Contributor Information

• EcoPix is a photographers' network open to participation by any photographer who uses a camera to further the awareness of natural heritage, environmental stewardship or social justice. You can have your own web page with us - see below. With EcoPix, you keep your pictures but undertake to send them to customers upon notification from us.

• EcoPix is evolving and growing, and like-minded photographers can grow with us. At this stage, we cannot generate the earnings of a wide-ranging commercial agency, but the requests we receive are more targetted in subject matter, and there is an ongoing need for new pictures.
  Photographers who have an interest in sharing their vision with the public, and who wish to contribute to environmental awareness and education, are invited to go on our register free of charge. Good, telling photographs need to be seen; it is a waste of resources to have them sitting in dark places gathering mould when many customers need strong images to help tell the world their messages. Also, up-to-date images are in demand and need to be made by photographers who are on the spot.
• Financial returns are modest from sales to conservation groups and other charities, but EcoPix also deals with commercial users. EcoPix pricing is kept low for our non-commercial customers to encourage the use of photography in environmental and social advancement. For commercial users, our pricing reflects the more modest Australian market, with prices some 20% lower than quoted in the Stock Price Calculator, and is in Australian dollars. Photographers may earn more per sold image by lodging them with a general commercial slide library, although the chance of a sale may well be higher with a small, specialist library (and our commission is lower).
• Only fine grain camera-original colour transparencies on the themes covered by EcoPix can be used. We do not use negatives, prints, small or "low end" digital files, duplicates, grainy film or artwork. Digital files are useful but must be high quality (preferably TIFF format scanned or captured to A4 size or more at a minimum of 300 pixels per inch) and supplied on CD-ROM. The photographer must have clear copyright, and pictures of people need model releases (signed permission to publish).

Arrangement

• EcoPix photographers participate in an informal marketing network in which you keep your transparencies and undertake to Express Post them to customers within 24 hours of receiving a request from us. You can only participate if you are readily contactable by e-mail. Alternatively, you can lodge a selection with us.

• The network allows photographers to continue marketing their own material, yet benefit from the wider customer base and targeted advertising of EcoPix. As a network member, you receive the full earnings from each photo sale. EcoPix may invoice the client separately for a "search" fee of 10%. If you lodge pictures with us, we deduct a low 25% commission, which just covers administration and advertising costs, and pass the rest on to you. Our main benefit from your participation is our ability to service client needs quickly. Remember that a request from us does not constitute a sale - the sale is made when the customer chooses your picture for publication.

  ADVANTAGES of the network: No commission is deducted. You can keep your pictures, use them yourself and sell them to your own customers as well. You can expand your customer base through EcoPix. Your pictures can be professionally edited and captioned for you. You can gain skills and improve your photography because we will give you feedback and suggestions. Use EcoPix as a stepping stone to a commercial agency if you wish - if pictures become unavailable, we just need an e-mail note.

  DISADVANTAGES: You must respond quickly to a request - remember, these are your customers. As a network member you are marketting your own pictures so there will be some scanning, phone, email and postage costs.

  ADVANTAGES of lodging pictures with EcoPix: Only a low commission is deducted, and you don't have any marketting costs. You don't need to respond to each picture request - EcoPix does the submitting. Your pictures can be professionally edited and captioned for you. You can gain skills and improve your photography because we will give you feedback and suggestions. Payment will be issued by cheque or into your bank account when received by us - not 3 months later!

  DISADVANTAGES: You won't have the pictures to market yourself. A contract is needed, which binds you to a three year agreement (EcoPix invests time in captioning, scanning and preparing your images for presentation). With either arrangement, there is no guarantee of sales or income.