Selling your images - through
Photo libraries and agencies David Pike
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Arcblue
Arcblue is a new online library specialising in Sites of Human Presence:
architecture, interior design, and the built environment. We stock
5x4, 120 transparencies and negatives. Our range covers mostly UK
based contemporary architecture and is expanding to include projects
world-wide. www.arcblue.com
Please contact info@arcblue.com or
telephone 020 8940 2227,
93 Gainsborough Road, Richmond, TW9 2ET |
Many photographers aspire to selling their images,
both to help cover the cost of their hobby and to achieve an endorsement
of their photographic ability. For some selling images is an initial step
along the road to turning professional for others it will be sufficient
to achieve the occasional sale without developing a commercially successful
business. Finally there are those people for whom the cheque is nice, but
it is the thrill of seeing their work published that is the real compensation.
There are many commercial, professional photographers
who successfully sell their images through commissions, whether they are
lifestyle, wedding, or commercial photographers. There are also a number
of specialist photographers who work on either a freelance or an employed
basis, but they work within a reasonably limited field such as fashion
or sports where they are well known and where there position in the market
supports their photo sales activity. This article is not about these types
of photographers. In this article I am addressing those photographers
who aspire to selling stock images - images taken with no particular commission
in mind, but which are suitable for a wide range of uses.
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Natural History Picture
Agency
NHPA is a comprehensive library of colour transparencies in various
formats, documenting all aspects of the natural world and representing
more than 120 leading wildlife and environmental photographers. Our
key areas of coverage are animals, plants, marine life, landscapes
and environmental issues world-wide, but we also hold extensive files
on agriculture, pets, gardens, high-speed photography, native peoples,
habitats and conservation. www.nhpa.co.uk
Please contact: tel: 01444 892 514: nhpa@nhpa.co.uk
Little Tye, 57 High Street, Ardingly, Sussex, RH17 6TB |
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No one looking at selling their images should
have any illusions - it is not easy. The massive stock of outstanding
images and the vast number of photographers producing quality images mean
that agencies and picture buyers can be very choosey. Moreover because
of the nature of the market prices have come down steadily over the years
to the point now where it is increasingly difficult to make a living as
a professional stock photographer. So perhaps the best advice for anyone
starting out is to lower your expectations you are unlikely to get rich
selling your photographs - some do, it is true, but they are a tiny proportion
of those trying to sell photographs. Low expectations does not mean that
you need to be pessimistic - indeed, one of the prerequisites of selling
is optimism and self belief - there will be many disappointments and you
need to get through these if you are to succeed.
While these may seem like tough words, I believe
they are true and I have stated them bluntly partly as an antedote to
the several books that are available on this subject. These books are
generally good and contain a lot of useful information and I recommend
a number of them at the end of this article, but if they have a fault
it is that they all take an upbeat attitude as if selling photographs
was easy and within the scope of anyone that picks up a camera.
A last word from my soap box - anyone who is an
amateur photographer who is attempting to sell images has a responsibility
in the market to help maintain prices. The nature of the stock photography
market is that it is a buyers market - there are relatively few buyers
and a large number of potential suppliers. In this environment there is
inevitably, downward pressure on prices. As photographers I feel that
we all have a responsibility to support our end of the industry. It is
tempting to undercharge to get published - particularly, if you are looking
for that first or early sale, but this does a disservice to you and all
of your fellow photographers so avoid the temptation please.
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Hutchison Picture Library
World-wide contemporary images from the straight-forward to the esoteric
and quirky. With over half a million documentary colour photographs
on file and more than 200 photographers continually adding new work,
this is an ever-growing, ever-changing resource covering: people,
places, customs & faiths, agriculture, industry and transport.
Please contact: Tel: 020 7229 2743; library@hutchisonpic.demon.co.uk
118b Holland Park Avenue, London, W11 4UA |
A Basic Choice
The most basic question for anyone considering selling photographs is
whether to work independently, or whether to work with an agency or library.
I will come back to the issues of selling your images independently in
a subsequent article but in this article I will outline some of the issues
of working with an agency or library.
Using an Agent or Picture Library
Anyone looking to sell their images will inevitably consider whether they
should submit their images to a picture library or picture agent or agency
- there is no real difference in the services that these provide, these
are just different names for the same type of organisation . In the rest
of this article I will use the term photo agency or agency, to cover both
types of organisation.
Picture agencies hold your images and use their
network of contacts and their marketing expertise to sell those images.
They generally take 50% of the sale proceeds for this marketing effort
and for the administration of the sale - sending out images, overseeing
image returns, refilling images etc... Historically, all images were held
at the library, as transparencies and these were sent to clients for their
publishing needs. However, a growing part of every picture agency is now
its web sales and as these are increasing, so the fee structure of some
libraries is also shifting with many agents only providing 40% of the
sale proceeds from the agent's web site to the photographer.
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Woodfall Wild Images
A growing environmental, landscape and wildlife picture library, Woodfall
Wild Images represents a fresh perspective by award winning photographers
from around the world, all specialists in their field. Stock cards
are available giving a breakdown of subjects covered. Our specialities
include agriculture, conservation, environmental issues, global warming,
El Nino, pollution, habitat destruction, landscapes, landforms, wildlife
and marine-life. www.woodfall.com
Please contact: Tel: 01745 815 903, Email: wwimanager@btinternet.com
17 Bull Lane, Denbigh, Denbighshire, LL16 3SN |
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Know thyself
There are a number of books that you can read on the issues surrounding
submitting to a picture agency. I would recommend reading David Askham's
excellent book 'Photo Libraries and Agencies' as well as Lee Frost's book
on 'Photos that Sell', in which he has a very good section on Picture
Libraries and I would also take a look at Norbert Wu's book 'Selling Nature
Photographs', which has a good section on 'Stock Agencies'
The first steps in the process of submitting to
a picture agency are all about yourself and knowing what you can do. First,
you must mentally let go of your images - I know from talking to various
people that this is a difficult thing to do for some. By 'giving' them
to an agency you will no longer 'have' them, and even if they are tucked
away in filing drawers and rarely see the light of day this may still
be something of a wrench.
Secondly you have to take a ruthless look at the
quality of your images. A very stringent editing exercise is required
to select your best images for submission to an agency. You can rest assured
that there will be few subjects that are unique to your collection and
so, your images must be technically beyond criticism - pin sharp, well
exposed, aesthetically composed etc. Unless they meet these exacting standards
they are unlikely to be accepted by an agency.
When looking at different agencies you will find
that they may state how many images they expect to see in an initial submission
and how many they would like to see in terms of an on-going contribution
each year. Again, it is important to analyse what your success rate is
in terms of the exacting standards of the agencies - can you produce enough
images through the year, of sufficient quality to meet the requirements
of the agency.
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Lee Frost 'Photos that Sell'
This is a very useful book for anyone that is interested in selling
their images and there is a good section on 'Photo Libraries' Available
in the Creative Lens bookshop for £19.83 (RRP 24.99) |
The next step is to decide which agencies you
are going to approach. This will be determined in part by the selection
of images that you feel you can offer, the number that you can offer both
initially and each year, what film format you work in etc. David Askham
suggests going about this in a rigorous analytical fashion, listing the
different types of images and the numbers that you have in each category.
This analysis will help determine whether you have a wide range of images
suitable perhaps for a generalist agency, or whether your approach is
rather more narrow and deep - suitable for a specialist agency.
As you go through this process you will understand
what you can offer to an agency - very valuable information as you then
move to the next step in the process, which is to start to take a close
look at the agencies in more detail - now looking at what they can offer
you, rather than just what you can offer them.
Finding an Agency
There are a large number of picture Libraries in the UK and many more
overseas. These vary in size and specialisation. The largest, such as
Corbis, are global in reach, have large numbers of staff, are general
in scope - covering all types of photographs. The smaller agencies are
generally specialist agencies run as a small business and perhaps as a
second aspect of a photographers business.
Bigger does not necessarily mean better and there
are a number of issues that you need to consider in making a choice of
which agencies to approach. First, to scope out the size of this market
and get some basic ideas of what it is all about there are four approaches
that you can take:
- Buy the Bureau of Freelance Photographer's
Market Handbook which in 2002 lists over a hundred picture agents and
libraries. There are similar publications available for the US and European
markets. These books cover more than just Agents and Libraries and these
are a valuable resource.
- Visit the British Association of Picture Libraries
and Agencies website at www.bapla.com . This lists a wide range of picture
libraries and agencies.
- Take note in various publications of those
agencies and libraries that are used - for example, if you enjoy photographing
water sports you will almost certainly buy water sports magazines at
least occasionally - look at the captions on the images and take note
of any agencies used.
- Ask other photographers what they do and if
they can make any recommendations.
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Pictures of Britain (Photograph
by Paul I Makepeace)
The increasing library of Pictures of Britain offers an eclectic mix
of images. The typical nostalgic perception of Britain is represented
alongside some of the country's unique traditions and ceremonies,
memorabilia and curiosities in the form of festivals and rallies,
notices and signs. There are also many Images of grand cathedrals
and modest country churches; from historic ruins and castles to humble
homes of the famous and less so. www.picturesofbritain.co.uk
Please Contact: Tel: 01242 537 923, Email: info@picturesofbritain.co.uk
Alma House, 73 Rodney Road, Cheltenham, Glos, GL50 1HT |
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Choosing an Agency
There are several issues that you may want to consider in choosing an
agency - many of these issues are not easily resolved, they involve a
trade-off of advantages and disadvantages and so it is not easy to advise
on the best approach. In the table below I have listed some of the issues
that you may want to consider.
| Size |
Small agents are likely to be more
willing to take on new photographers, but are unlikely to have the
same marketing ability as the larger agencies - there is something
of a trade-off here. |
| General/Specialist |
Generalist libraries are likely to
have a wide range of market contacts in all jkinds of publishing and
advertising sectors, but they will be able to offer a wide range of
images to meet the various needs. Specialist agencies will be the
first place a picture researcher wil turn to when they want a specific
image - when they know what they want |
| Location |
It can be helpful if the agency is
reasonably close to where you are based, but perhaps better, is having
an agent that is located where the clients are based - usually London.
You may also want to consider whether they have offices in other major
locations - e.g. in other major capital cities such as New York. |
| Sub Agents |
If the agency does not have its own
offices overseas, do they use sub-agents overseas to increase their
marketing reach? Remember that sales through sub-agents are likely
to attract a lower % return to you - usually only 30% of the fee paid
by the picture buyer. |
| Catalogues |
Catalogues have become an increasingly
important method of marketing images. Many libraries will see the
lion share of their total revenue come from catalogue sales - getting
into a libraries catalogue can be a key to success. Not surprisingly,
perhaps, agencies will charge photographers to be in their catalogues
- find out about how the agency uses catalogues, how they select images
for inclusion in the catalogue and who pays and how. |
| Internet |
The more advanced libraries have embraced
the internet, have a clear programme for transfer their stock to an
on-line catalogue and on-line sales etc. Find out about the agents
policy towards the internet, but be aware that internet sales often
result in a lower % return to the photographer because of the investment
that the library is making into this new technology. |
| Exclusivity |
Some agencies require exclusive contracts
- if you sign such contracts it is difficult if not impossible to
supply similar images to other libraries. Find out abou the libraries
policy on exclusivity. |
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David Askham ' Photo
Libraries and Agencies'
This book is dedicated to the issues related to submitting images
to photo agencies. It is full of good advice and has sections from
different agencies that provide an view of this industry from the
other side of the fence. Available in the Creative Lens bookshop
for £14.27 (RRP £17.99) |
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You can find out a certain amount about various agencies
and libraries from the internet and from the Market handbook and through
this information and consideration of the issues listed above you can start
to narrow the range of libraries that you are considering.
The next step is to contact the libraries and
to discuss with them the possibility of making an initial submission.
You may find that several of the more established libraries are not taking
on any new photographers when you first make contact. If this happens,
find out if the situation is likely to change in the near-term and make
a note of their response.
For those libraries that are taking on new photographers
ask for an information pack and a copy of their standard contract. You
also need to find out as much as you can about the library during this
initial contact. Yo should fill-in any gaps that you may have in relation
to the issues listed above, but you can also get much more specific. For
example, you can find out how long they have been in business, what markets
they cover (a wide range of different markets is best) how many photographers
they have on their books and how many photographers they expect to get
to. You should also ask about average earnings of photographers in the
agency - here you will almost certainly get an evasive response, in part
because agencies do not like to give out this information, but also in
part because genuinely, an average number may not be a very accurate indication
of likely earnings for anyone photographer - there could be a wide variation
around the average.
Do not be worried about asking questions, in my
experience, providing you are polite, the person at the agency will probably
be used to answering these questions and will respect a thorough approach.
It is also important for you to get a feel for the people at the library,
whether you think you can work with them etc. The crucial thing during
this initial call is to make notes so that you can refer back to them
when making your final decision.
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Atmosphere
The West Country has some of England's quintessential countryside.
A land of thatched cottages, moorland, harbours, villages, seascapes
and more. The Atmosphere Picture Library contains typical photographs
of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset , Wiltshire, Hampshire and the
Cotswolds.
Please contact: Tel: 01326 240 180, Email: pix@atmosphere.co.uk
Willis Vean, Mullion, Helston, Cornwall, TR12 7DF |
When you have received the information pack and,
hopefully, a copy of the standard contract, you should have sufficient
information, together with your notes from the phone conversation, to
make a decision on the two or three libraries to which you will make a
submission.
I have listed below a set of questions that you
should consider when trying to decide between agencies, but think through
for each one that you approach what questions you have:
1. What kind and range of clients do you supply?
2. What film formats do you require?
3. How many photographers do you have on file, how many do you intend
to expand to?
4. How do you ensure that all photographers are marketed equally?
5. What rights do you request/expect
6. How long is the normal contract period?
7. How many images do you require for an initial submission, how often
do you like to see subsequent submissions?
8. How long does it take for you to process a submission and have transparencies
available for clients?
9. Do you have staff whose sole responsibility it is to liaise with photographers
10. How are fees split between you and the photographer and between sub-agents
and the photographer?
11. How often are sales reported and payments made?
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Skyscan
A specialist aerial photolibrary with over 18 years experience. Originally
based on the unique Skyscan Balloon Camera aerial views of Britain,
now expanded to cover the work of top aviation photographers covering
air to ground, aviation and aerial sports subjects. Our photographers
work from planes, helicopters, balloons, gliders and other aerial
platforms; from masts to satellite imagery and anything in between. www.skyscan.co.uk
Please contact: Tel: 01242 621357, Email: info@skyscan.co.uk
Oak House, Toddington, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 5BY |
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Visiting the library
I would strongly recommend visiting the two or three libraries that are
on your final list. This may not be very convenient and may take time
to do, but if you can manage to do it, it is well worth the effort. When
I was making my choice I had reduced the agencies that I was interested
in to four and then I contacted the first three to see whether I could
visit them - I actually suggested to each of them that I bring along a
selection of slides (see below) at the same time so that they could look
through them and we could kill two birds with one stone. The first library
that I contacted was not very inviting at all - did not encourage a personal
visit, was reluctant to receive a submission unless it was posted and
generally seemed to shirk from the personal touch - not at all encouraging,
that agency went to the bottom of my final list. Two of the libraries
were very open to a visit and from both visits I learned a great deal
and built-up a much clearer view of their operations, their organisation
and resources and the people that worked there. The fourth agency on my
list I did not contact to make a visit, I had been discussing my situation
with a picture buyer at a small publishing company that I knew well and
she had visited the library and warned me that it was housed in a rather
dilapidated building, was totally disorganised, with unfiled transparencies
kept in piles on the desk and with a high turnover of staff. All of this
she had learned from a personal visit - but in the absence of that I had
selected them for my final list! Suffice to say, a personal visit can
be one of the most important steps in the process.
Making a submission
All of your efforts so far will be in vain if you do not take an objective
and rigorous approach to the next step in the process - selecting images
and making your initial submission.
Remember that this is a buyers market, the agency
will be taking a very critical approach to your images and you must do
the same. In the information that you have gathered the agencies will
have indicated the initial submission that they would like to see - often
it is around 100 images. Go through your files and select all of the images
that you believe are your best - even though this means a much larger
number than the required initial submission.
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Impact
Impact Photos is an internationally recognised picture library with
over one million images in colour and b/w. The emphasis of the material
is world-wide reportage, specialising in people and places. We have
a wide range of subjects including: industry, agriculture, health
care, economic and social development, transport, travel and family
life. Web: www.impactphotolibrary.com
Please contact: Tel: 020 7251 5091, Email: library@impactphotos.demon.co.uk
18-20 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NX |
Then go through all of your selected images and
edit them aggressively - no matter what emotional attachment you may have
to an image if it is not pin-sharp, well exposed and attractively composed,
put it back in your files. Reduce your selection to the very best images
that you have from a technical perspective. From this group of slides
you can now make a further selection, to bring the number down to the
number required by the agency. In this final selection you are looking
to provide images which show off the range of your work and a selection
of both vertical and horizontal format images.
These then need to be arranged in to a logical
sequence and presented professionally. The best presentation of your slides
is in plastic sleeves that hold a number of slides - for 35mm these sleeves
typically hold 20 slides, but these sleeves are also available for medium
format transparencies. Each slide should be fully captioned and each should
have your name and address on it. I would recommend captioning each slide,
rather than presenting a list of captions which are cross-referenced to
the slide number. Captioning each slide is much more convenient for the
viewer and it is the viewer that you want to impress. Remember that presentation
counts, make yours as professional as you can.
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Lonely Planet
Travel specialists Lonely Planet Publications Ltd now offers the most
comprehensive collection of travel photography in the world, available
online. Our vast range of streetwise shots get under the skin of every
country. All aspects of travel are captured in our images - wildlife,
architecture, lifestyle and fantastic food photography from the largest
selection of destinations imaginable. http://www.lonelyplanetimages.com
Please contact: Tel: 020 7428 4800, Email: lpi@lonelyplanet.co.uk
10a Spring Place, London, NW5 3BH |
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If you are sending your images by mail, then it
is important that they are packaged securely and again as 'professionally'
as you can. Send your images so that delivery requires a signature (in
the UK this means by Recorded Delivery or by Special Delivery) again,
this will demonstrate to the receiving agency that you value your images.
The final decision
If you are fortunate to have more than one library come back from your
initial submission indicating a willingness to accept your images, then
you must make a final selection between them, based on the criteria given
above.
The final words of caution
I have already stressed that the process of selling images is not easy
and without wanting to be too pessimistic I wanted to close with two notes
of caution. First, it takes a long-time to start to see a return from
all of your efforts - the process of selecting an agency is not easy or
quick, the time that it takes for them to select images and have them
available to clients will involve a further delay and it will take time
before your images start to sell. All in all it may take a couple of years
before the first revenue is earned.
Secondly, do not expect to get rich quick - selling
through an agency is a numbers game, the more you have accepted by an
agency the more sales you are likely to make and the more you will earn.
Lee Frost quotes a simple rule of thumb in his book 'Photos that Sell'
and I have heard the same average quoted by an agency that I was talking
to - that is an average annual revenue of £1 for every image that
you have with the agency. You therefore have to have a lot of images accepted
by an agency before you can start to make a reasonable return from the
investment in time and equipment - so what are you waiting for….
