Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Something for Nothing

All professional Artists and Designers dream to have enough work to keep them steadily busy and fed, lol.  Most all deal with people on a regular basis that don't understand the amount of time, energy and at times, the emotional toll it takes to create good, professional work.

I recently encountered my lastest round of "Something for Nothing" inquires.  Below is the email correspondence from start to finish I recently had with an individual wanting to use an image of mine he found online.

The names and locations have been changed to protect the innocent.

Dear Bryan:

I came across a photograph of a billboard on the website: http://www.bryanfinch.com/2011/08/here-are-couple-of-pictures-of-actual.html that I'd like to use this photograph in a book chapter I've just completed titled "Technology and the Changing Geography of Religious Media" for a book being edited by KERMIT THE FROG of THE MUPPETS called "The Changing World Religion Map."  I would be grateful if I could have you permission to use the photograph. I am happy to credit you as the source of the photograph.

Best wishes,

FOGHORN LEGHORN, THE GIANT CARTOON CHICKEN

My response:

I would be happy to let you use the photo. The only thing I ask for in return is either a copy of the completed book or a "tear sheet" of the page the photo is displayed on. Please let me know if this is something that can be done before you move forward. I can also provide you with the proper info to credit me with, after we reach an agreement.

Thanks for asking before you used the image. It's nice to know that there are still people will to go the extra mile and seek out the permission to use someones original work before they just steal the image off of google.

Thanks again and please keep in touch,

Bryan Finch 

MR. LEGHORN'S response:

Dear Bryan:

I would be grateful to be able to use the photograph. Unfortunately, I can't provide you with a copy of the book. I would be happy to send you a Xerox copy of the page with your photo (or the entire chapter). As far as the photo credit, it will consist of your first and last name.

If this isn't an acceptable arrangement I understand.

Best wishes,

FOGHORN

My response:

Why is it not possible for me to obtain a copy of the book? It's normally standard professional practice for the artist/designer to receive a copy of the book or at least a "tear" sheet (professionally printed page of the layout with the artwork on it) that their work is displayed in. This is has never been an issue for me in the past and I'm curious as to why this cannot be done in this instance.

Bryan Finch

MR. LEGHORN'S response:

Dear Bryan:

My chapter is appearing in an academic book that is likely to have a relatively small number of copies printed. I’m receiving no compensation for writing the chapter (and I would be required to pay for any copies of the book I request beyond the chapter author’s copy I receive). In terms of the subject matter being shown in the photograph, my interest is not in the design but rather, in the fact that religious media is being promoted on a billboard.

The best I can do is to send a copy of the page with your photograph when the book comes out (or a copy of the entire chapter if you would prefer). If this isn’t acceptable to you I understand and I will look elsewhere for a suitable photograph.

Best wishes,

FOGHORN

My response:

FOGHORN,

Again, thanks for asking to use my image but unless I can get a copy of the book or a professional tear sheet, I think I will pass on letting my image be used in the book. It's a shame that you are not be compensated more for the time and energy you are spending working on this. It's nice that the publisher is giving you one copy of the chapter you are writing.

I'm also a little concerned with how the image maybe represented. I don't fully understand what the purpose of the chapter is but I know the statement you made: "my interest is not in the design but rather, in the fact that religious media is being promoted on a billboard" has me concerned with the motives behind it. I would not want the church on billboard to be part of some editorial spin that would try to cast a negative light on the real message of the church.

If I'm wrong, I apologize for jumping to that conclusion.

Obviously you liked something about the "design" or you would have picked a different image from the thousands of church billboard designs you get when you do a google image search.

Thanks again and good luck in your search,

Bryan Finch

FOGHORN'S response:

Bryan,

Thanks for your response. I will look elsewhere for an image to use.

Best wishes,

FOGHORN LEGHORN, THE GIANT CARTOON CHICKEN

As you can see, Mr. Leghorn was very polite throughout our correspondence.  I am legitimately upset that he is not being better compensated for his time and I don't believe I was asking for all that much in return for allowing access to my work.  I'm almost 100% positive in saying that there are other images that will be displayed in this book that someone had to pay royalties for to have access to them.  All I wanted was one copy of the book.

I do appreciate the chance to have my work displayed in a book but I was more concerned with the context in which the work would be displayed.  The fact that I didn't get a direct answer to that question, I believe is actually the answer to the question.

I think we all the see the moral to this story...

Never let giant cartoon chickens write books...or something like that.

2 comments:

  1. That's a crazy story. At least he asked, right? Seems like he would be prepared to get an extra copy to seal the deal. Blog looks, great, btw. Keep it up.

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  2. Hey Garret, good to hear from you dude. Your blog is pretty sweet too.

    I ended up being more concerned with what the chapter was going to be about more so than getting a copy of the book. I was really afraid about the context in which the image was going to be represented.

    Hope you are doing well.

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