Cover-19 photography

[Michael Photo]

It's been years since I've taken part in the Alamy forum, but I wanted to say/ask something.

Alamy have been making suggestions for Covid-19 related photography.

I wonder if others feel the same as me; these images will most likely to be bought by newspapers etc.

What is the point of going out and doing all that work, and potentially putting your health at risk, just so some paper can buy the image for $3? There are so many images I could have taken but haven't bothered, because I know the money won't be worth the effort.

This is one of the issues with the current price model in stock photography (an old, and tired subject, that is our current reality, I know!).

Edited March 24, 2020 by Michael Photo

[Nir Alon]

Hi Michael!

 

I've been contributing to Alamy Live News (the newspapers you referred to) since it began. Sadly I can probably count the times I got a license sale to newspapers within first 48 hours on the fingers of one hand. The funny thing is that another news agency I submit to (in the US) gets me dozens of news publications monthly, including in UK press. I have no understanding of how Alamy are competing in the news image markets.

But, images submitted to Live News are moved into stock after 48 hours and Alamy often gives news photos a second life, sometimes years down the line, as editorial licenses which award better fees.

That's my experience and based on that I'd say definitely don't put your health at risk but it's often worth the effort in the long run.

 

[Graham]

17 hours ago, Michael Photo said:

What is the point of going out and doing all that work, and potentially putting your health at risk

I had to go shopping, and took my camera with me for a picture of empty shelves.  I had to go to a hospital to visit my mother in law (while visiting was possible) and took my camera for picture of Coronavirus posters.  I would not go out simply to take pictures of this kind, potentially putting myself and others at risk, but if I have to be there anyway, I see no harm in taking a camera with me and posting this in case they prove to be newsworthy. I am not in Live News but my images usually pass QC the same day and are live after the overnight database refresh, so that is quick enough for the images to remain relevant. 

 

Graham

[meanderingemu]

18 hours ago, Michael Photo said:

It's been years since I've taken part in the Alamy forum, but I wanted to say/ask something.

Alamy have been making suggestions for Covid-19 related photography.

I wonder if others feel the same as me; these images will most likely to be bought by newspapers etc.

What is the point of going out and doing all that work, and potentially putting your health at risk, just so some paper can buy the image for $3? There are so many images I could have taken but haven't bothered, because I know the money won't be worth the effort.

This is one of the issues with the current price model in stock photography (an old, and tired subject, that is our current reality, I know!).

 

 

curious, where are these suggestions, i've only seen the list of What to Capture that were inside.  (my first attempt of convincing my brother in law to pose with me see we could fulfill the "same-sex parents breastfeeding" wasn't really successful) .

 

 

 

added.  ok found it.  

Edited March 25, 2020 by meanderingemu

[Graham]

3 hours ago, Graham said:

I am not in Live News but my images usually pass QC the same day and are live after the overnight database refresh

Dammit, I went for a walk today and passed a shut down playground. I thought that the closure sign might be newsworthy, so I photographed it and just uploaded a couple of the pictures.  Sod’s law, this is the (about) one in eight uploads that is held up for old-style QC. So even if they pass tomorrow, they will have missed tonight’s database update and will not be visible online until at least Friday, which means they will not realistically be in contention for news use until at least the weekend.  Oh well, c’est la vie...

 

Graham

[IanDavidson]

I am a news photographer.  I have taken two sets of covid 19 pictures in the last few days.  One of NHS staff in a priority line at the local Sainsbury and today of social distance lines outside local shops.

 

sadly today some people took exception to me taking photos and questioned my parentage and what I had done to my mother....   someone threw something at me.  
 

ho hum....

 

Tonight I am going to try to get pictures of the clapping for NHS staff at 8pm.

Edited March 26, 2020 by IanDavidson

[spacecadet]

7 minutes ago, IanDavidson said:

someone threw something at me.

Shocking, but if they'd been shopping already hope it was something useful and soft-  loo roll, packet of yeast........

Edited March 26, 2020 by spacecadet

[Normspics]

1 hour ago, IanDavidson said:

 

sadly today some people took exception to me taking photos and questioned my parentage and what I had done to my mother....   someone threw something at me.  
 

 

How do these people think that the photos get in their Sun newspaper! Lol

[Betty LaRue]

3 hours ago, IanDavidson said:

I am a news photographer.  I have taken two sets of covid 19 pictures in the last few days.  One of NHS staff in a priority line at the local Sainsbury and today of social distance lines outside local shops.

 

sadly today some people took exception to me taking photos and questioned my parentage and what I had done to my mother....   someone threw something at me.  
 

ho hum....

 

Tonight I am going to try to get pictures of the clapping for NHS staff at 8pm.

Good you have thick skin! 

[John Mitchell]

These are legitimate questions. I live in a quiet residential neighbourhood, and I've managed to find COVID-19 subjects -- similar to the ones on Alamy's list -- to photograph on my daily walks and errand-running. I don't feel that I've put my or anyone else's health at risk as I haven't been in close contact with people. Whether or not any of these images will license is another question. So far, I've only had a few views. We don't know how long all this will last, so they could conceivably be of interest for quite some time. They might even end up having archival value at some point. Since I no longer have access to live news, I've been captioning my COVID-19 images as news images and uploading them via the "reportage" route rather than as regular stock. 

Edited March 26, 2020 by John Mitchell

[Bryan]

On 25/03/2020 at 18:35, Graham said:

Dammit, I went for a walk today and passed a shut down playground. I thought that the closure sign might be newsworthy, so I photographed it and just uploaded a couple of the pictures.  Sod’s law, this is the (about) one in eight uploads that is held up for old-style QC. So even if they pass tomorrow, they will have missed tonight’s database update and will not be visible online until at least Friday, which means they will not realistically be in contention for news use until at least the weekend.  Oh well, c’est la vie...

 

Graham

This may appear twice, I tried to insert a grimacing emoji, and the system crashed!

 

I was thrown out of Live News in the cull (grimacing emoji), but I do have access to the Archive/ News route, which should enable you to upload News images (that come with a possible dodgy quality warning, as per genuine Live News). I assume that Alamy will not actively promote news images uploaded this way, but it should provide a speedy upload for genuine News photos. Maybe you did use that route, in which case I will quietly retire and say no more!

 

Oops, should have read John's post above which says the same thing!

Edited March 27, 2020 by Bryan

[Iain Masterton]

Yesterday in Glasgow had no problems photographing, I spoke to various people at distance and all friendly.  My Press card was clearly attached to my bag.

 

The image that sold today is interesting as the lady on the far left in the photo works at Blood Transfusion and she suggested I go for pics of people in waiting area . No good photo but they did have a big sanitiser dispenser.  A chap behind me suggested I go to a nearby Tesco where there were long queues. If I had been hassled I would have called the cops.

 

 Customers queue using social distancing to enter Sainsbury's Local supermarket on a one in one out basis. Iain Masterton/Alamy Live News - Image ID: 2BAA52D

 

[dustydingo]

17 hours ago, Normspics said:

 

How do these people think that the photos get in their Sun newspaper! Lol

 

If you truly believe those sort of reactions are restricted to those you might stereotype as Sun readers, you are demonstrably mistaken.

 

DD

[Alex Ramsay]

Bread delivery in our small town. Taken yesterday while I was volunteer stewarding at our pharmacy (one customer in, one out)

 

Alex

 

[AlbertSnapper]

Yesterday I stopped at a motorway services (in the UK). As I was taking my third photo, using a small camera, the lady came from the WHSmith shop situated behind me (which was open), and bellowed ' YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS'.

I said that taking photographs is not dangerous, unlike the virus. I also said that I will take my custom elsewhere (I only popped in to spend a penny anyway).

If I'd been a 13 year old lad, using a phone to take the picture, would she have YELLED at me ?  Idiot.

 

 

 

 

Covid -19 : Temporarily closed takeaway eateries and seating area due to the coronavirus pandemic. Reading Services, on the M4 motorway in Berkshire, UK

 

Edited March 27, 2020 by AlbertSnapper

[Simon E]

18 minutes ago, Alex Ramsay said:

Bread delivery in our small town. Taken yesterday while I was volunteer stewarding at our pharmacy (one customer in, one out)

 

I love the combination of elements and their positioning in this - the delivery guy, the apparently downbeat looking older man with mask walking in the opposite direction, 'Closed' on shop door behind... It all works so well.

[Alex Ramsay]

42 minutes ago, Simon E said:

 

I love the combination of elements and their positioning in this - the delivery guy, the apparently downbeat looking older man with mask walking in the opposite direction, 'Closed' on shop door behind... It all works so well.

Thanks! (and the older man is holding a toilet roll, too)

 

Alex

[NYCat]

The beard got me wondering about the "don't touch your face" advice and whether viruses can live in beards. Not going to kiss any bearded men 'til this is over.

 

Paulette

[spacecadet]

12 minutes ago, NYCat said:

The beard got me wondering about the "don't touch your face" advice and whether viruses can live in beards. Not going to kiss any bearded men 'til this is over.

 

Paulette

Well my OH doesn't have a choice about that- but the beard was her choice in the first place😉

I doubt they're any worse than skin on its own.

[Ed Rooney]

Paulette, beard virus? What about cat fur?

[dustydingo]

57 minutes ago, spacecadet said:

Well my OH doesn't have a choice about that- but the beard was her choice in the first place😉

 

Maybe you should grow one too . . . you know, in solidarity with your OH . . . 😉

 

DD

[dustydingo]

42 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

Paulette, beard virus? What about cat fur?

 

Edo, you and I, and it appears Mark's OH too, are just adding an extra filter between the great outdoors and our lungs, so my beard is staying! 🙂

 

DD

[John Richmond]

I hav'nt seen my chin since January 1971.  Lord knows what's under the beard.

[Chuck Nacke]

On ‎24‎/‎03‎/‎2020 at 16:36, Michael Photo said:

It's been years since I've taken part in the Alamy forum, but I wanted to say/ask something.

Alamy have been making suggestions for Covid-19 related photography.

I wonder if others feel the same as me; these images will most likely to be bought by newspapers etc.

What is the point of going out and doing all that work, and potentially putting your health at risk, just so some paper can buy the image for $3? There are so many images I could have taken but haven't bothered, because I know the money won't be worth the effort.

This is one of the issues with the current price model in stock photography (an old, and tired subject, that is our current reality, I know!).

At times like these the last thing anyone "should" be thinking about is $ and licensing,  My opinion.

 

Sadly I am a bit old, 62, to go at this full on, I have a family to think of at home.

 

The above comment is why, again in my opinion, there are too many who "dabble" in photography and play PHOTOJORNALIST.

This is a VERY serious story (issue) and anyone interacting in public HAS TO know what they are doing and anyone out making images

needs to be very careful.

 

FYI: I have been trained as a EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), spent months working as a photojournalist in the busiest Emergency Room

in America at the time and two years riding along, 24 hour shifts, in an American ambulance.  I did spend a lot of time around Chernobyl and have

covered a number of conflicts and this event is like nothing I have ever seen or covered (in a very limited way.)

 

Good, Honest, Well captioned images of COVID-19 are important for the human race and I am disappointed that any "Photographer" would mention

license fees.

 

Chuck Nacke

[NYCat]

2 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

Paulette, beard virus? What about cat fur?

 

Uh oh. Maybe it's a good thing that I have no cat-sitting business until people start traveling again. I don't think I'll try to sanitize my own kitty. He does it himself anyway-- though I've seen it pointed out that cats clean themselves with spit.

 

Paulette