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Open Letter to Alamy Live News


Steve Valentia

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Dear Alamy Live News

 

I uploaded 6 images tonight, 4 in one batch and 2 in another. I did this because the captions were different for the 2 batches, and the batch of 4 images put an emphasis on the Skellig Rocks (famous as a Star Wars location). I felt that this might be a useful selling point - also, the "lead" image of the Skellig rock photos is by far the stronger of any in both sets. I now note that all 6 images are in one set, and the lead image does not have the Skellig Rock link.

 

I have also seen that the captions now include the phrase UK Weather. As a Brit, living happily in Ireland for over 20 years, I can assure you that my part of Ireland (The Republic) has not been in the UK since 1922. It would also be highly offensive to many Irish people to think that it was considered to be a part of the UK – and this might include those seeking to buy images from us both.

 

It may help to sell the may images if you were to allow me to work on the captions, to which I give lots of thought (I was a press photographer for 20 years), and to please avoid offending citizens of the country I now call home.

Best wishes,

 

 

Stephen

 

 

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14 hours ago, Steve Valentia said:

Dear Alamy Live News

 

I uploaded 6 images tonight, 4 in one batch and 2 in another. I did this because the captions were different for the 2 batches, and the batch of 4 images put an emphasis on the Skellig Rocks (famous as a Star Wars location). I felt that this might be a useful selling point - also, the "lead" image of the Skellig rock photos is by far the stronger of any in both sets. I now note that all 6 images are in one set, and the lead image does not have the Skellig Rock link.

 

I have also seen that the captions now include the phrase UK Weather. As a Brit, living happily in Ireland for over 20 years, I can assure you that my part of Ireland (The Republic) has not been in the UK since 1922. It would also be highly offensive to many Irish people to think that it was considered to be a part of the UK – and this might include those seeking to buy images from us both.

 

It may help to sell the may images if you were to allow me to work on the captions, to which I give lots of thought (I was a press photographer for 20 years), and to please avoid offending citizens of the country I now call home.

Best wishes,

 

 

Stephen

 

 

 

I don't think too many people would be seriously offended by this but it is the lack of accuracy in the editing of your captions and general ignorance of whoever made the edits that is more concerning. I am certainly not offended by this but what I do find offensive is outdated and ignorant colonial attitudes which do still rear their ugly little heads every now and again - for example, the attitude towards the Irish border in certain sections of the media as Brexit looms closer - as if it is Ireland's fault that they can't get a deal :lol:.

 

On another note, I just got my latest issue of Camera Craft through the door - great magazine. Glad I subscribed.:)

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13 minutes ago, MDM said:

 

I don't think too many people would be seriously offended by this but it is the lack of accuracy in the editing of your captions and general ignorance of whoever made the edits that is more concerning.

 

On another note, I just got my latest issue of Camera Craft through the door - great magazine. Glad I subscribed.:)

 

I was mainly upset that the strongest images (the ones facing into the sun and showing the Skellig Rocks), were shoved behind two that were uploaded later, and have completely different content. I do feel though, that Irish buyers (and I recently sold 24 weather images from the same shoot, to the Irish Sun newspaper) would not want to see that Ireland is now back in the UK!

 

I've written to Alamy News, had a very nice apology and assurance that my points have been noted. It was also suggested that I can email in future to ask that images are kept separate. This may be of use to others in similar positions.

 

I'm delighted that you are happy with your Cameracraft subscription - the new issue is especially strong in my view. Please spread the word if you can. :)

 

Stephen

 

R0502N.jpg

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13 minutes ago, Steve Valentia said:

 

 

I'm delighted that you are happy with your Cameracraft subscription - the new issue is especially strong in my view. Please spread the word if you can. :)

 

Stephen

 

 

 

Yes will do if I can. It's the best general photography mag on the market by far I think and deserves support. Looking forward to reading it. It's currently lying on the couch unopened. I will join it later when I finish editing a batch of images. 

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I have never subscribed to Cameracraft but i know the editor David Kilpatrick off and on for near on 40 years went he edited Minolta's members magazine back in the 70's. All that i learned from David back then i put in good use even today. So it should be a excellent magazine to buy.

 

Alan

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11 minutes ago, Alan Beastall said:

 

 

I have never subscribed to Cameracraft but i know the editor David Kilpatrick off and on for near on 40 years went he edited Minolta's members magazine back in the 70's. All that i learned from David back then i put in good use even today. So it should be a excellent magazine to buy.

 

Alan

 

Have a look for yourself. Here is a free link to last month's issue, online, available to read in full.

 

 

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5 hours ago, Steve Valentia said:

 

He's very active and productive - and has a good team around him too (if I can be so immodest). ;)

 

Pass on our good wishes, there are many of us that miss him round these parts. The copy of Cameracraft looks good btw. Good work all.

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All's well that ends well then :). If you are around southern England at the right time, you might like to pop into Cambridge for one of our lunches. Allan is the chief organiser. We just had one a few days ago so next one is early Feb. 

 

 

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42 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Having just arrived back to this thread I would first apologise to you Mr. Valentia for having upset you by what you think is an attempt to hijack your thread for political ends.

 

No need to apologise, and thanks. Shall we get back to talking about stock photography? By, the way, Allan, my name isn't Valentia (it's the Irish Island where I live). See the link to the Cameracraft magazine issue (above), for my actual name (it's in the list of magazine staff on page 3, and at the start of my feature article on page 14).

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Alamy Live news have just done it again to me. Same as you Steve I to am a brit happily living in this wonderful country. Just uploaded 5 images clearly headlined as West Cork, Ireland. They have added UK Weather to the front of it. Most annoying as it adds to the inaccuracy of the images being of rare birds on the Irish coast.

Cheers

Andy. BTW sorry if your names not steve

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1 hour ago, aphperspective said:

Alamy Live news have just done it again to me. Same as you Steve I to am a brit happily living in this wonderful country. Just uploaded 5 images clearly headlined as West Cork, Ireland. They have added UK Weather to the front of it. Most annoying as it adds to the inaccuracy of the images being of rare birds on the Irish coast.

Cheers

Andy. BTW sorry if your names not steve

 

In keeping with what Alamy live news promised and advised me to do, I've just uploaded 4 images and emailed them to say they are Irish (not UK) weather images and that I'd appreciate them not captioning them as such (as per their suggestion to me). I would suggest that you also contact them directly, and eventually they might change their policy. 

 

Check out the Cameracraft link for my real first name. If nothing else, it's a helluva free read!

 

UPDATE: My images are currently showing as "Ireland Weather". Result!

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4 minutes ago, Steve Valentia said:

 

 

Check out the Cameracraft link for my real first name. If nothing else, it's a helluva free read!

 

 

 

Your name also shows up under your images as contributor which is how I figured out who you are in the first place. My grandmother had the same surname so maybe we are distant cousins. 

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8 minutes ago, MDM said:

 

Your name also shows up under your images as contributor which is how I figured out who you are in the first place. My grandmother had the same surname so maybe we are distant cousins. 

 

It's highly possible. Is she from Limerick, or Waterford? My family go back to Limerick, at least to the early 1800's.

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4 minutes ago, Steve Valentia said:

 

It's highly possible. Is she from Limerick, or Waterford? My family go back to Limerick, at least to the early 1800's.

 

Beara, West Cork where I have loads of relatives. It's a Norman name (de Paor in Irish), very common in Waterford as you say and common along the whole south coast and up into Clare and Limerick as well I think. 

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8 minutes ago, MDM said:

 

It's a Norman name (de Paor in Irish), very common in Waterford as you say and common along the whole south coast and up into Clare and Limerick as well I think. 

 

de Poer loosely translates as "the Poor", because the original Normandy family took a vow of poverty to atone for bad deeds in order to get into heaven; before coming to Ireland around 1400. I took this to mean that I'd never have any money. Until, an Archivist told me that although they took the vow, they never actually gave up their wealth. Just like a Power!

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2 hours ago, Steve Valentia said:

 

In keeping with what Alamy live news promised and advised me to do, I've just uploaded 4 images and emailed them to say they are Irish (not UK) weather images and that I'd appreciate them not captioning them as such (as per their suggestion to me). I would suggest that you also contact them directly, and eventually they might change their policy. 

 

Check out the Cameracraft link for my real first name. If nothing else, it's a helluva free read!

 

UPDATE: My images are currently showing as "Ireland Weather". Result!

Thanks I will next time also might add an attachment of a shaded in map of the Republic of Ireland to give them a clue.:mellow:

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4 hours ago, aphperspective said:

Thanks I will next time also might add an attachment of a shaded in map of the Republic of Ireland to give them a clue.:mellow:

 

I think it would actually be far more accurate and helpful to customers if weather was properly attributed to countries anyway rather than an area like UK. I'd like mine as Scottish please. ;)

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