What picture companies are there?

The photo agency should bear dual responsibilities to the photo users and photographers, so "honesty" has become the life of the photo agency and runs through its operation.

Once the photo agency enters the commercial operation, it must abide by the rules of commercial operation. The operation of commercial photo agencies is generally divided into three steps:

1. Accept the entrustment of the photographer: The photo source of the photo agency is usually the work shot by the photographer himself, and both the photographer and the photo agency confirm the entrustment and entrusted relationship in the form of agreement. Photographers entrust their own pictures to the photo agency through an agreement, and the photo agency represents the rights and interests of these pictures. The income of pictures is shared by the photo agency and the picture author.

2. Picture management, photographer management: Without editing, pictures are difficult to become commodities. Therefore, after accepting the works entrusted by photographers, the photo agency should first classify, sort out and edit the pictures to make them into commodities. In addition, no matter whether the pictures provided by the photographer are for sale or not, the photo agency is obliged to communicate with the photographer regularly.

3. Marketing of pictures: The picture society actively contacts the picture users, accepts the feedback information from the picture users in time, and maximizes the market value of pictures.

Accept the entrustment of a photographer

The photo source of a photo agency is usually the work that the photographer has already taken. Photographers are most concerned about whether their legitimate rights and interests can be guaranteed and whether their works can be profitable before handing them over to the photo agency. In order to clarify the rights and obligations between the client and the agent, the photo society and the photographer signed an agreement. Any photo agency must abide by the principle of good faith and clearly inform the division of rights and obligations between the two parties in the agreement signed with the photographer.

Generally speaking, the picture society requires photographers to ensure the legitimacy of pictures. In other words, the photographer must ensure that the copyright of the works he provides to the photo agency must belong to the photographer himself. Where a photographic work involves the right to portrait, the photographer shall also provide a power of attorney for the right to portrait to the photo agency. If there is a dispute over the above rights in a photographic work, the agreement will generally require the photographer to take full responsibility. For example, a photographer entrusts a work that he does not own copyright to a photo agency, and once it is used, it infringes on the rights of the copyright owner of the work, and the photographer needs to bear legal responsibility for it. If commissioned works is not authorized by the portrait owner, the photographer should bear the responsibility for the dispute over the portrait right.

In the agreement between the photo agency and the photographer, the photographer may be most concerned about the division of rights and interests between the two parties. According to the usual practice, after deducting the business tax and other taxes payable by the government, the actual income of the photo agency and the photographer should be divided into a certain proportion, generally 5: 5, that is, the photo agency and the photographer each get 50%. Photographers should also pay personal income tax according to law. In China, personal income tax should be withheld and remitted by the photo agency.

Of course, the agency mode of each photo agency is different, and the sharing method may be different. If the photographer signs an exclusive agency agreement with the photo agency, the photo agency can also adopt a 6∶4 sharing method, that is, the photographer gets 60% of the actual income and the photo agency gets 40% of the actual income. Due to the fierce competition in the photo market, some photo agencies have to invest a lot of money in the marketing and promotion of photos, so there is also a 4∶6 share, that is, photographers get 40% of the actual income and photo agencies get 60% of the actual income. No matter what kind of sharing method the photo agency adopts, it should tell the photographer truthfully in advance and make it clear in the agreement.

The photo agency authorizes users to use photos provided by photographers, which is called "photo rental". In the process of renting and using pictures, the copyright and ownership of the pictures have not changed, and the photographer is still the copyright owner and owner of the pictures. The photo agency only rents the right to copy pictures once or more. After the picture user returns the rented picture, the picture can still be rented to other picture users, unless the picture agency has an agreement with the picture user to limit the use of the picture in time or use. On the other hand, if the use limit of the picture is agreed in the agreement, the rental price of the picture will increase accordingly, and the picture cannot be rented to other picture users again within the use limit. In the agreement signed between the photo agency and the photographer, the photographer will get a reward for renting a picture, and at the same time, the payment method and time should be agreed in detail.

Because the pictures may be rented and used repeatedly in the process of agency, and the price of each use may vary greatly according to the specific circumstances such as the use mode, time and scope of the pictures, so the remuneration received by the authors will also vary greatly. For example, if the same picture of Zhang Changcheng is used in outdoor advertising, the photographer's final cost of using the picture may reach 1000 yuan each, while if it is used in magazine illustration, it may only be 1000 yuan, with a difference of 10 times. For this price difference, the photo society explained in the agreement between the two parties and sought the understanding and support of photographers in cooperation.

Photographers can also know the price of picture rental in detail before signing the contract. In China, affected by economic level and other factors, photo users are very sensitive to the price of photos, and photo agencies often use price means to participate in the increasingly fierce competition in the photo market. Therefore, when the photo agency accepts the entrustment of the photographer, it will ask the photographer to give some authorization on the price of the picture, so that the photo agency can flexibly set the price of the picture within the acceptable range of the user in actual operation, thus increasing the probability of the picture being used. For photographers, the more times you rent the same picture, the more you get paid. At present, it seems to be an individual phenomenon to rely on a single screen to obtain higher profits at one time. Therefore, if you want to get higher income, you must try your best to increase the number of pictures for rent.

In short, it is an important link for the photo agency to accept the entrustment of the photographer. Photo agencies and photographers rely on agreements to stipulate the rights and obligations of both parties. In the process of contacting photographers and signing contracts, photo agency companies should answer all kinds of questions that photographers care about in detail based on the principle of good faith, because only by forming a good reputation in the photographer circle can they get more photographers' support, accumulate their own resources and occupy a place in the fierce competition.

Picture management

Pictures are difficult to become commodities without editing. After accepting the works entrusted by photographers, the photo agency should first classify, sort out and edit the pictures to make them into commodities.

Every photo agency will have a special person in charge of photo editing. Professional editors must choose photos according to the principles of photo agencies to ensure the quality of photos. Finally, we should count the number of photos and sign an agreement with the author to ensure that there are no legal disputes in the photos.

Then the pictures will be packaged and scanned. The packaging of pictures is very important. There are three contents in the bag: first, mark the pictures for easy search and use; The second is to protect the picture and avoid damaging it; The third is to seal the picture to protect its copyright. With the rise of online photo agency companies, some photo agency companies no longer require to keep the original photos provided by photographers, but return the original photos to photographers after scanning high-resolution images, and the photographers will keep them themselves.

At present, most photo agencies have begun to use databases to manage photos. In the early days, the database was managed by photo editors, who scanned photos and put them in different directories. Now the database can be managed and retrieved according to the classification of editors, and generally has the function of keyword retrieval. The picture editor describes the picture in detail according to the picture content. A picture can be annotated with dozens, dozens or even hundreds of words. The more detailed the picture is, the more likely it is to be searched out and the more sales opportunities there will be.

At present, a certain scale of foreign photo agency companies have used POS machines to manage photo sales. It is a system based on computer and picture bar code, with barcode scanner as the basic tool and electronic equipment such as electronic cash register. Make the management of picture warehousing and sales orderly and effective.

Picture marketing

The marketing activity of photo agency is the most important part of the whole photo industry, which is carried out around photo users. The so-called marketing activity means that the photo agency authorizes users to use the photos stored in the photo agency in a certain period and area according to the agreement between the two parties. The transfer of the right to use the picture does not mean the transfer of the copyright and ownership of the picture. Therefore, the photo agency will generally sign an agreement with the user of the picture to rent the picture to the user and return it when it expires.

If "the customer is God", then the picture user is the lifeblood of the photo agency. To this end, the photo agency must provide services that satisfy the photo users in order to win the trust of the photo users. Before handing over pictures to users, photo agencies should sign a picture use agreement with users to clarify the rights and obligations of both parties. In the agreement signed by both parties, the photo agency generally has the following obligations:

(1) We must ensure that the pictures provided are legal and promise that any copyright and copyright disputes about pictures have nothing to do with the end users.

(2) The photo agency must provide relevant information about the pictures and ensure the authenticity of the information.

(3) The photo agency company shall clearly stipulate the time and area for authorizing the use of pictures.

As users of pictures, picture users should undertake the following obligations:

(1) Pay the use fee of the pictures to the photo agency.

(2) Provide the real situation of the use of pictures.

(3) Protect the security of the pictures during the lease period.

(4) Protect the copyright of pictures from infringement.

Picture users have the right to use pictures legally while assuming corresponding obligations, and any legal disputes arising from the legal use of pictures have nothing to do with users. As a picture provider, the photo agency company has the right to charge the related usage fees to the picture users. During the lease period, if the pictures are pirated or the pictures themselves are damaged or lost, they have the right to claim compensation from the users of the pictures.

The marketing activities of traditional photo agency companies generally go through the following steps:

1. Get demand information

Demand may come from various channels: a written list, a phone call, or e-mail on the Internet, which are all important links for photo agencies to establish contact with photo users. After the photo agency gets the picture demand list of the picture users, it will immediately understand each other's needs, find out the latest deadline of the demand, ask about the theme of the picture, especially where it is used, and discuss the lease period and payment method of the picture.

Step 2 Choose and arrange pictures

The picture society chooses pictures according to the requirements of picture users. After finding a picture that meets the requirements of the picture user, it is necessary to further check the clarity, exposure and expressiveness of the picture and check whether the picture is damaged. At the same time, 3-4 pictures with similar themes should be selected and provided to the picture users together. According to the requirements of picture users, the photo agency also needs to explain the selected pictures.

Protect photos

The photo society attaches great importance to the legal and physical protection of pictures, and will check them before submitting them to ensure that the copyright mark θ and the code authorized by the model, as well as the company address and contact information are marked on the edge of the pictures. If the picture needs to be mailed to the picture user, in order to prevent the picture from being damaged in the mailing process, the picture will be carefully packaged to minimize the possibility of loss.

4. Fill in the transaction records and draw up the expense list.

The photo society carefully fills in the memo, recording the user of the photo, the purpose of the photo, the use period and when it can be recovered. Fill in the memo and make a list of expenses for the picture users.

5. Pack and send pictures for users to browse.

In order to protect photographic works, the picture society carefully packages the pictures sent to the photo users. Because once damaged or lost, photo agencies and photographers will suffer huge economic losses.

Before delivering the photographic works to users, the photo agency should record the arrangement and delivery of the pictures in detail. Generally speaking, after browsing the pictures, the picture users will return the unnecessary pictures to the photo agency, leaving only the possible pictures. In most cases, the above two steps will be repeated one or more times. At this time, the picture left by the picture user is basically the picture that the picture user wants to use.

6. Sign a formal picture use agreement with the picture user.

The photo agency signed an agreement with the user of the picture to reach an agreement on the use, scope, time limit and payment method of the picture. At the same time, the rights and obligations of both the photo user and the photo agency company are clarified.

Photo agency company in the network age

Internet connects the world, making people's communication very convenient. It also provides a broader stage for the photo agency.

E-commerce refers to the realization of e-commerce activities at all stages of the whole trade process. It uses computer hardware and software equipment and network facilities to engage in business activities on electronic networks connected according to certain agreements. The application system of enterprise e-commerce is supported by hardware conditions and completed by e-commerce software. Generally speaking, it should include three parts: first, the internal business management system is a means for enterprises to integrate internal resources; Second, the service system for external users is the main platform for enterprises to seek external development, which should include enterprise introduction, product and service introduction, quotation, transaction process introduction, etc. Third, the trading system, the main content of this part is the payment system of e-commerce, including orders, online payment, order inquiry and so on.

The introduction of Internet and e-commerce is a new development opportunity for photo agencies. As a commodity, pictures have the conditions of electronization and the quality of e-commerce. The e-commerce website of the photo agency emphasizes the benign interaction between the photo agency and the copyright owner (photographer) and the end user of the picture. From the perspective of photo users, photo agencies and photographers, they can all benefit from the e-commerce of photo transactions.

From the perspective of picture users, online trading of pictures saves time and effort and greatly improves work efficiency. Once upon a time, a photo editor needed to buy or ask for a catalog from a photo agency and choose photos that met his requirements. If the picture catalogue can't meet the requirements, the picture editor will look for a needle in a haystack among the pictures in the company's inventory. After finding the picture, be sure to confirm the quality of the picture, and then sign an agreement to pay. Online trading makes it very easy to choose films. Whenever and wherever, as long as you can connect to the Internet and enter the photo website, you can choose movies from a distance. You don't need to look through the picture catalogue page by page in the film selection work, as long as you can easily get the pictures you need through theme retrieval according to your own needs. At the same time, according to the picture information provided by the photo agency, we can know whether the picture quality can meet our own requirements. Some photo agencies even provide online payment systems, allowing users to buy and download pictures directly online.

For photographers, the development of e-commerce in photo agencies can intuitively understand the management style and key points of photo libraries, the requirements for photos and the terms of contracts, so as to quickly determine the market target and make corresponding preparations according to the requirements of photo agencies. Many contracted authors of photo agency companies can upload their own pictures, so that their works can quickly enter the photo library of photo agency companies, allowing photo users to access them in a short time, which greatly increases the sales opportunities of those time-sensitive pictures. Some photo agency companies also have the function of self-management of photographers, and they can keep abreast of the picture inventory and picture sales.

From the perspective of photo agencies, developing photo e-commerce can make them more competitive. On the one hand, it saves the cost of catalogue publishing, reduces the consumption of manpower and material resources for picture packaging and storage, and reduces the risk of damage and loss of pictures in the process of mailing and transportation; On the other hand, long-distance transmission has broken through geographical barriers, and the place and time of transactions are not limited. At present, all countries encourage the development of e-commerce, and the network has no borders, so there are no trade barriers. In international trade, some countries and regions implement preferential policies such as tax exemption for non-physical transactions conducted through the Internet. Some start-up photo companies can also compete with big photo agencies in relatively equal by building their own online photo libraries, because what people pay attention to on the Internet is not the scale and history of enterprises, but the product and price information. At the same time, photo agency companies can collect users' demand information through electronic bulletin boards, online discussions, e-mails, etc., so that the marketing strategy of the photo library is targeted, thus meeting the needs of photo users to a greater extent and gaining a broader development space.

The e-commerce website system of photo agency companies can generally be divided into the following parts:

Browsing system is a window for the company to display its image, including company profile, latest information, classified browsing of pictures, copyright statement, etc.

The retrieval system is a picture search engine built by the website, which makes a three-dimensional query according to multiple clues such as subject words, shooting location and picture content. For pictures that tourists show great interest in, provide more detailed information such as shooting time, location, related rights and interests, maximum resolution of pictures, use history, prices corresponding to different resolutions, approximate pictures and so on.

Registration management system, that is, online registration of photographers and photo users.

Payment download trading system, including price inquiry, order filling, online payment selection, picture downloading, etc.

The information exchange system emphasizes the timely release of the demand information of picture users and the shooting information of photographers, and promotes the information exchange and communication between the picture supply and demand sides. At present, there are thousands of photo agencies in the world, the two largest of which are Corbis photo library (www.corbis.com) invested by Bill Gates and Getty lmages photo library (www.getty-images.com) controlled by European Getty Consortium. Now, almost all photo agency companies have established their own websites and sold their own pictures all over the world through the websites.

Some photo agencies on the Internet in China are established by traditional commercial photo agencies, such as Beijing Wonderful Photo Agency (www.viewstock.com). Some are established by using the resources of traditional communication organizations, such as China News Photo Network (www.cnsphoto.com) founded by China News Service; Some originated from traditional media, such as Zhongqing Online Photo Network (www.photo.cyol.com) founded by China Youth Daily; There are also some emerging online photo agencies, such as China Photo Network (www.colphoto.com).

Because the photo agency is a resource-based industry, the photo agency company needs to cooperate with photographers to obtain works. With the advantages of e-commerce, these online photo agencies can establish business contacts with many photo users at home and abroad. The integration of the world provides a broad living space for photographers, and good cooperation with these online photo agencies will provide a broader market opportunity for photographers' works.