Michael A. Covington wrote:
Well, I've made my debut as a digital-era photojournalist...

I photographed the beginning of the eclipse, downloaded the images,
edited them, called the news desk of the Atlanta newspaper, got
permission to e-mail the images to them, did so... and one is
published in today's paper.
You can see them at:
http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/...ex.html#041027

I think that all of us could be contributing to local newspapers (if
we want to) very easily because of the ease of e-mailing the pictures.

Nice pictures.

"I encourage other amateur astronomers to do this. It's one of the best
ways to share your pictures with others."

And to undermine the careers of serious, income-earning professional
photographers, unless you were paid.

Were you? How much? Did your contract with the newspaper require that
you relinquish rights to the picture? Did the newspaper cut you out of
income from future uses?

I suppose you know that newspapers are among the greediest of
rights-grabbers and photographer-devaluers.

We should _not_ feed them, no matter how good it feels at the moment. It
may be that the crest has passed and the slippery slope has control, but
if you respect photography as a career, every little bit of friction can
slow the decline...

--
Frank ess