sometimes more. The _Saturday Blade_
pays $2.00 for each. The Thompson Art Company pays from $1.00 to $5.00.
Underwood and Underwood pay from $3.00 and up, according to the value
of the print. The Woodman and Teirman Printing Company pays at rates
varying from $5.00 to $50.00.
"But when is payment made?" you ask. The answer is, "Either upon
acceptance or upon publication."
By far, most magazines pay according to the more desirable plan--upon
acceptance. As soon as such a magazine decides that a photograph is
useful to it, it mails a cheque to the sender. Sometimes, a receipt is
sent with the cheque, which the recipient must sign and return; but,
more often, the cheque itself is the receipt. Payment upon acceptance
is by far the more desirable method, for with it the worker is paid as
soon as his work is done; there is no waiting for weeks and months for
payment, as in the case of pay-on-publication magazines.
There are a few magazines who wait until the photograph actually
appears in the pages of the publication before payment is made. In such
cases, the photographer has no recourse but to wait until the editor is
ready to print his contribution whenever it may be.
In the case of pay-on-publication magazines, notice is usually sent
that the photograph has been accepted for publication and that it will
be paid for as soon as it is published. Sometimes, no notice is given
at all of publication or acceptance; and in that case the photographer
must scan each issue of the magazine in order to find his contribution
when it appears, or he must wait until the cheque arrives that denotes
publication. Either method is uncertain; but there is nothing to do
but to endure it. Some publications even wait for some time after
publication before making payment, as in the case of the _Kansas City
Star_, which pays on the fifteenth of the month following publication,
and the _Saturday Blade_ which also mails all cheques the month
following publication. This is a discouraging policy; but as the cheque
always arrives in the end, there is little to be said in condemnation
of it; the photographer is obliged to make the best of it.
The contributor should always keep a record of prints accepted and to
be paid for on publication. Otherwise, by an oversight, a cheque for
published material may never come, and the photographer may never miss
it. Too, a cheque may arrive unexpectedly from a forgotten source and
cause an attack of heart-failure.
The beginner does not achieve mountain-top prices except by a lucky
shot now and then. Prices increase with your experience and your
reputation.
The photographer who develops his "nose for news" until it can scent a
salable photograph in every conceivable situation is the photographer
who has the large cheques forced upon him.
The sky-high cheques come to the camerist who, night and day, through
sunshine and storm, earthquake and cyclone, is always "hot on the
trail" of the salable photograph that is tucked away somewhere, where
only a keen scent and a large amount of perseverance can lead him; and
when he arrives, the subject will be singing truthfully, "Shoot me and
the wor-rld is tha-hine." There are enough of these subjects to shame
the biggest choir on earth by their "singing." However, the
photographer must know good music when he hears it.
X
ART PHOTOGRAPHS
An art-photograph may be either of two things: a photograph, itself
artistic; or a photograph of some artistic thing. There are markets for
both. Artistic photographs are used by calendar and postcard makers;
also, by photographic magazines, and magazines given to the beautiful
in art or literature. When submitting such photographs to makers of
postcards and such, they should be submitted in the usual manner.
The subjects used by card- and calendar-makers are interesting
landscapes, beautiful seascapes, pretty girls, attractive children, and
animals, as every one knows. Such pictures are sometimes bought
outright--indeed, they usually are; but some firms pay according to
their value as indicated by the demand for them after publication.
Thus, one firm pays on a fifty-fifty basis.
An example of beautiful photography, at the same time picturing an
unusual or artistic subject, will usually find a market in a
photographic magazine, as _Photo-Era Magazine_ or a magazine such as
_Shadowland_. The _Architectural Record_ demands that its prints,
although of architectural subjects, be artistic and beautiful. Indeed,
there is such a wide market for photographically artistic prints of
beautiful subjects that the photographer is doubly rewarded who can
supply these, as well as hot-off-the-bat news-photographs.
Artistic photographs are printed on sensitive-paper of a surface suited
to their subjects, and are trimmed so as to carry the correct
compositional balance; and after, they are tastefully mounted.
Photographs which are not themselves artistic, but which are of
art-subjects, may be prepared as are other photographs intended for
publication. Such photographs are of statues, pictures, new
art-museums, art-collections, paintings, mural decorations, drawings,
and anything at all of interest to artists. Material of such sort is
sought by such publications as _American Art News_, _Art in America_,
_Art and Decoration_, and others that appreciate the very best.
In short, the photographer may market his game among a wider patronage
if he can bring down birds of paradise as well as ducks and geese and
the common denizens of the air.
XI
COMPETITIONS
Competition is the life of business. Certainly, then, an aspirant for
honors from publishers experiences no lack of life. Often, however,
after a print has proved unavailable for publication, when offered by
the regular process, it may be entered in a photographic competition
where current interest is not essential; and so, perhaps, even bring
home a larger cheque than it could have captured otherwise.
The two leading photographic publications, _Photo-Era Magazine_ and
_American Photography_, conduct monthly competitions. The monthly
prizes for the Advanced Competition of _Photo-Era Magazine_ are $10.00,
$5.00 and $2.50 in value of photographic goods. Although cash is not
paid, a prize awarded will go a long way toward obtaining for the
photographer a desired piece of apparatus, or in supplying sensitised
material, developing-agents and such with which to produce photographs
intended for other magazines. "The contest is free and open to
photographers of ability and good standing--amateur or professional."
The publisher of _Photo-Era Magazine_ assigns subjects for each month,
as "Winter-Sports," "Speed-Pictures," and so on. Since the photographer
must buy supplies in any event, the awarding of such to the amount of
$10.00 is a distinct help.
_American Photography_ also conducts monthly photographic contests. For
these no subjects are assigned. The prizes for the Senior Class are
$10.00, $5.00 and $3.00, paid in cash. "Any photographer, amateur or
professional, may compete." This magazine last year held an Annual
Competition, which it intends to repeat, with prizes of $100.00,
$50.00, two of $25.00, and ten of $10.00, not to mention one hundred
subscriptions for the magazine. Highly artistic work is necessary for
recognition in the Annual Competition. Both _Photo-Era Magazine_ and
_American Photography_ supply data-blanks which must be sent with
entries.
Competitions for amateur photographs are also conducted by the
_American Boy_, which offers monthly prizes of $5.00, $3.00 and $1.00
for "the most interesting amateur photographs received during each
month." These are worthwhile.
Photographs of popular interest are used in monthly competitions by
many magazines; and many manufacturers conduct occasional, if not
regular, prize-contests.
Probably the largest company to offer prizes in competitions is the
Eastman Kodak Company. The Eastman company for many years conducted a
yearly contest with thousands of dollars in prizes offered. Last year,
it decided on an innovation; the running of a monthly contest with
prizes of $500.00. This practice has been continued for many months and
shows no signs of being discontinued at this writing. Prizes are
offered for four classes of photographs, the class being determined by
the camera with which the photograph was made. In all, twenty prizes
are awarded each month, the highest being $100.00 and the lowest $7.00.
Frequently one person wins two or three prizes. The photographs entered
must be of good workmanship, of human-interest and must preferably tell
a story. No subjects are set. Upon writing to the company, a leaflet is
sent which gives rules and an entry-blank. A good many photographers
have cleaned-up in these competitions.
Now and then, different manufacturers and magazines, who do not
ordinarily do so, offer prizes for photographs. At every opportunity,
the press-photographer should enter his prints, for if they win a
prize, he has the advantage of a larger remuneration as well as a
boosted prestige among editors and publishers.
XII
PRINTS FOR ADVERTISING
Advertisers who are manufacturers are all possessed of the belief that
the buying public is painfully ill-informed of the unequalled merits of
their products. Consequently, any photographic evidence of the
superiority of their goods which will enlighten the public is welcomed
with open arms.
Any photograph that shows plainly the excellent service that any
product has given will bring the photographer's own price from the
manufacturer. The demand is almost universal.
Makers of camera-lenses are continually on the lookout for unusual
photographs made with their products. The Wollensak, the Bausch and
Lomb, and the Goerz companies frequently buy negatives that portray
vividly some features of their lenses.
Makers of camera-shutters also buy photographs which were made with
cameras equipped with their shutters. Usually, the point emphasised in
the pictures bought is the shutters' ability to "stop motion" at their
high speeds. As press-photographers frequently find it necessary to use
the shortest exposures given by their shutters, they should have
something in their negative-files which the shutter-makers should be
eager to obtain.
Makers of photographic material other than lenses and shutters often
buy examples of work done with their goods. Thus, the Ansco Company
"uses photographs of natural scenes for advertising-purposes," the
photographs being made on _Ansco_ film and _Cyko_ paper, or other Ansco
products. Burke and James, makers of _Rexo_ cameras, "use photographs
for advertising-purposes which must be of unusual interest and must
illustrate their goods in use, or be made with their cameras or films."
Inasmuch as the news-photographer, in his daily work, finds many
unusual things, he should find no difficulty in selling a few prints to
camera-makers.
An advertiser is always seeking any information likely to help sell his
product. If, in your work, you see an old storage-battery with electric
energy still unimpaired, or a well-preserved tire, or a shaving-brush
of "strong constitution" unweakened by much use, it would very likely
prove profitable to photograph it and describe your find to the company
that makes the product.
Thus, an insurance-agency may buy a photograph of a garage destroyed by
fire, the cars in which were fully protected by their insurance. A
maker of strong-boxes may appreciate a photograph of one of his boxes
raked out of, perhaps, the same fire, the box having held valuable
papers which were fully protected from the terrific heat. The makers of
a portable typewriter once purchased a photograph of one of their
machines which had fallen from an airplane and which had to be dug from
the ground; but which, of course, suffered no injury whatever because
of its fall and burial. If you should unexpectedly come upon Irvin Cobb
writing a masterpiece with his Neverleek fountain-pen, snap him (with
his permission) and see what the makers of Neverleeks say.
Manufacturers of patent roofings use photographs of roofs covered with
their products; makers of steam-rollers want photographs of roads
tamped by their machines; and so on and on and on.
It is wiser to write first to the advertising-manager of the particular
company favored, and to inquire if he is buying photographs that show
plainly the unparalleled merits of his excellent product, and if
so--etc., etc.
Some advertisers will ask you to name a price for your work, and on
such an occasion you should judge fairly the value of the print to
them. If they require the negative also, raise the rate. Any prints
should be worth $10.00 even to a small manufacturer, and if it is
acceptable at all, a larger firm should pay from $25.00 to $1,000.00
for suitable propaganda. This branch of press-photography is little
used by many workers, yet it is remunerative.
Besides furnishing the manufacturer with advertising for his product,
the photographer supplies himself with some advertising to the effect
that "he delivered the goods once, and could do it again, so there."
XIII
COPYRIGHTS AND OTHER RIGHTS
If, as often happens, one photograph is useful to more than one
publication, is it all right to sell the one photograph to as many
magazines as will buy it?
When a publication prints a photograph on its pages, it copyrights it
in the name of the publishing company. The photographer then has parted
with his _entire rights_ to it, and cannot sell it elsewhere, _unless_
one of two precautions has been taken.
The first precaution is the writing on the back of each print: "First
Magazine-Rights Only." Those "mystic" words mean that the print is
offered for publication only one time, after which it again becomes the
property of the photographer. That is, the magazine, when buying such a
print, buys only the right to print it the first time. Immediately
after its publication, it becomes again the property of the
photographer, although he cannot of course sell "First Rights" again,
any more than he can sell the same horse twice at the same time.
After "First Rights" has been sold, the photographer may then sell
"Second Rights," _provided_ those words are written on the back of the
second print. "'Second Rights' is the right to publish a photograph in
some other publication than the one in which it originally appeared."
For instance: a photograph of a novel shop-window display may be
acceptable to _Popular Mechanics_, which buys a print _marked_ "First
Magazine-Rights Only." But the same photograph may be acceptable too to
an advertising-magazine, and so it buys "Second Magazine-Rights."
Unless these terms are written on the backs of prints which are sold to
more than one magazine, trouble is apt to result.
Another plan by which it is possible to sell a photograph to more than
one publication is the labeling _each print_ as: "Non-Exclusive" or
"Not Exclusive." When that is done, the photograph may be sold to as
many editors as care to buy it.
If no mention of any rights or of exclusiveness is made at the time of
sale, it is inferred that the publisher buys "All Rights." In that case
the photographer loses _all_ claims to the photograph; if he attempts
to sell it again without the consent of the editor who first bought it
he is breaking the copyright laws; in fact, he is selling another's
property.
There is no need to affix any such terms to any photograph which can
sell to only one, or which is to be offered to only one magazine.
Magazines are more partial to prints which they can buy outright, and
thus acquire "All Rights." Indeed, there are very few prints of enough
value to sell to more than one magazine.
Now we plunge deep into the mysteries of copyrights. When a print is
copyrighted it is unalterably the property of the person _first_
copyrighting it until he signs "Transference of Copyright." A
copyrighted print may be published in a dozen publications if they will
buy it, and it still remains the property of the one who first
copyrighted it. Copyright laws were passed for the benefit of those who
"promote the progress of science and useful arts." This is done "by
securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right
to use their respective writings and discoveries." Under this law,
"author" includes makers of photographs, and "writings" includes
photographs.
The process of copyrighting a photograph is not an involved one. A
request should be addressed to the Register of Copyrights at
Washington, D.C., for a few copyright-blanks, form J1. (Form J1 is for
photographs to be sold, J2 for photographs not to be sold.) One of
these cards is then filled out, and two prints of the photographs sent
with it to the Copyright Office, as well as the necessary fee. "The fee
for the registration of copyrights ... in the case of photographs, when
no certificate (of copyright) is demanded is fifty cents; for every
certificate, fifty cents" additional. A certificate is not usually
necessary, and is useful only in cases of disputed copyright ownership,
etc. The fee should be sent only in the form of a money-order to the
Register of Copyrights, and the photographs must bear the mark of
copyright, which is "either the word 'Copyrighted' or the abbreviation
'Copr.' accompanied by the name of the copyright proprietor. In the
case of photographs the notice may consist of the letter C inclosed in
a circle _provided_ that on some accessible portion of such copies ...
the name of the person copyrighting shall appear." Upon the Copyright
Office receiving the photographs, the sender is notified; and again,
when copyright is granted, he is sent a small card notifying him, or
the certificate is sent to him if he has ordered one. Then the print is
considered copyrighted.
It is useless to copyright any except those prints of extraordinary
value, the rights of which the photographer wishes to retain at all
costs. The average quality prints are not likely to be stolen, and so
the copyrighting of them is unnecessary. If the photograph is merely to
be offered to two or more publications it is only necessary to mark
each print as directed in the foregoing paragraphs.
Publishing companies are business-institutions which are of necessity
conducted according to the highest ethics. To unwittingly sell to
another magazine a print one magazine purchased as exclusive, would be
likely to exile the photographer's work from those particular
magazines. The photographer should remember that a print of his making
is not his property once it is first copyrighted by someone else,
_unless_ he has sold only certain rights of it. It is nothing less than
theft, to make a photographic copy of a published photograph and to
offer it as original and unpublished. The photographer should never try
to sell what is not his own work. But since not many have the urge to
do so, undue emphasis on that point would be offensive.
"The sum of the foregoing advice is that the author (photographer)
should exercise common sense in disposing of rights," says J. Berg
Esenwein, editor of the _Writer's Monthly_, in one of his books. "In
most cases it would be better to allow the publisher to have 'All
Rights' than to forego the chance of a sale; but nearly all
magazine-editors are disposed to be reasonable and will agree to share
any future profits that may arise from supplementary sales of a
manuscript (photograph). The chief point is that author and publisher
should clearly understand each other, without the author's losing his
rights, yet, without harassing the publisher by making unnecessary
stipulations regarding a trifling matter."
The law of copyright should be followed strictly when attempting to
submit the same photograph to more than one publication or buyer. If
the photographer keeps an eye on what rights he has sold when he cashes
his cheque, and governs himself accordingly, he will sail along without
trouble of any kind.
XIV
ILLUSTRATED SPECIAL ARTICLES
It would require a surveyor of extraordinary skill to mark the boundary
between the lands of _Photographs-With-Explanatory-Data_ and
_Articles-Illustrated-With-Photographs_. Since the dividing line is so
vague it is not difficult to pass from the one to the other.
The jump from the making of photographs to the writing of non-fiction
is not a difficult one to make. In his rambles after salable
photographs the press-photographer may unearth a subject to which a
single photograph does not do justice. Then the making of more
photographs and the writing of an article about them is the logical and
the progressive and the more remunerative thing to do.
Indeed, subjects which would not sell otherwise may be made very useful
to an editor by the writing of an enticing article around them. At
once, there is a means of broadening one's market and of disposing of
photographs, by themselves, unsalable. An illustrated article naturally
calls forth a fatter cheque than would the text or the photographs
alone. There is as much a demand for illustrated articles as there is
for photographs; so that the photographer with the ability to tell
facts simply and clearly has two avenues of revenue.
Many illustrated articles sold to magazines are just groups of
photographs with interesting texts written about them. A search through
a few magazines reveals a broad variety.
From _Popular Mechanics_:
New Mountain-Road Now Open to Traffic.
New Orleans Public Elevator.
Artistic Roof-Garden Features City-Factory.
Steamer Repaired in Eighteen Days.
Where the Earth Collapsed.
Flying Anglers Troll for Deep-Sea Fish.
A Four-Track Concrete Railroad-Bridge.
Waterfalls Near Big City Just Discovered.
Concrete Smokestack Difficult to Demolish.
Vast Stores of Mineral Paint-Pigments in Salton Sea.
From _Illustrated World_:
What the Circus Does in Winter.
Snow on the Overland Trail.
City over Coal-Mines Slowly Sinking.
Running the Farm by Windmill.
Truck Equipped for Sealer of Weights and Measures.
Marvelous Development in the Hemp-Industry.
Public Camp-Conveniences.
Mud-Splashing Guards for Autos.
Work for Waterfalls Everywhere.
Building the Road to Fit the Car.
Heading Off Mountain-Floods.
Lawn-Pools and Fountains in Concrete.
From _Photo-Era Magazine_:
Children in the Snow.
The Quartz-Meniscus Lens.
Introduction of Figures in Landscape-Work.
Photographic Greeting Cards.
Balance by Shadows in Pictorial Composition.
Mounting and Framing Photographs.
The Photographer and a Goat-Ranch.
In Nature's Studio.
From _Science and Invention_: