Happy Christmas
Tuesday 18 Dec 07 | Category: My Photography
I was delighted to see that this year's Lonely Planet e-mail Christmas Card uses one of my photos. It was such a long-held ambition of mine to have photos with Lonely Planet that to see one of my pictures being used in this way is... well, it's just peachy.So, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you, my regular readers, lurkers, friends and family, a very merry Christmas and my sincere hope that 2008 will bring you all that you would wish for yourself.
Cheers!
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BBC buys a major share in Lonely Planet
Wednesday 03 Oct 07 | Category: Stock Photography
BBC Worldwide has bought a 75% share in Lonely Planet and has announced plans to put the full Lonely Planet guidebook range online in the near future.
The BBC don’t have an especially good reputation among photographers who often complain that the BBC’s contract is a little unfair, demanding, as it does, that contributors grant a “perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sub-licensable right” for the BBC to use the pictures where and when they like. The prospect of those contract terms influencing dealings with Lonely Planet Images is quite unappealing.
Having said that, the opportunities offered by the BBC linking up with Lonely Planet could be very inviting. These are two iconic organisations and I’d hope that the BBC would reinforce and support the Lonely Planet brand. If that proves to be the case then the weight of the BBC’s reputation can only enhance the perception of Lonely Planet in the public’s eyes.
The expertise that the BBC has built up in creating one of the world’s best web sites is bound to help the development of the Lonely Planet site too and that online presence will be vital in years to come, especially as competition in the travel market increases.
All in all, I think the take-over is good news for Lonely Planet contributors and for Lonely Planet readers but we’ll have to wait and see if the BBC are going to treat Lonely Planet photographers fairly. Yes, it’s another “fingers crossed” moment. I seem to be running short on fingers!
Links:
BBC Report
Wall Street Journal Report
BBC Worldwide
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet Images
The BBC don’t have an especially good reputation among photographers who often complain that the BBC’s contract is a little unfair, demanding, as it does, that contributors grant a “perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sub-licensable right” for the BBC to use the pictures where and when they like. The prospect of those contract terms influencing dealings with Lonely Planet Images is quite unappealing.
Having said that, the opportunities offered by the BBC linking up with Lonely Planet could be very inviting. These are two iconic organisations and I’d hope that the BBC would reinforce and support the Lonely Planet brand. If that proves to be the case then the weight of the BBC’s reputation can only enhance the perception of Lonely Planet in the public’s eyes.
The expertise that the BBC has built up in creating one of the world’s best web sites is bound to help the development of the Lonely Planet site too and that online presence will be vital in years to come, especially as competition in the travel market increases.
All in all, I think the take-over is good news for Lonely Planet contributors and for Lonely Planet readers but we’ll have to wait and see if the BBC are going to treat Lonely Planet photographers fairly. Yes, it’s another “fingers crossed” moment. I seem to be running short on fingers!
Links:
BBC Report
Wall Street Journal Report
BBC Worldwide
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet Images
Lonely Planet Images Newsletter
Wednesday 19 Sep 07 | Category: Stock Photography
I recommend a quick look at the Lonely Planet Images Newsletter for September. I’ve recently started contributing to Lonely Planet and their images have long been a source of inspiration, not only in photographic terms but also in terms of destinations.
I think the six pictures in the “Habitat” gallery sum up what the typical Lonely Planet image looks like: bags of colour, great composition, masses of impact and something that leaves you asking “where is that?” and “how can I get there?”.
The “Living” gallery is great too of course and the first picture in the sequence is one that any travel photographer would be proud of. Well, this travel photographer would be.
If you have time, take a look through some of the older editions of the newsletter, there are some great images on display.