ok, so the last few years, I've been taking photos for a local skate competition and a local skate park. It was one of those things where I went to take some pictures (I'd never taken any photos like that before so I figured it would be a good learning experience)...well the organizers approached me and asked if they could have the pictures, so I said sure, since I'm not a pro, and they were pretty crappy pics...as a thanks, they gave me a t-shirt, i gave them a couple dvds with 2,000 or so pics on them.
...fast forward 3 years, I've been doing the same each year (I get a t-shirt, they get the pics I take)...I'm a much better skateboarding photographer, and also take pics of the bike comp that happens the same day. There's not paperwork or anything, it's just one of those random things where I do something for them, they give me a t-shirt.
This year, I took 4,200 pics (in 6 hours!), probably about 100 are simply fantastic...not because of me, but when you hold down the button, you are bound to get at least a few good pics
Anyways, I'm going to give the pics to the organizers of the event, but I also want to submit some of the pictures to some skateboarding and biking mags, I've shown a few to some local pro boarders around here and they are all "wow, those are amazing pics" a good little ego boost for me, but now I have some questions for you experts here:
Are these my pictures to submit? Yes, I took them, but I also get some minor compensation, a t-shirt, so does that mean the organizers 'own' the pictures and any potential rights?
I haven't bothered to watermark any of my pictures, but I see here and elsewhere even casual pictures all seem to have a watermark. Should I watermark before or after I give the pics to the organizers? I've had a few other pictures I've taken show up in photo contests and stuff, and am thinking of creating my own website/name...should I do that first, then watermark the pics, then post them or give them to the organizers? As a note, these are really cool guys who run a bike/skate shop, they aren't lawyers or money-grubbers, just honest guys who use my pics, I'm not interested in getting all 'legal' on them (i'd rather just give them the pics than cause a fight with them), but want to get some feedback on how to approach this
Anyone know of any resources or have any suggestions for how to submit these pics to magazines? Should I do a write-up along w/the pics? I doubt I'll ever be a pro photographer, but I'm at least gonna try and go the 'serious hobby' route and submit some work, but to where and how?
Thanks a bunch in advance for any help/ideas!
...fast forward 3 years, I've been doing the same each year (I get a t-shirt, they get the pics I take)...I'm a much better skateboarding photographer, and also take pics of the bike comp that happens the same day. There's not paperwork or anything, it's just one of those random things where I do something for them, they give me a t-shirt.
This year, I took 4,200 pics (in 6 hours!), probably about 100 are simply fantastic...not because of me, but when you hold down the button, you are bound to get at least a few good pics
Anyways, I'm going to give the pics to the organizers of the event, but I also want to submit some of the pictures to some skateboarding and biking mags, I've shown a few to some local pro boarders around here and they are all "wow, those are amazing pics" a good little ego boost for me, but now I have some questions for you experts here:
Are these my pictures to submit? Yes, I took them, but I also get some minor compensation, a t-shirt, so does that mean the organizers 'own' the pictures and any potential rights?
I haven't bothered to watermark any of my pictures, but I see here and elsewhere even casual pictures all seem to have a watermark. Should I watermark before or after I give the pics to the organizers? I've had a few other pictures I've taken show up in photo contests and stuff, and am thinking of creating my own website/name...should I do that first, then watermark the pics, then post them or give them to the organizers? As a note, these are really cool guys who run a bike/skate shop, they aren't lawyers or money-grubbers, just honest guys who use my pics, I'm not interested in getting all 'legal' on them (i'd rather just give them the pics than cause a fight with them), but want to get some feedback on how to approach this
Anyone know of any resources or have any suggestions for how to submit these pics to magazines? Should I do a write-up along w/the pics? I doubt I'll ever be a pro photographer, but I'm at least gonna try and go the 'serious hobby' route and submit some work, but to where and how?
Thanks a bunch in advance for any help/ideas!