Difficulty getting through to Live News

[The Blinking Eye]

I do what they tell me. Email an inquiry to news@alamy.com

 

And the email bounces back. "envelope blocked"

 

Maybe they are overwhelmed with USA election result footage. Or actually, they seem to have blocked my email address or detecting it as spam, even though I have communicated with them before and submitted photos.

 

Dunno, but I can't get through. I tried emailing from a different email address, but no response.

 

I have a couple good photos! Any advice?

 

Kristin

Edited November 17, 2020 by The Blinking Eye
revised title of thread to be more accurate

[VbFolly]

You could try phoning them.

[The Blinking Eye]

1 hour ago, VbFolly said:

You could try phoning them.

 

Thank you. I emailed them from a different email address and that worked.

[Cal]

I had the same thing. Email bounces. So I phoned the number. Goes through to answering machine three times and I tried each call about 30 mins apart. So I filled out the application form for live news but tried to explain as best I could (in the ridiculously small amount of text you're allowed) that I hadn't officially done reportage before but had a series of unique images as I'd brass necked it and got right in the middle of a protest. Nada. Alamy "not so live news" it seems. What's that about them having teams on standby to accept news as it comes in??? The images have now gone "stale" and will just have to go through ordinary QC and hopefully go on sale tomorrow. Not best pleased but what can you do.

[The Blinking Eye]

1 hour ago, Cal said:

I had the same thing. Email bounces. So I phoned the number. Goes through to answering machine three times and I tried each call about 30 mins apart. So I filled out the application form for live news but tried to explain as best I could (in the ridiculously small amount of text you're allowed) that I hadn't officially done reportage before but had a series of unique images as I'd brass necked it and got right in the middle of a protest. Nada. Alamy "not so live news" it seems. What's that about them having teams on standby to accept news as it comes in??? The images have now gone "stale" and will just have to go through ordinary QC and hopefully go on sale tomorrow. Not best pleased but what can you do.

 

Interesting. Had you ever contacted them before? I did in March and got through fine, but now that email address bounces. So do they block it or something? So I wrote them from a completely different email address and they responded 3-1/2 hours later and opened the portal for me. I also wrote to them to ask that they take the block off my regular email address. I think they have to do that according to the error code. (?) No response.

 

That's too bad that you didn't get through. I was going to be slightly sad as well because last night was historic! And I had a couple good shots. I tried writing to the contributors@alamy.com as well. No response except a form letter. But it is the weekend. It would be nice just to have access to Live News on an ongoing basis. They asked how many I would submit. I said ten, but then submitted eighteen. I probably should have chosen fewer, but I was moving fast.

[Cal]

1 minute ago, The Blinking Eye said:

 

Interesting. Had you ever contacted them before? I did in March and got through fine, but now that email address bounces. So do they block it or something? So I wrote them from a completely different email address and they responded 3-1/2 hours later and opened the portal for me. I also wrote to them to ask that they take the block off my regular email address. I think they have to do that according to the error code. (?) No response.

 

That's too bad that you didn't get through. I was going to be slightly sad as well because last night was historic! And I had a couple good shots. I tried writing to the contributors@alamy.com as well. No response except a form letter. But it is the weekend. It would be nice just to have access to Live News on an ongoing basis. They asked how many I would submit. I said ten, but then submitted eighteen. I probably should have chosen fewer, but I was moving fast.

 

No I had never contacted them before. There was a protest set to go on today not far from me so earlier in the week I tried the application form but when it asks you if you can get your images up within the hour (I couldn't have guaranteed this) and to supply a scan of a previous publication I could supply neither, so never bothered. I attended the protest today in "working" mode with all my gear with the intention to try out reportage and see how I liked it. To say I loved it is an understatement, I got right in the middle of the crowds and got some good shots, many with my 12-24 so as soon as I got home I tried contacting Alamy in the ways I've mentioned and didn't get through. it was a bit disappointing to ring the news phone number and have it ring out, but perhaps I've misunderstood live news availability to also include new applications. So next time I'll know what I'm up against and will try and get news unlocked in advance.

[The Blinking Eye]

13 minutes ago, Cal said:

 

No I had never contacted them before. There was a protest set to go on today not far from me so earlier in the week I tried the application form but when it asks you if you can get your images up within the hour (I couldn't have guaranteed this) and to supply a scan of a previous publication I could supply neither, so never bothered. I attended the protest today in "working" mode with all my gear with the intention to try out reportage and see how I liked it. To say I loved it is an understatement, I got right in the middle of the crowds and got some good shots, many with my 12-24 so as soon as I got home I tried contacting Alamy in the ways I've mentioned and didn't get through. it was a bit disappointing to ring the news phone number and have it ring out, but perhaps I've misunderstood live news availability to also include new applications. So next time I'll know what I'm up against and will try and get news unlocked in advance.

 

Yeah, someone else here told me to get it sorted out with them beforehand so that next time I can get through. I am also loving the reportage angle but uploading within an hour is impossible for me. I stopped shooting protests when COVID started, but am getting out now because it seems that moving gatherings outdoors are not transmitting the disease. I still struggle with all the controls on my camera so am not terribly skilled getting shots on the fly, but I am definitely improving with practice. Last night was even more difficult because it was night! I'm excited to check out your shots when they get QC'd. I've noticed the strongest images are when I focus on individual protesters with my zoom lens, more than the wider group shots. There's definitely a technique to it to heighten the interest and drama. I was going to protests before just as a participant, but shooting gives me a purpose and it feels important to amplify the voices with images. I often notice no one else is capturing the scenes that I'm getting, so they would disappear into the ether if I didn't catch them. It has to be aligned with my values though. I refuse to photograph right wing rallies or events like looting, since I don't believe in them and I don't want to participate in giving them press. I understand they are relevant, dramatic, and newsworthy, but I've decided not to participate myself.

 

Don't be disheartened though. Four of my seven sales have been from a single march in 2017, so people do look for these after the fact. That's also a reason I'm leaning more into protests and current events. There seems to be more interest and my goal is to get published in a news outlet some day.

 

And.. I agree, it's rewarding. If I were paid to do reportage for a living, I would love that. No question.

[sb photos]

9 minutes ago, The Blinking Eye said:

Last night was even more difficult because it was night!

 

Did you shoot with available light or flash. Years back when using OM1's and a Metz 45CT1 I used to use flash at night, but now with digital at iso 6400 and aperture between 2.8 and F4 you can obtain good images under night street lighting, especially when downsized. I shot an XR protest recently in Hastings this way with good results.

[The Blinking Eye]

12 minutes ago, sb photos said:

 

Did you shoot with available light or flash. Years back when using OM1's and a Metz 45CT1 I used to use flash at night, but now with digital at iso 6400 and aperture between 2.8 and F4 you can obtain good images under night street lighting, especially when downsized. I shot an XR protest recently in Hastings this way with good results.

 

I got a couple great shots without flash, but then started using flash, which gave it a really different look with hard shadows, as you must know. I've just been using auto settings on my sony a6000 so it was too much for me in the moment to try to figure out shutter speed/iso/fstop. I had to just grap anything I could. Lots of throwaway shots because people were moving and tons of blur.

[meanderingemu]

47 minutes ago, The Blinking Eye said:

 

 I was going to protests before just as a participant, but shooting gives me a purpose and it feels important to amplify the voices with images. I often notice no one else is capturing the scenes that I'm getting, so they would disappear into the ether if I didn't catch them. It has to be aligned with my values though. I refuse to photograph right wing rallies or events like looting, since I don't believe in them and I don't want to participate in giving them press. I understand they are relevant, dramatic, and newsworthy, but I've decided not to participate myself.

 

Don't be disheartened though. Four of my seven sales have been from a single march in 2017, so people do look for these after the fact. That's also a reason I'm leaning more into protests and current events. There seems to be more interest and my goal is to get published in a news outlet some day.

 

And.. I agree, it's rewarding. If I were paid to do reportage for a living, I would love that. No question.

 

 

Interesting, I actually think i do a better job with protest of things I don't agree with as I try to represent what they are advocating as fairly as possible- this is my job as reporter.  I actually find causes i highly believe in harder, because i try hard to remove my feelings and i think i miss things because of it trying to appear impartial.  (obviously the easiest have been protest where i had no stake in the matter, but these are getting less and less nowadays)

[AlbertSnapper]

22 minutes ago, The Blinking Eye said:

 

I got a couple great shots without flash, but then started using flash, which gave it a really different look with hard shadows, as you must know. I've just been using auto settings on my sony a6000 so it was too much for me in the moment to try to figure out shutter speed/iso/fstop. I had to just grap anything I could. Lots of throwaway shots because people were moving and tons of blur.

 

Try setting camera manually for the ambient light, but also use flash as a fill in light source.

You get the blur but also freeze enough the subject matter.

Some detail in the background would be shown then, too.

 

I'd post some examples but using my phone at moment don't know how to.

 

[The Blinking Eye]

1 hour ago, meanderingemu said:

 

 

Interesting, I actually think i do a better job with protest of things I don't agree with as I try to represent what they are advocating as fairly as possible- this is my job as reporter.  I actually find causes i highly believe in harder, because i try hard to remove my feelings and i think i miss things because of it trying to appear impartial.  (obviously the easiest have been protest where i had no stake in the matter, but these are getting less and less nowadays)

 

Some people claim impartiality is a myth that journalism perpetuates about itself and thus leaves an opening for ransackers like Fox News to easily manipulate.

 

I have no idea how I would take photos differently being impartial or partial. I just look for a good photograph. I think it helps to feel the cause while you are photographing it. I am emotionally invested in the images I produce and that helps me make better images. Most award winning journalistic photographs have a heightened sense of drama. Very dramatic angles, high emotions, emphasizing conflict etc. That's not impartial and informative. That's drama, and that's what sells.

[The Blinking Eye]

1 hour ago, AlbertSnapper said:

 

Try setting camera manually for the ambient light, but also use flash as a fill in light source.

You get the blur but also freeze enough the subject matter.

Some detail in the background would be shown then, too.

 

I'd post some examples but using my phone at moment don't know how to.

 

 

I did have a few photos that showed lots of blur but some figures in focus as well. It seems that the camera was often confused by what objects to focus on. When the autofocus found something to focus on, the pics were pretty good. Otherwise the whole things was out of focus. I was just hoping to get some part of the image in focus, ideally the most important piece, but was flying by the seat of my pants.

[The Blinking Eye]

1 hour ago, meanderingemu said:

 

 

Interesting, I actually think i do a better job with protest of things I don't agree with as I try to represent what they are advocating as fairly as possible- this is my job as reporter.  I actually find causes i highly believe in harder, because i try hard to remove my feelings and i think i miss things because of it trying to appear impartial.  (obviously the easiest have been protest where i had no stake in the matter, but these are getting less and less nowadays)

 

Or maybe you work better during protests you don't agree with because you're not distracted. Maybe that's what you mean. It IS often challenging to concentrate on photos vs. enjoying the moment. I sort step back and just enjoy the crowds, the shouting, and bask in the emotion of it all, and then I start photographing again, removing myself from the emotion and thereby missing out on the party a bit. But it feels good to do them all a favor and record the moment so the rest of the world can see what's happening.

[Cal]

1 hour ago, meanderingemu said:

 

 

Interesting, I actually think i do a better job with protest of things I don't agree with as I try to represent what they are advocating as fairly as possible- this is my job as reporter.  I actually find causes i highly believe in harder, because i try hard to remove my feelings and i think i miss things because of it trying to appear impartial.  (obviously the easiest have been protest where i had no stake in the matter, but these are getting less and less nowadays)

agreed. I was going to say something similar and you’ve just taken the words out of my mouth. When I was there today I felt like I was there with just a job to do and it didn’t matter whether I was for or against the message. It can also be rather interesting to note what the headlines say (often referring to numbers at these protests) which either implies news editors can’t count or they are using bias to try and sway opinion. I’ve seen it both ways, where headlines will significantly under or over report numbers to suit the prevailing narrative. I don’t approve of that either way, news is news and it should be presented without opinion. I engaged with various people today, quite a lot of them I didn’t agree with but it builds rapport and enables you to move through crowds effortlessly. 

[meanderingemu]

15 minutes ago, The Blinking Eye said:

 

Some people claim impartiality is a myth that journalism perpetuates about itself and thus leaves an opening for ransackers like Fox News to easily manipulate.

 

I have no idea how I would take photos differently being impartial or partial. I just look for a good photograph. I think it helps to feel the cause while you are photographing it. I am emotionally invested in the images I produce and that helps me make better images. Most award winning journalistic photographs have a heightened sense of drama. Very dramatic angles, high emotions, emphasizing conflict etc. That's not impartial and informative. That's drama, and that's what sells.

 

 

so if you saw someone part of something that you believed in that showed them in a negative light would you take the picture?

[meanderingemu]

11 minutes ago, The Blinking Eye said:

 

Or maybe you work better during protests you don't agree with because you're not distracted. Maybe that's what you mean. It IS often challenging to concentrate on photos vs. enjoying the moment. I sort step back and just enjoy the crowds, the shouting, and bask in the emotion of it all, and then I start photographing again, removing myself from the emotion and thereby missing out on the party a bit. But it feels good to do them all a favor and record the moment so the rest of the world can see what's happening.

 

no i said what i said.  When i am at an event to take news images it is my job to show what is happening there, and stay as close to the message.  When i go to enjoy myself i usually put the camera away.  

 

[Cal]

Just now, meanderingemu said:

 

no i said what i said.  When i am at an event to take news images it is my job to show what is happening there, and stay as close to the message.  When i go to enjoy myself i usually put the camera away.  

 

The world needs more people like you. 

[meanderingemu]

Just now, Cal said:

The world needs more people like you. 

 

and lets be honest, i still have bias, we all do, but i find it's actually easier to keep them in check when it's something i don't really agree or care, as it is easier to question my motive, "Is this News, or is this My Editorial".

and i think i am getting better at it.  

 

I think it is amazing that you engaged with people from both sides, in the end this is how we will find solutions (though i find some matters not to be worth my time)

[The Blinking Eye]

48 minutes ago, meanderingemu said:

 

 

so if you saw someone part of something that you believed in that showed them in a negative light would you take the picture?

 

29 minutes ago, meanderingemu said:

 

and lets be honest, i still have bias, we all do, but i find it's actually easier to keep them in check when it's something i don't really agree or care, as it is easier to question my motive, "Is this News, or is this My Editorial".

and i think i am getting better at it.  

 

I think it is amazing that you engaged with people from both sides, in the end this is how we will find solutions (though i find some matters not to be worth my time)

 

I don't photograph lootings even though they are a response to racial rage and injustice, even when the lootings happen a block away. So no, I don't.

 

And I don't quite understand how a photograph can be news or editorial. Doesn't that mostly happen within the context in which a photograph is used? I guess one could take photos that would be very unflattering and embarrassing, but I'm not into that either.

 

I'm just as much an activist as I am a photographer so the two must be aligned. Which I have the right to do since my last photo only sold for $4.08, and I'm lucky if I even sell one. It's a hobby and I do it for free, to amplify voices I believe in. I don't feel any virtue in creating a facade of neutrality and giving the whackos more press coverage. But that's just me. I don't feel that way about every topic and rally, but I'm not going to cover a Trump rally. I'm just not. That's fine if you or others want to go in that direction, I don't care. But I'm not going to.

 

If I want to engage with people on the other end of the ideological spectrum, I contact them using persuasive tools and talk to them about their beliefs. Then see if there's anyway I can convince them to move their needle to the left a bit. I have done this and it's very difficult and demoralizing work, but crucial if we don't want to descend into full-on fascism.

[Cal]

Unfortunately trying to sway people either way could in itself be seen as fascistic, given that with some viewpoints it is done on a mass level through media. I personally have my beliefs but I don’t see it as my business to try and change anyone’s politics whether left or right. I see this kind of persuasive behaviour from both sides, it’s a natural human trait to some extent. In politics there is not necessarily right and wrong, just different sides of the viewpoint. I wish more people would be able to sit down and discuss their differences more amicably, but unfortunately when it comes to politics people often treat an opponent politically as if they are a bad person, just because they don’t believe in the same thing they do. I’ve seen it and experienced it personally, losing friends or family over how you voted or intended to vote, which is just crazy. Also while I’m not going to name names, my personal experiences of this have mostly come from one “side”, supposedly the tolerant one. I would love to stay and discuss it more but I don’t want the thread to descend into damnation as most humans don’t discuss politics amicably. 

[Stan Pritchard]

Nothing seems to be working today, no updates, nothing.

[meanderingemu]

On 08/11/2020 at 22:16, The Blinking Eye said:

 

 

 

 

And I don't quite understand how a photograph can be news or editorial. Doesn't that mostly happen within the context in which a photograph is used? I guess one could take photos that would be very unflattering and embarrassing, but I'm not into that either.

 

 

 

 

Yet you uploaded your last set under live news.  If you didn't believe that was what you were doing, not sure how that would be.  When i set out to capture the News I try to stay impartial, if not we run into the danger of creating our own echo chambers.  

 

again this is me, as i find it is one of the big problem with medias nowadays of only staying one sided

Edited November 12, 2020 by meanderingemu

[The Blinking Eye]

1 hour ago, meanderingemu said:

 

 

Yet you uploaded your last set under live news.  If you didn't believe that was what you were doing, not sure how that would be.  When i set out to capture the News I try to stay impartial, if not we run into the danger of creating our own echo chambers.  

 

again this is me, as i find it is one of the big problem with medias nowadays of only staying one sided

 

My point is the intended meaning of a photo can change easily within the context it is used and a photographer doesn't have much control over that. We do have control over what topics we choose to photograph. I've already explained myself. I personally don't want to participate in the spread of misinformation and conspiracies, like protesters claiming "COVID is a scam" etc when hundreds of thousands of people are dying due to misinformation. Look up "bothsidesism'" or "false balance". Media objectivity is a myth easily exploited by those who spread falsehoods. Why is it considered impartial to give voice to lies and conspiracies and racist ideas? Sorry, not interested, but do your thing.

[Chuck Nacke]

Just for the record, I have communicated with Live News easily over the years.

emails returned promptly and I've spoken with both London and New York when

it was necessary.  

 

Chuck