Working for an online news service?

[robb01]

I'm thinking of ways to get my name out there, and had an idea. There is a online news site in our town, and they don't often have photos for thier stories.

I thought of contacting them, offering my services for free as long as I recieved credit/link to my site.

What I would basically do is have them let me know what/when they needed pictures. Then take them, upload them to a password protected page on my website and let them pick/choose what pics they want to use.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[KmH]

Yes. It's would be a way better deal for them, than for you.

What kind of photography do you do? Are you still working with the paid mentor?

Other photographers are the only people that look at image credits. Such an arangement will be mostly ineffective at "getting your name out there".

You would do better by getting out, meeting people, handing out business cards, and networking.

There is no one, simple, easy way of "getting your name out there." You have to use multiple methods.

 

[Derrel]

Man...you ought to get $25 for covering ANY event, no matter if a photo is used, or not, and $10 for each image used, of ANY size (thumb, 1-column, 2-,3-,4-, column). Seriously...that's what this same exact gig pays here...so showing up is $25, a section teaser is $10, and the display use is $10. If they cannot pay something along those lines...move along to another outlet that can.

 

[Tight Knot]

Man...you ought to get $25 for covering ANY event, no matter if a photo is used, or not, and $10 for each image used, of ANY size (thumb, 1-column, 2-,3-,4-, column). Seriously...that's what this same exact gig pays here...so showing up is $25, a section teaser is $10, and the display use is $10. If they cannot pay something along those lines...move along to another outlet that can.

Derrel, can you give me a little more info on how these charges work?

 

[dirtfan21]

Never work for free, you should try to make some money. Your time and equipment is not cheap. Also, this is not good for the pro photographers, just think if us pro level worked for free or that the point and shoot photographers ruled the world in the photography world that is. This is just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Derrel]

Man...you ought to get $25 for covering ANY event, no matter if a photo is used, or not, and $10 for each image used, of ANY size (thumb, 1-column, 2-,3-,4-, column). Seriously...that's what this same exact gig pays here...so showing up is $25, a section teaser is $10, and the display use is $10. If they cannot pay something along those lines...move along to another outlet that can.

Derrel, can you give me a little more info on how these charges work?

Well, the editor gives you a call with assignments that are available...you pick 3 or 4 or 5 of them...for each one you show up to and photograph, you bill them $25...regardless of whether a photo is used or not...picture usage is $10 per instance of use, so a story here the image is used as a "teaser" counts as one usage, and then on the actual story itself, the "display" size image is also billed. We're talking small-sized local newspapers and small on-line editions of weekly papers, the kind that are all across the USA. For just regular, run-of-the-mill type shots. This is the absolute bottom of the ladder pricing...it ends up being $35 to $45 per "event", typically.

 

[sobolik]

I'm thinking of ways to get my name out there, and had an idea. There is a online news site in our town, and they don't often have photos for thier stories.

I thought of contacting them, offering my services for free as long as I recieved credit/link to my site.

What I would basically do is have them let me know what/when they needed pictures. Then take them, upload them to a password protected page on my website and let them pick/choose what pics they want to use.

Any thoughts on this?

Take photos for Auto Trader or similar and grab other stuff in route to peddle later.

 

[Gruen Photo 7 Design]

make the contact & network
always invoice for your time, at a minimum