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Location field - How specific should you be?


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Quick question - Is it beneficial to be very specific with the location info supplied? I have noticed that some contributors leave this blank or are very unspecific. e.g. London. Are there any drawbacks in providing detailed info? Thanks in advance.

Jan.

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I remembered that location field is not searchable in a general search but I discovered that it is in Manage Images.

Very confusing. I thought I had messed up.

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Overall, the location of Images I feel is very important. Editors are more likely to use an image if they know exactly where its taken (and equally if they know where its NOT been taken). Be as accurate as you can.

 

Whether it's worth filling in the location field if you have already put the location in the caption , given that the location field is not searchable, is a slightly different question. I always do, simply copying and pasting from the caption field. Occasionally its worth adding extra stuff into the location field that you specifically DONT want to be searchable, and therefore leave out of the Caption field

 

Kumar

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Location is crucial for many of my images, so I always fill in the location field unless the image is very generic and could have been taken anywhere. I don't get too specific but generally do include city/town, state/province, country, and sometimes continent. No need to get more specific that that in the location field, I wouldn't think.

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I usually fill it out within a 20 mile radius but no closer. Never a street address.

 
(1) I do not want to act as a location service for the stock photo competition, assignment competition, or other entities like movie companies. If they want to piggyback on my hard location work and know exactly, let them pay me a location fee. I have collected location fees in the past.
 
(2) I do not want to incite photographic pests who trample farmer’s crops, scare the cattle, fall off cliffs, and who think they have a photographic God given right to trespass on private property.
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I usually fill it out within a 20 mile radius but no closer. Never a street address.

 

(1) I do not want to act as a location service for the stock photo competition, assignment competition, or other entities like movie companies. If they want to piggyback on my hard location work and know exactly, let them pay me a location fee. I have collected location fees in the past.

 

(2) I do not want to incite photographic pests who trample farmer’s crops, scare the cattle, fall off cliffs, and who think they have a photographic God given right to trespass on private property.

Very interesting.

I had an email today from a location manager for a film to be shot later in the year. He wanted to know the location of a red barn in my port, a perfect fit for the film.

I gave him detailed directions. It didn't dawn on me to charge for that, I was happy to oblige. Guess I need to rethink it.

Betty

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I usually fill it out within a 20 mile radius but no closer. Never a street address.

 

(1) I do not want to act as a location service for the stock photo competition, assignment competition, or other entities like movie companies. If they want to piggyback on my hard location work and know exactly, let them pay me a location fee. I have collected location fees in the past.

 

(2) I do not want to incite photographic pests who trample farmer’s crops, scare the cattle, fall off cliffs, and who think they have a photographic God given right to trespass on private property.

Very interesting.

I had an email today from a location manager for a film to be shot later in the year. He wanted to know the location of a red barn in my port, a perfect fit for the film.

I gave him detailed directions. It didn't dawn on me to charge for that, I was happy to oblige. Guess I need to rethink it.

Betty

 

 

Maybe ask for a favor in return?

Shooting on the set? Released maybe?

 

wim

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If someone asked me where I took a photo I'd be more than happy to tell them. All people seem to want to do these days is get paid for every little favour, rather than just giving out a little friendly advice or help. If I was asked the location of something I'd shot, I would be flattered that my image of whatever it was stirred something in them enough for them to want to go to the place to shoot it themselves. A location fee? Come off it. Next you'll be getting people in these forums asking for payment for helping out with keywording or ID's of something.

 

I like Wim's suggestion of using that opportunity, that's a pretty unique one too, to ask if they mind you taking shots on whatever they're doing there.

 

Geoff.

Well yes in general, but in the location manager example, he is being very well paid for his work- no reason you shouldn't be too, it cash or kind. After all you may have saved him half a day's driving- better to pay you than Texaco.

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I usually put something in the location field and am as specific as I can be. It isn't searchable so there's usually no harm in doing it. Sometimes I don't state the exact location if, for example, the image is of something privately owned but not recognisable (such as a species of flower). I want people knowing roughly where in the world it was taken as that can be important when it comes to species of plants and animals, but I don't want to be too specific as that would basically be admitting who's property it is, so would be restricting it's use to editorial. That's the only drawback I can think of.

 

I also put the location in the Caption field, and depending on the subject depends how specific I am. Let's say you have an image of a supermarket branch, and something particular happens at that actual branch, then the location maybe used in a search, so it's good to have that in the searchable Caption field, and any more specifics (such as the road name) in the Location field. If it's a bird of some sort, someone may be looking for that breed in a particular country, so with such things I usually use the country name in the Caption. I wouldn't put more details in the Caption though as you'll only end up with views you don't want if it's a smaller less-photographed location.

 

Geoff.

Hi Geoff, Thanks for that. Pretty much what I was thinking in terms of not giving out too much info when not essential. Good to have confirmation. Best, Jan.

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The are no drawbacks to filling it in except a few seconds in your workflow. Usually the location details are in the caption so I just copy and paste them across.

Cheers - good advice. :-)

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Overall, the location of Images I feel is very important. Editors are more likely to use an image if they know exactly where its taken (and equally if they know where its NOT been taken). Be as accurate as you can.

 

Whether it's worth filling in the location field if you have already put the location in the caption , given that the location field is not searchable, is a slightly different question. I always do, simply copying and pasting from the caption field. Occasionally its worth adding extra stuff into the location field that you specifically DONT want to be searchable, and therefore leave out of the Caption field

 

Kumar

Hi Kumar, Many thanks for the advice. :-)

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Location is crucial for many of my images, so I always fill in the location field unless the image is very generic and could have been taken anywhere. I don't get too specific but generally do include city/town, state/province, country, and sometimes continent. No need to get more specific that that in the location field, I wouldn't think.

Hi John, Thanks for that. No street names then, unless essential?

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I usually fill it out within a 20 mile radius but no closer. Never a street address.

 
(1) I do not want to act as a location service for the stock photo competition, assignment competition, or other entities like movie companies. If they want to piggyback on my hard location work and know exactly, let them pay me a location fee. I have collected location fees in the past.
 
(2) I do not want to incite photographic pests who trample farmer’s crops, scare the cattle, fall off cliffs, and who think they have a photographic God given right to trespass on private property.

 

Hi Bill, Really good points. Thanks for the advice. Jan.

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Does the location filter still use the content of the location field?

How many clients are using that?

 

The location filter is now restricted to:

 

USA

UK

Europe

 

Which probably hopefully means no client ever used any other country or continent.

Why am I finding this depressing?

 

wim

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If someone asked me where I took a photo I'd be more than happy to tell them. All people seem to want to do these days is get paid for every little favour, rather than just giving out a little friendly advice or help. If I was asked the location of something I'd shot, I would be flattered that my image of whatever it was stirred something in them enough for them to want to go to the place to shoot it themselves. A location fee? Come off it. Next you'll be getting people in these forums asking for payment for helping out with keywording or ID's of something.

 

I like Wim's suggestion of using that opportunity, that's a pretty unique one too, to ask if they mind you taking shots on whatever they're doing there.

 

Geoff.

 

 

Geoff:

 
Very bad advice on your part, if you know anything about television, movies, or advertising.
 
Television, movies, and advertising pay a lot of money to location scouts.
 
 
Far more than you will ever receive from the sale of a stock photo. If you drive around for days at a time, and find a great location, why shouldn’t you be compensated for your knowledge? A location fee is no different than being compensated for your photograph.
 
You also have an obligation to the owners of the property depicted in your photograph, to protect their privacy.
 
As to my coming off of it, and your insinuation that I am about to charge for advice on this forum? Way over the top, I think.
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