Magazines and wire services in collusion to cut out photographer? I am a freelance photographer for AP and a couple of other small publications. I also do a lot of work on my own and submit freelance photos for fees. (only way to make a living doing this.) This year(2002) I have been lucky enough to catch 2 shots that everybody wants. Great right! Not really. SI will not buy them directly from me. However they will(and want to) buy them on a per use basis from AP. Ok that is great right? Not really. AP will not buy them from me unless I give up all rights to photos. And a fee that is not even close to acceptable. What the @#!! is going on. Why are the magazines willing to pay AP or another wire service per use fees but not willing to pay the photographer directly? This whole thing stinks. It seems that there is a agreement to squeeze the photographer out of all profits from the photo. I am left with photos that do not get published by the bigs because I am not willing to take it up the a@@. I now have to send them out individually to every possible publication. What a pain. To me this means that no matter how good the photo. IT IS IRREVERENT! unless they can cheat you out of your money & rights.

-- Alan Madden (jhoward5@insight.rr.com), January 01, 2003