"Frank ess" wrote in message
...
Michael A. Covington wrote:

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.
....
"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.

Against a free market economy, are you? I made a deal that I thought was
advantageous for me. People in numerous fields -- especially writers and
computer programmers, of which I am one -- have learned that giving away a
certain amount of work free helps to *promote*, not undermine, their
careers.

Besides, the amateur photographer who e-mails pictures to a newspaper could
easily be *starting* a career, not undermining somebody else's. Or do you
feel that nobody in the future should become a photographer, so that the
old-timers can have a monopoly on all the work?

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?

The paper got nonexclusive rights to one rather mediocre picture. (I am
well aware of rights issues. In fact at no point did I sign anything; I
simply gave them permission, by e-mail, to print the picture as news.)
Although not paid money, I was credited by name, and my book was mentioned.
To me, that is a valuable indirect advertisement.

Besides, the newspaper is part of the community, and I enjoy sharing things
with my neighbors.

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...

Ah. And we should abolish the World Wide Web, because that, too, is a way
for people to share their pictures and writings with the public thereby
"undermining" the careers of professionals?

And abolish amateur astronomy, amateur woodworking, amateur basketball,
etc., because all these things put "professionals" out of a job?

I don't think so.

--
Clear skies,

Michael A. Covington
Author, Astrophotography for the Amateur
www.covingtoninnovations.com/astromenu.html