Author Topic: Contests as additional revenue source? (Read 2545 times)

dnavarrojr · « **on:** July 23, 2010, 19:35 »

Is anyone entering photo contests as an additional revenue source? It never really occurred to me, but my fiance made my enter some photos at our local county fair and I won $90 cash. There was no entry fee and it cost me $16 in prints and foam board for mounting.

I'm wondering if it's worthwhile to enter other contests. A quick search on Google and I found about 10 or so with digital submission and no fee for entering.

sjlocke · « **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2010, 19:41 »

I'd say there's a difference between beatings some yokels at the county fair, and an infinite amount of rights grabbing scam 'contests' online.

donding · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2010, 19:51 »

Quote from: sjlocke on July 23, 2010, 19:41

I'd say there's a difference between beatings some yokels at the county fair, and an infinite amount of rights grabbing scam 'contests' online.

You gotta read the fine print real close. A lot of times you a signing your rights away.

stormchaser · « **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2010, 20:03 »

Quote from: donding on July 23, 2010, 19:51

Quote from: sjlocke on July 23, 2010, 19:41
I'd say there's a difference between beatings some yokels at the county fair, and an infinite amount of rights grabbing scam 'contests' online.

You gotta read the fine print real close. A lot of times you a signing your rights away.

Absolutely correct. Some of the scams have language in the terms such as "worldwide irrevocable rights including distribution", so in these cases you are unwittingly surrendering your ability to submit the image as stock especially in cases like DT buyouts or going exclusive at iStock. Found a site last year with almost this exact language when a friend of mine was looking to enter a particular contest.

louoates · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2010, 20:11 »

Contests have become a source of pirate-able images. Some even ask a "entry fee". So you can actually pay to have your work stolen. If you've never heard of the outfit asking for "entries" and you are contacted through email do the following: Find a mirror. Twist your head around. Read the "rekcus" sign on your back.

dnavarrojr · « **Reply #5 on:** July 23, 2010, 20:11 »

Hmm... my brain must be turned off today because I honestly didn't think about that... Thanks.

At least with the fairs you submit prints which they give you back.

dnavarrojr · « **Reply #6 on:** July 23, 2010, 20:14 »

Quote from: louoates on July 23, 2010, 20:11

Contests have become a source of pirate-able images. Some even ask a "entry fee". So you can actually pay to have your work stolen. If you've never heard of the outfit asking for "entries" and you are contacted through email do the following: Find a mirror. Twist your head around. Read the "rekcus" sign on your back.

Hehe... The contests I was thinking about entering are from Minolta, Dominoes Pizza, and Kansas Nature magazine. I have zero intention of entering anything that requires an entry fee. And for the Minolta and Dominoes contests I was going to shoot something specific for those contests.

stormchaser · « **Reply #7 on:** July 23, 2010, 23:37 »

Quote from: dnavarrojr on July 23, 2010, 20:14

Quote from: louoates on July 23, 2010, 20:11
Contests have become a source of pirate-able images. Some even ask a "entry fee". So you can actually pay to have your work stolen. If you've never heard of the outfit asking for "entries" and you are contacted through email do the following: Find a mirror. Twist your head around. Read the "rekcus" sign on your back.

Hehe... The contests I was thinking about entering are from Minolta, Dominoes Pizza, and Kansas Nature magazine. I have zero intention of entering anything that requires an entry fee. And for the Minolta and Dominoes contests I was going to shoot something specific for those contests.

Just because Dominos is a brand name don't think that you'll be treated any differently. They;'re hunting for free publicity pics. Minolta and the rest too. Read the terms carefully.

and see the links

http://www.photoattorney.com/?p=1034

http://www.jmg-galleries.com/blog/2008/02/19/how-the-rights-to-your-photo-are-being-hijackedthrough-photo-contests-social-media/

Clivia · « **Reply #8 on:** July 24, 2010, 01:41 »

The BBC in the UK has similar terms of entry. I have been urged by friend to enter, but would not give my pictures away so easily.

WarrenPrice · « **Reply #9 on:** July 24, 2010, 09:30 »

I think some of the contests are legitimate. Even those, however, take the rights to your image (should you win anything). Read the contest rules carefully, Maybe the prize package is enough for the rights to your image. One thing for sure ... I don't think their rules are any more complicated or deceiving than a Microstock TOS.

I've been very envious of a friend who won trips to Hawaii and Alaska for the rights to an image and/or having her evaluation of a backpack published.

I don't agree with her continuous submission of images to local newspaper contests; the zoo, street life, etc., but, she won a camera from that contest too.

My biggest concern is what happens to all those images that do NOT win anything?

Dreamframer · « **Reply #10 on:** July 24, 2010, 09:34 »

I just wanted to submit some of my images to one online contest, when I noticed those small letters in the end of terms and conditions. It says that contest organizer owns full copyright for all images submitted to contest.

louoates · « **Reply #11 on:** July 24, 2010, 10:32 »

I wonder why someone would go to all the trouble to run an online photo contest if not to derive some economic gain. Signing over copyright in that case is working for free. The fact that there is some "prize" involved, whether or not ever paid to some eventual winner, is much like buying a lottery ticket. Only the uninformed are led to that behavior.

stormchaser · « **Reply #12 on:** July 24, 2010, 15:09 »

Quote from: WarrenPrice on July 24, 2010, 09:30

My biggest concern is what happens to all those images that do NOT win anything?

In the one scam contest site I found last year, it had language like "all entries become the property of" plus language saying that the site would retain worldwide distribution rights. Trouble is people don't read the fine print, or fail to fully grasp the terms.

dnavarrojr · « **Reply #13 on:** July 24, 2010, 15:16 »

Quote from: stormchaser on July 23, 2010, 23:37

Just because Dominos is a brand name don't think that you'll be treated any differently. They;'re hunting for free publicity pics. Minolta and the rest too. Read the terms carefully.

Yeah, I know. But as long as I'm eating Dominoes pizzas anyway, it's no harm to take a few pictures of one for their contest.

Dreamframer · « **Reply #14 on:** July 24, 2010, 15:30 »

Quote from: louoates on July 24, 2010, 10:32

I wonder why someone would go to all the trouble to run an online photo contest if not to derive some economic gain. Signing over copyright in that case is working for free. The fact that there is some "prize" involved, whether or not ever paid to some eventual winner, is much like buying a lottery ticket. Only the uninformed are led to that behavior.

This was mastercard contest. Main prize was dream vacation worth 10000 euros.

For every submitted photo you have to make one money transaction with mastercard. I guess their agenda was to make as many transactions as possible, rather then stealing photos from people....but anyway, I decided not to send images, because I doubt I will win the prize, and my photos will become their photos.

Plus, I don't really believe in contests where jury has to decide what, or who is the most beautiful (like Miss World contest for example).....

madelaide · « **Reply #15 on:** July 24, 2010, 15:41 »

In all the contests I have taken the time to read the terms (and that included National Geographic), they require rights to use the images submitted, even if they do not win anything or are never published by them. Most don't require exclusivity, though some may ask for unpublished work.

I think it's a fair thing that they may use the winning images or even the published ones to promote the contest, even sell books with the winners. What I don't agree however is that they normally get the right to do anything with the images, even those who are discarded. They may use them in a book that is not related to the contest, for instance.

donding · « **Reply #16 on:** July 24, 2010, 15:54 »

I think a lot of these contests like National Geographic use the contest to get pictures rather them buy them in order to sell their magazine. No matter what the prize amount is...it's still cheaper getting these pictures for free and have unlimited rights to them, than purchasing an image for one time use. It's a marketing strategy on their part.

madelaide · « **Reply #17 on:** July 24, 2010, 16:08 »

In the case of NGM, I don't think they use these images in their magazines, except on the specific sections where they were submitted to ("readers' photos" or things like that). The articles have dedicated photographers, many of which long-time contributors to the magazine. But I can imagine the photos being used in their merchandise, although I never heard of that.

Phil · « **Reply #18 on:** July 24, 2010, 18:08 »

expect any images you submit to be used in various products etc contests have always been a good way of getting cheap images.

be very careful of the fine print one of corbis's in the past

"By providing Sponsor with your Submission in this Contest, you agree to exclusively and irrevocably assign, convey and transfer to Sponsor any and all right, title and interest in the Submission, including the copyright, right of publicity, moral rights and any ideas included in the Submission and understand that you may be required to sign a document to this effect."

they got both copyright and the 'idea' - it would be interesting if you tried to submit similars etc elsewhere