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Frequently
Asked Questions
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How
do I know that my work will be given equal promotion when
a client makes a request?
Your work is given equal promotion because the client has
access to all of the images in our files, including yours,
at all times. It is understandable that a person may be worried
about some agents promoting their own personal work ahead
of their contracted photographers or give preferential treatment
to “big name” or “big selling” photographers.
With some agents that definitely is a problem.
With
a traditional agency dealing with transparencies you have
absolutely no control over which images are submitted to clients.
However with the Marine Themes system every image in our digital
files is placed in the web database where absolutely every
photographers work without question has an equal opportunity
to be seen and selected by the client. It is impossible to
have a system more fair than that. Images on the web database
are displayed according to a predetermined selection made
by the client or, when viewed without any specific searches,
according to our system of arranging images based on species
and orientation of the subject. No cheating, no stacking,
no preferences, no bull. Just good honest exposure for your
images.
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Why
do I need to sign a contract with you?
Primarily it is to protect yourself. A reputable stock library
should always consider that their prime objective is to care
for their photographers as any agent (such as an estate agent,
an insurance broker, lawyer, etc.) should.
Their
second objective is to care for the clients needs as the clients
are the ones that purchase the rights to the images and therefore
allow the agent to fulfil their prime objective. A contract,
agreed upon by both the photographer and the agent, should
clearly state and protect this relationship. By signing the
contract the agent is then able to negotiate fees for the
photographer as their legal representative and thereby protect
and defend the photographers rights.
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Why
do I need to supply originals for selected images?
Just a few short years ago most libraries supplied 35 mm duplicate
slides to prospective clients. In today's world the quality
of such dupes is fast becoming unacceptable, especially in
the important and more profitable area of advertising. However
with wildlife photography it is usually the case that when
photographing animals only one definitive image is captured,
and that at great cost and effort. To submit that to a client
who may then damage, lose or destroy the original is unacceptable,
even if they were to pay some sort of compensation.
The perfect compromise is to supply them with a digital file
or scan off the original. After all, that is exactly what
the client needs to reproduce the image via a traditional
printing press. The original transparency or slide is the
means by which that digital file is produced. The client then
gets the digital file they need at the highest possible quality
without the risk that they, their courier, printer or designer
will be held accountable for damage to valuable originals.
It
also saves them the cost of the scan and, much more importantly,
the time needed to send the photograph out to have a scan
made.
Yet
another advantage is that instead of a photograph being bundled
in at a commercial film house with 20 or more other images
for a generic colour correction and zero spotting or fine
tuning they receive a scan that has been custom tuned, cleaned
and optimised for perfect reproduction. Since you keep the
originals in your files at all times there is zero risk for
all concerned but with the highest possible quality result.
Remember also that you do not necessarily have to supply originals.
You can supply commercially produced drum scans but they must
be of an acceptably high quality. If you feel that you would
prefer to go this way then please feel free to email us for
specific suggestions and specifications regarding drum scans.
Due to the high cost of drum scans (ours are free, another
reason to supply originals) we suggest that you supply two
or three scans initially to have us check the quality prior
to scanning large batches.
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How
long will you keep my originals?
For as little time as possible. To be realistic it does take
time to make high quality scans. However once the raw scan
is made the cleaning and optimising can be done without the
original present. Therefore, depending on how many images
are accepted, we would intend to have originals returned either
same day (for just a few images) or within a week (for large
submissions).
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How many images can
I submit?
From 1 to 1 million, the sky is the limit. Most other stock
agents want a minimum of 250 top quality originals to start
a contract and then want at least 2, usually 4, submissions
of similar work each year. However we realise that not everyone
has the ability or desire to work full time as a wildlife
photographer but that the passion, enthusiasm and dedication
of many individuals produces commercially viable images. So
if you have just one great image (or a million) then go ahead,
submit your shots. If we feel that some of your images are
not usable we can tell you why and provide you with suggestions
as to how to improve your photography.
All
contracted photographers will receive regular “wants”
lists and suggestions for additional images based on your
last submission. Submissions should be sent to our offices
suitably packaged as noted in the Photographers
Info.
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What
criteria do you set for images?
Every photograph accepted into our files must be perfectly
exposed, focused and composed. In short it must be of a high
enough technical standard to be used by any and all of our
commercial clients. However of even more importance is the
content. A technically perfect image that is boring is totally
useless. It must, at the least, be descriptive and, at best,
communicate a strong message or emotion. Also keep in mind
that deliberate “breaking the rules” in regard to
exposure, focus and composition sometimes produces images
that are just what the client wants, so go ahead and experiment.
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Do
I Need To Supply Model Releases?
Yes. If your image has an identifiable person as part of your
image or if it features a person’s identifiable property
then a model or property release must be provided. These forms
should be included with your submissions. Please email
us if you need model/property release forms.
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Why
do you prefer transparencies (slides) instead of negative
film?
Transparencies are preferred because the entire printing world
is set up to utilise transparency film. Scanners and printing
presses are optimised to use the colour palette and contrast
properties of transparencies. Colour negative film is intended
for a different purpose, namely to produce colour prints,
so that the film base and the colour information is rendered
in a different way. Yes, you can reproduce from negative film
but, despite the assurance of some “experts”, the
results are definitely better from a transparency. However,
a photograph of a rare animal or unusual event is better on
negative film than no film at all.
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What
if I want to terminate my contract?
No problem. Give us notice in writing (by signed letter, not
email) and your images will be deleted from our files in the
next web update. Unlike most other agencies you keep your
originals so there is zero delay in slide returns, zero damage,
zero lost slides and no unwanted stickers or labels to remove
from slide mounts. Many photographers have had absolute nightmares
with requests for returned slides, some having to wait many
months, even years for returns or losing entire collections.
Please note that while you will always own your original photographs
as well as the copyright to those photographs and any scans
supplied by yourself, the scans made by Marine Themes will
remain the property of Marine Themes and, unless other arrangements
are made, will be destroyed on termination of your contract.
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Do
I have to give you exclusive world wide rights to my images?
No. You set the terms. However if you do give us exclusive
world wide rights you will have a much broader potential use
for your images.
The
onus is on you. If you supply images that you want displayed
in our web database you automatically promote them to any
person in any country with an internet connection. So if you
have given others rights to your images that are in the Marine
Themes database (whether a client or another agent) you need
to make sure that those rights given to them are non exclusive.
If
you or another agent of yours grants exclusive rights for
one of your images that is in the Marine Themes database you
need to let us know immediately so that we can restrict sales
of that particular photograph.
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I
have my own web site/library/stock agent(s) so why should
I join Marine Themes?
Because the more exposure your shots have the more money you
will make.
In the stock industry the fact is that providing one agent
(whether that be yourself or another stock agent) with all
of your images means that the only people who will buy your
images are clients of that agent. Humans are creatures of
habit and, without being insulting, are inherently lazy. If
one agent has supplied all the images for a project then that
client will tend to ask that agent again to provide all the
images for their next project. So you can have two agents
in one city with the same specialisation's but with two almost
unique client bases. Having your work with both agents potentially
doubles your income. Lets face it, with Marine Themes you
not only get world-wide exposure for your work but you get
to keep the originals with zero cost to you. There is no down
side to the Marine Themes digital system.
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How
soon and how often will I get paid?
You get paid when we get paid. No waiting. No restrictive
quarterly payments. No ganging up and paying you once a year.
No phone calls needed on your part asking “when will
I be paid for that sale you made a year ago”.
How soon you start making money is another matter. Sales are
based purely on the demands of the marketplace. To be honest
there is no absolute answer to this part of the question and
anyone saying otherwise is being less than truthful. What
is true is that you will definitely have fewer sales if you
do not have your images with Marine Themes because less exposure
of your work means fewer sales.
With
traditional stock libraries delays in submissions, cataloguing,
distribution and collection of funds meant that at least 12
months was needed to get any sort of return. With the Marine
Themes system we can have your work out in the marketplace
within a few days.
What
dictates your first payment is the marketplace. If you have
a photograph whose subject can be found on every Royalty Free
collection or in every stock agency on the planet then you
may never get a return. On the other hand a high quality image
that is in demand may produce a return within a few weeks
or months. In the past some images have even been sold before
they have been added to the database. However to be realistic
most images will take longer to sell.
Fees charged to clients will be based on a fair and reasonable
rate. However unique or rare images or those that have very
high costs involved in obtaining them will be quoted at an
appropriately higher rate. Marine Themes will not undersell
or provide cut rate fees as this not only damages the industry
but is not fair for you, the photographer.
If you have any further questions please feel free to email
or contact us.
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Contact
Details:
Marine
Themes Pty Ltd
marinethemes.com
info@marinethemes.com
142 Keon Street
Thornbury Victoria
Australia 3071
Ph (61-3) 9480 4451
Fax (61-3) 9480 4452
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