Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/07/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Jul 16, 2006, at 6:59 PM, lug-request@leica-users.org wrote: > From: "Roy Feldman" <roy@detroitphotographic.com> > Subject: [Leica] Paying to shoot > To: lug@leica-users.org > Message-ID: > <13503e590607161326g38f1ad8es8f37b90f64bc0e43@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > In defense of Ted (as if he needs it) who; when one looks up the > definition > of photojournalist in the dictionary, his picture is right there. > Item 7 of the National Press Photographers code of ethics: > > Do not pay sources or subjects or reward them materially for > information or > participation. > > When I work for my paper, if I were to ever pay a location fee, I > would be > termnated immediately. > FYI: the rest are here: > http://www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/ > ethics.html > and here: > http://www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/ > digitalethics.html > -- > Roy Feldman, photojournalism & editorial photography > > Roy, I didn't see anything in the NPPA Code about not paying a location fee. Some locations and historic sites, usually abroad, charge ANY photographer a fee. Not if it is a legitimate news shot, say a murder in a museum, but for casual photography. The Brindivan Gardens, a lush floral and water park in India, imposes an admission surcharge on anyone carrying a camera. This is routinely ignored for Indians but generally imposed on Western tourists. The guards are authorized to confiscate film if your ticket does not indicate that you have paid the surcharge. Commercial photographers are used to paying location charges. For a number of years I had an office next to Gramercy Park in NYC. This is in the heart of the photo district. Gramercy Park, the last private park in the city, is a favorite location for movies and fashion shoots. Last year the Gramercy Park Association racked up about 25% of their annual budget from location charges. If a site adds value to a photographic project, it is simply good business practice for the location to recover a portion of that added value. If you want to photograph a film or a feature story at my house, I'll charge a location fee too. But we all know that news organizations never, never, never pay for interviews or photographs of newsworthy figures or celebrities. ;-) Larry Z