Re: Travelling to Peru

"Chris Barnard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Hi Peter,
>
> Thanks for the advice - that gives me a few more things to think about.
I'm
> gonna be shooting 35mm so I'll bear that in mind and do a bit of ringing
> around to see what people want. Are there any stock libraries you would
> recommend - or are they all roughly the same?
>

Well, I'm in the UK.  I'd suggest you start with a not too big one - but
don't go too small or you'll never get any sales.  This probably means going
to one based in your country, so unless you are looking in the UK, I
probably can't help.  There is an association (BAPLA) here for libraries and
agencies - I expect you can find something similar and they can probably
give you a list of members and what they specialise in.

They are not all the same...  Avoid anyone who specialises is something else
and is just branching into travel/landscape.  They'll be pleased to take
your images, but it may be years before you see any sales as they build up
their profile in that area.  Commission averages around 50% - don't accept
much worse without good reason.  And don't pay anything up front, exept for
any charge for putting your images in the library's printed catalogue - and
even then you should try to get them to charge you by deducting it from
future earnings instead.

[SNIP]
>
> I'll probably take my fast Pentax 50mm and 28mm lenses as I don't own a
> 24mm - but I might spend a bit of money on some extra equipment before
> leaving; I just have to decide what best to get. I'm thinking my money
might
> best be spent on a fisheye.

If you are going Pentax, and alternative to the Zenitar might be an old
screw mount Pentax fisheye and a K to S adapter.  This might be cheaper, and
it will certainly be sharper.  Another option is the Pentax fisheye zoom,
which would give you extra flexibility.

>
> > If you want to sell travel images, your filter selection will need to
> > include a polariser, warming filters and ND grad.s.  Think about a
> 'sunset'
> > or coral grad. filter as well: you may (or may not) frown on the
> widespread
> > over-use of such things, but in the travel photography market they are
> > helpful.  Some of Peru is pretty high too, so remember the UV filters.
>
> I've never been a fan of those 'sunset' grad filters - I guess because you
> can usually see when they've been used... but maybe I should finally get
one
> or two like that as they've been missing from my filter collection.

Likewise - but in the travel market there is strong demand for 'extra
punchy' sunsets.  The Lee ones seem to me to be some of the less obvious.

>
> >
> > Have a great trip - I'm envious.
> >
>
> Thanks, I'm really looking forward to it and I'll post some images when I
> get back in January :)
>

Will look forward to seeing those.

Cheers,



Peter