From: ehr@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl)
Subject: Re: Stock Photography (was Re: Questions for Pros)
Summary: stock photo bibliography and notes (long)
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 20:38:42 GMT



[A[BOkay, since people asked about good books on stock photography, let me
suggest the following:
 
Scanlon, Henry.  You can sell your photos : a comprehensive, easy-to-
     understand guide for amateur and professional photographers / by
     Henry Scanlon. -- New York : Harper & Row, 1980.
 
     This book is out of print, but is well worth seeking out in li-
     braries or even through interlibrary loan (ILL).  It has some
     particularly good pointers for those shooting travel and scenic
     stock photos and how to shoot stock photos that are generic -- in
     that they say something about a subject, rather than a specific
     event.  It also has some good pointers about negotiating with
     clients.  (Scanlon is the head of a major stock photo agency and
     therefore biases some of his comments toward getting photogra-
     phers to market their stock through agencies.)
 
 
Heron, Michal.  How to shoot stock photos that sell / Michal Heron. --
     New York : Allworth Press ; Cincinnati, Ohio : distributed by
     Writer's Digest Books, c1990.
 
     Not sure if this book is still available, but again, it is worth
     seeking out through libraries, IIL, etc.  Particularly strong on
     how to create self-assignments and how to shoot stock that in-
     cludes people -- and have this stock be of use for advertising as
     well as editorial use.  Heron was a photo editor and picture re-
     searcher before turning to full-time photography.
     
     (In addition to owning both of the above books, I've met both
     Scanlon and Heron briefly -- and contributed some photos to a
     project Heron was doing research for a long time ago.  They both
     know their stuff, and I would recommend attending any workshops
     that either of them gives on the subject of stock.)
     
     
Pickerell, Jim.  Negotiating stock photo prices, 1992 : seller's guide
     / Jim Pickerell. -- Rockville, Md. : Pickerell, 1992.
 
     This is the most current source for trying to figure out what to
     charge for stock photography in various market areas.
     
     The list price for this book is $25 plus $3 postage and handling,
     directly from the author (who is a well-known stock photogra-
     pher).
               Jim Pickerell            Phone:    (301)  251-0720
               110 Frederick Ave., Suite A
               Rockville, MD 20850
     (Since there are both sellers and buyers versions of this book,
     be sure to specify the buyer's version.)  He accepts VISA and
     MasterCard.
 
 
AG editions, located in New York City publishes a number of marketing
newsletters aimed primarily at nature (animals, plants, scenics) pho-
tographers.  However, much of the information contained in these
newsletters also has general applicability.
               AG Editions              Contact:  Ann Guilfoyle
               142 Bank St.             Phone:    (212)  929-0959
               New York, NY  10014      FAX:      (212)  924-4796
 
 
Finally, if I may humbly suggest the following:
 
Robl, Ernest H.  Organizing your photographs / Ernest H. Robl. -- New
     York : Amphoto, c1986
 
     This book is basically an introduction to picture librarianship
     for photographers -- a subject essential to marketing a stock
     collection.  It does cover such things as collection development
     (figuring out what to shoot, evaluating strengths and weaknesses
     of your collection) and marketing, though these are not the main
     focus of the book.
     
     This book is now out of print (though it sold for five years) so,
     I don't have any qualms about mentioning it in a posting, since
     my mention of the book will not sell any more copies.  Again, you
     should be able to find a copy through your local library or ILL.
     
     (Disclaimer:  I'm not a librarian, though I played one at Duke
     University for 16+ years.)
 
 
I've also mentioned in my previous post the American Society of Pic-
ture Professionals (ASPP).  This group is well worth joining for its
membership directory alone.  The the directory includes the picture
editors of many major book and magazine publishers -- and is a far
better starting source than Photographer's Market.
 
     Membership address:
               Mindy Klarman Shamouil
               Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
               866 Third Ave.
               New York, NY  10022
     Alternate address:
               ASPP c/o            Phone:    (215)  383-6300
               H. Armstrong Roberts
               4203 Locust St.
               Philadelphia, PA  19104
     (H. Armstrong Roberts is a picture agency, not a person -- though
     presumably originally the agency was named after someone with
     that name.)
 
ASPP publishes a quarterly magazine and regional newsletter, which are
provided free to members.  Dues were $60 as of the beginning of the
year.
 
 
Again, let me emphasize that marketing a stock photo collection takes
a lot of work -- and is not something you jump into overnight.  There
are many market niches.  In each case, you need to understand what the
demand is for particular material.
 
 
Hope this helps.  Good luck. -- Ernest

-- 
"My other computer is a Nikon N8008." -- Ernest H. Robl
Ernest H. Robl (ehr@ecsvax)  Durham, NC, USA   +1  919   286-3845
                                         FAX:  +1  919   286-1696
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