What will happen with our photography when we will not be here?

[Abiyoyo]

I know that this subject could be a "taboo" and sad issue, but soon or later, hopefully as later as possible, that moment will arrive. A fact of live.

My question is to know what the people having hundred of thousands of digital images and maybe hundred of boxes full of slides did already when they abandon us, or plan to do, when we will not be here in this world.

 

The whole collection of images could be worth from pennies to lots of money depending of course of the quality of them at that moment. 

 

I my personal case, I do not have children, my wife will keep them, but what about later...

 

To be honest I do not know what I would like to do, for what it is at the end, in fact, my life in images. Too personal to ride off all at some point of time, and to get some cash, and at the same time to abandon them.

 

When I bought my house I found dozen of interesting stereoscopic photograph in the middle of old furniture and I have kept them. It is sad how could end your memories sometimes.

[stipe]

Geez, you could wait to post such a depressing topic after Xmas!

[colin paterson]

"The whole collection of images could be worth from penis to lots of money depending of course of the quality of them at that moment. "

Is your PENIS worth nothing ?

[Arletta]

Interesting - I'm thinking about the same since yesterday evening... Global telepathy?

Have no children, no wife and no husband It's sad thinking about the end, but it's beautiful what we do - capture reality. Ironical, it's worth so much and nothing at the same time.

 

stipe, December is always depressing month, at least in Poland No sun, or snow, just gray everyday life, waiting, thinking... nothing.

Abiyoyo, when have you see sun lately (in UK)?

 

I'm curious of your thoughts...

[John Mitchell]

 

"The whole collection of images could be worth from penis to lots of money depending of course of the quality of them at that moment. "

Is your PENIS worth nothing ?

 

Hopefully, the original poster meant "peanuts" rather than "penis." While the former are worth little, the latter is invaluable.

[Ed Rooney]

Personally, I never worry about lining up all the books evenly on the shelf of life.  Que será, será

[Abiyoyo]

 

"The whole collection of images could be worth from penis to lots of money depending of course of the quality of them at that moment. "

Is your PENIS worth nothing ?

 

Well, it´s depends, in 60 years for sure nothing  Thanks for the typo.

[John Mitchell]

 

 

"The whole collection of images could be worth from penis to lots of money depending of course of the quality of them at that moment. "

Is your PENIS worth nothing ?

 

Well, it´s depends, in 60 years for sure nothing  Thanks for the typo.

 

Now that really was a Freudian slip!

 

Seriously, it is worth thinking about will happen to one's masterpieces after one has moved on to that big stock agency in the sky. Hopefully, someone will be able to continue benefiting from all those lucrative distributor sales.

[Chrissie]

You can bequeath the copyright of your images to someone, they can then benefit financially from them.

[Bryan]

You can bequeath the copyright of your images to someone, they can then benefit financially from them.

I wonder if you have to do this as a particular statement within your will, or is a general clause transferring your wealth and possessions to someone sufficient for them to claim the fees?

 

Would a simple note of instruction to Member Services be sufficient?

 

The way fees are at the moment it might cost more to have the will altered than they would be likely to receive (having just made a couple of newspaper scheme and one distributor sale)   

[Bill Brooks]

Linda. : Lawyers make good boyfriends, just be sure you have an iron clad prenuptial.

 

In Canada if your images have value to a charity or educational institute, you could donate them in return for a tax exemption certificate for either you right now, or your estate when you die.

 

You could divide your images depending on the needs of the institution. Bird images to the department of ornithology at the museum, for instance. Local historical images to your local library. You could even create a body of work now with a particular institution in mind.

 

Even if the tax exemption is not of use to you, it would ensure a place for your photographs.

 

You could also keep your images in Alamy, and bequeath the copyright, and the Alamy income, to your heirs in your will.

[John Mitchell]

Linda. : Lawyers make good boyfriends, just be sure you have an iron clad prenuptial.

 

In Canada if your images have value to a charity or educational institute, you could donate them in return for a tax exemption certificate for either you right now, or your estate when you die.

 

You could divide your images depending on the needs of the institution. Bird images to the department of ornithology at the museum, for instance. Local historical images to your local library. You could even create a body of work now with a particular institution in mind.

 

Even if the tax exemption is not of use to you, it would ensure a place for your photographs.

 

You could also keep your images in Alamy, and bequeath the copyright, and the Alamy income, to your heirs in your will.

Interesting, I haven't thought much about any of this. Bequeathing copyright never occurred to me. Thanks for the info.

[Abiyoyo]

You could also keep your images in Alamy, and bequeath the copyright, and the Alamy income, to your heirs in your will.

That is for the moment my intention. To try to upload, here or elsewhere, most of my current, and future, images and leave them in a sort of "auto-pilot" and my heirs will receive whatever my images could get.

I will try to digitalize again to the best resolution possible all my slides in order to pass just hard disk and not hundred of boxes.

[Chuck Nacke]

I'm sort of busy right now, but this is an important subject and one that I would appreciate seeing a response from

Alamy.  I have for the record, had a number of publishers call me looking for photographers because they wanted

to re-use an image that they had licensed years ago.  In several cases I did know that the photographer had passed

away and a couple of times I was able to refer them to a surviving spouse or child.  I do think it would be a good idea

for Alamy to make some public (at least to the contributors) policy about arrangments in the event of a contributors

demise.

[losdemas]

I'm sort of busy right now, but this is an important subject and one that I would appreciate seeing a response from

Alamy.  I have for the record, had a number of publishers call me looking for photographers because they wanted

to re-use an image that they had licensed years ago.  In several cases I did know that the photographer had passed

away and a couple of times I was able to refer them to a surviving spouse or child.  I do think it would be a good idea

for Alamy to make some public (at least to the contributors) policy about arrangments in the event of a contributors

demise.

 

+1 to that.

[DavidC]

A partnership rather than sole trading is not a bad idea with the images credited to the name of the business - can be just husband and wife, or include the kids so agencies continue to pay the business after you have dropped off the perch. It also saves a lot of messing about with probate and allows a continuity - e.g. payments will continue to drop into the partnership bank account and be accessible to the surviving partners.

 

As one who has passed the three score and ten I'd like to thank the OP for cheering me up this morning - necessary as it may be.......

 

By the way it is YOUR responsibility - not Alamy's - they have enough to do trying to market images to the best advantage in a difficult time. I am pretty sure that they continue to make payments to the designated account until told otherwise.

[Liam Bunce]

I asked this question several years ago on the old forum, not sure how to get hold of it now but Alamy did respond to it and as Chrissie states you can bequeath the copyright of images to others.

 

Liam 

[Inchiquin]

My universe will die with me, so I couldn't give a toss.

 

Alan

 

[Inchiquin]

Do harddisks explode during cremation?

 

Cheers,

Philippe

 

You 'd take your hard disk to the grave? Give's a new meaning to the phrase "in loving memory".

 

Alan

[Nick Jenkins]

I am a sole trader and my wife has full access to my business account - best I remind her some time!

nj

[DavidC]

I am a sole trader and my wife has full access to my business account - best I remind her some time!

nj

Making her a partner allows her to continue to operate the business after you pop your clogs I understand - part of the KISS business set-up explained by my previous accountant.....the drawback of course is that all partners have varying degrees of access to the cash in your account - OK in a loving and trusting relationship (!) but if the bank account is shared with multiple partners having access be a bit wary of the access granted to your teenagers !!!!!

 

 

Oh Crikey, have I offended a teenager with red arrow access !!!!!

[spacecadet]

n the USA,the will needs to be notarized and witnessed when signed.

 

L

In the UK only the witness is required.

[dov makabaw]

It is wise to have a will and makes sense to attribute the succession of the Alamy income stream to an appropraite heir. The nasty old tax man will want his pound of flesh on the value of the income stream. For individuals and sole traders the bank accounts may well be frozen on death, standard in the UK. On the plus side if your heir is made aware of the Alamy passwords he may change the payment instructions on your Alamy account to his own bank. Food for thought.

 

dov

[Bryan]

It is wise to have a will and makes sense to attribute the succession of the Alamy income stream to an appropraite heir. The nasty old tax man will want his pound of flesh on the value of the income stream. For individuals and sole traders the bank accounts may well be frozen on death, standard in the UK. On the plus side if your heir is made aware of the Alamy passwords he may change the payment instructions on your Alamy account to his own bank. Food for thought.

 

dov

 

Presumably a joint account would be OK, or maybe if one of the names disappears it's not?

[dustydingo]

 

I am a sole trader and my wife has full access to my business account - best I remind her some time!

nj

Making her a partner allows her to continue to operate the business after you pop your clogs I understand - part of the KISS business set-up explained by my previous accountant.....the drawback of course is that all partners have varying degrees of access to the cash in your account - OK in a loving and trusting relationship (!) but if the bank account is shared with multiple partners having access be a bit wary of the access granted to your teenagers !!!!!

 

 

Oh Crikey, have I offended a teenager with red arrow access !!!!!

 

Fixed by some once-a-teenager-(or-so-I'm-told) :-)

 

dd