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'We have received this note from Kevin Roberts, who has been a cameraman at the BBC for 30 years - I happened to mention to him that I had once misfiled an important tranny when I worked in the stills department of the BBC:

"I had to laugh when you said that you had misfiled something at the BBC. A few years ago the video library at BBC news could not find any footage of the S.A.L.T Talks (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) They were vital for a piece for national news.
They eventually turned up filed under Food & Drink.
That is a true story."

Thanks for that Kevin - it's great to have a laugh! Joan'

Mr Site
Webmaster, Graeme Wolfe, took a look at Mr Site, - ‘Everything you need to get the website you want online.’
For those of you looking for an easy entry into website design, there’s a new product on the market, which does what it says on the label! For the first-time web owner, Mr Site speaks for itself - an easy way to put your photographic skills online - or any other skills, interests etc. for that matter. As advertised, the package offers all you need to set up your own online presence from your own Domain Name (the .com's, .co.uk's, .net, .org etc!) to an online shop to showcase and sell your work. You do, however, have to register an account online with Mr Site to proceed, but from then on your new site will be built and hosted on Mr Site's servers; all of which is perfect for the novice - no complicated coding etc to worry about! Mr. Site uses PayPal for online transactions and accepts major credit cards. All you have to do is set up your own PayPal account and then use that with Mr Site to set up your own online shop.

I have looked at several sites created with Mr Site and found that they range from the simple to the fairly sophisticated so there should be something to suit nearly everyone's taste. As with all such web design packages there are limitations but none that should deter someone wanting a quick, cheap way of getting their own website live on the internet - complete with bells and whistles! With a price of around £30 in the big stores it has to be worth a try!

I thought I’d have a go myself, being a computer illiterate, and must confess that I found the first page as scary as any other new programme! I shall be sticking to Graeme’s services, but for those of you who actually enjoy messing around on computers, this could be fun!

Was PTO 08 be one of the best ever?

Now in its 21st year, Photo Training Overseas returned to Lanzerote last January 24th – 31st 2008, for a week of winter sunshine packed with ideas, inspiration and motivation. Just look at the powerful line-up of speakers and supporting acts on the PTO website – certainly one of the strongest groups of workshop leaders, lecturers and technical experts ever assembled for a PTO.

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Alan Hawkins
lives in the Wirral and is determined to progress from part-time to full-time photographer.

This year he ccompanied me on several weddings, making the long journey to Somerset each time, and captured some great shots.

Alan would also like to meet up with any other members in his area—contact him at alanhawkins
@btconnect.com to arrange a meeting or social get together.
See More

Get Blogging Now

A Blog is a website that is written in chronological order and allows its readers to comment on entries. This interactive feature is often one of the driving forces for the content of blogs. Other interactive content includes the ability to post pictures, video, audio, and links to other websites.

Starting a Blog helps your business by:

1. Driving sales for your products and services.
2. Increasing your organic search engine traffic.
3. Building credibility for your company.
4. Supporting the SEO of your company website.

Editor’s note - I don’t understand everything listed here, but I do know it will be good for the Guild to incorporate a Blog into our new online Journal. However, due to misuse we have restricted this facility to Guild Members.

Why not add your blogs there - some stories about achievements, studio mascots, charity fundraising etc.

Photo Training Overseas

Congratulations to Paul Haskins who won the SPOT THE BOUQUET competition! As a result he will be joining PTO in January.
Paul was very pleasantly surprised and says that he has had a camera since the age of 17, when he traded his dad’s Box Brownie for an SLR.
Moving to digital seven years ago, he has photographed weddings and portraits for friends. With his 60th birthday not far away, Paul is looking forward to using his camera for a retirement income, so PTO has come just in time to give him the spur. Later we will be showing the results of his experience there.

Press Release - PTO heads for Egypt in January 2009

The twenty second annual Photo Training Overseas will take place in the beautiful resort area of Taba in Egypt.
Course dates: 27 January – 3 February 2009.

This promises to be the most stunning location to date, set at the far end of the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea just below Eilat and opposite Jordan. Close to the Sinai Mountains with Cairo and Jordans “Red Rose City” of Petra within touring distance . . . . .

Click for more

Do you make or receive unsolicited telephone and fax calls? Take note!
Under Government legislation introduced on 11th December 2003, it is unlawful to make unsolicited calls to individuals who have indicated that they do not want to receive such calls. Both consumers and businesses can register their unwillingness to receive telephone (TPS) and fax (FPS) communications on a central opt-out register.
Over 15 million consumers and businesses have already registered their numbers - meaning that over 85% of all businesses and consumers must not be contacted unless permission has been explicitly granted to the calling company. There is a potential fine of up to £5000 for each breach of the legislation.
NumberCheck.co.uk is an online service to check both telephone and fax numbers against the central TPS and FPS opt-out files. By using NumberCheck.co.uk before every call, your staff will avoid potential infringements that could cost your company dearly. NumberCheck.co.uk is already used by thousands of companies - it is quick and easy and gives you peace of mind. To get started with your first 50 checks free, simply go to:
NumberCheck.co.uk
Owned and operated by MarketingFile Limited
email: info@marketingfile.com
tel: 0845 345 7755sked for contact with other members of the Guild, and this is one way of swapping experience and knowledge.

In Business

Is your Public Liability cover adequate?
Bank worker Brian Piccolo suffered severe spinal injuries after slipping on fallen tulip petals.
Courts eventually awarded in the region of £1m.  Legal costs pursuing and defending the claim were not disclosed but are thought to be proportionate to the damages awarded.  
The defendant in this case was a small business selling flowers from a stall at Marylebone Station, London.  It was heard that the stallholder had been warned that petals on the station concourse presented a slipping hazard by the rail company responsible for managing the premises, Chiltern Railways.
They were found to be not guilty of any contributory negligence, but still had to defend their position. 
Indemnity limits of £1m or less could therefore be seen as seriously inadequate to meet injury claims from just one person. 
Our advice is to purchase as high an indemnity limit as economically affordable and certainly no less than £2 million.

Are you a Financial Fantasist?
A third of Brits are financial fantasists, gambling with their security by expecting to earn higher salaries in the future or borrowing money or expecting to receive a windfall or inheritance.....instead of making a detailed financial plan for the years ahead.

A new survey has identified a group of financial fantasists who, when asked if they have money worries, say “I don't worry about my current financial situation because: I expect to be earning more in the future (24%), I expect to always be able to borrow what I need (5%), I expect to receive a windfall or inheritance (4%).”

A further 15% say they do not even bother to think about their finances, according to the recent NS&I Quarterly Savings Survey. It has also found that more than half (55%) of British people say they have not made any financial plans for their future.

And just under two in five people (39%) who have plans only plan as far ahead as five years.
Women are taking the greatest risk with their financial planning, with nearly two-thirds (61%) saying they have no financial arrangements for their future, compared to half the men surveyed.  Widowed, divorced and separated people are also in the high-risk group, with 70% having made no financial plans.

The Quarterly Savings Survey has also found that the need for financial planning only becomes a reality once people reach their mid to late-40s, with 54% of 45-54 year olds saying they do have a plan. The Survey also reveals that just over one in 10 (12%) people do not have any savings at all, while just over a fifth (21%) have less than £1,000. And just over one in 10 people (13%) who have less than £5,000 in savings believe they are financially secure.

Talk to us about how we can get you and your workforce on track to a more secure future
For further advice please contact Ian Stevenson on 0161 928 3991 or email ian@astevenson.co.uk 
Savings, Pensions and Insurance advice: www.areyousure.co.uk

What’s it Worth—Pricing Your Stock Photography

Out of the blue a business contacts you wanting to use one of your pics. They have seen it at your website, on your blog or at an exhibition and are requesting availability and price.
After the warm glow wears off how do you work out what it is worth? What can you ask for and still get the sale? But you don’t want to give it away, do you?

Firstly they are not buying a print. They are requesting the right to use your pic a multiple number of times in a way that will enhance their business and their sales. They will handle the printing side of things. You are just providing the image. So the question really is, what is it worth to them?

To determine this you need more information.
What is its intended use: Advertising or editorial?

Specific use: Newspaper and magazine ads, packaging, point of sale, brochures etc for Advertising (remember if it is for advertising you will need model releases for any recognizable people); Books, newspaper or magazine story illustration, news letter etc for Editorial.

Size and Placement: Full page, 1/2 page, 1/4 page or spot, front cover, back cover, inside.

Distribution: How many impressions and/or times will it be used? If in a newspaper or magazine what is the circulation? If it is packaging, how many bottles of wine will your image label?

Exclusivity: Can you sell the image to a competitor or does the company want exclusive use and if so for how long?

Once this information is in place you are in a position to calculate the value of your image to the company. There are several places on the net that can help. Stock Photo Price Calculator, which can be seen at
www.photographersindex.com/stockprice.htm is one.

Use of this calculator will get you a high, average and low price based on current market expectations which you can use for your negotiations.

When I contact the enquiring business for the above information I usually ask, in that initial email, what their intended spend is on the project. Mainly to get an idea of how professional they are. If they indicate the overall budget for the project, 20% to 25% will be for resources, just be aware that your image is part not all of the resources. If they don’t have a budget , mmmmmmmmmmm.

If the business is unknown to you or it is your first dealing with them, asking for your money up front is not out of the question. It can also be a face saving tactic when being pushed for a lower price that you feel is their top offer. If you are offering payment at a later date, it is essential that you include on your invoice “licensed rights are not assigned until the invoice is paid in full”. This will give you some sort of fall back position if the money never arrives.

Beware of the old chestnut of “we will be buying a lot more of this type of image in the future, can you do something about the price”. My response to this one is along the lines that I give discounts to regular buyers and a regular buyer is one with a history of 5 or more purchases. To “the exposure I will get, just think of the dollars in the bank in the future” argument, my response is I have to pay my bills now. I mean, who really does read the photo byline on a wine bottle label?

Don’t forget this is a business negotiation, the buyers job is to get the image at the lowest price they can. Your job, apart from making the pics, is to get the best price you can for your image.

Many thanks to Henry Bateman for this article. He is an artist/photographer whose work can be seen at http://www.pissedpoet.com and at
http://pissedpoet.blogspot.com