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What about it?

Common Cents is an unapologetic, opinionated, and often sarcastic advocate for independent photographers. It will educate, agitate and inform.

"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" is a list of publications and other clients and their specific dealings with photographers. (A tip of the cap to retired Newsday shooter Dick Kraus for the TGTB&TU name. Also to Paula Lerner who has been using it in her Business Issues lectures.)

Please let me know of any particularly good, bad or ugly dealings that you have had with clients. I will use the client's name, but I won't use your name if you don't want me to. Anonymous submissions will not be considered. Please include contact information for yourself and for the client.

Connections

ASJA Contracts Watch

Editorial Photographers Outreach Program

Editorial Photographers Web site

Editorial Photographers Yahoo! Group (archives)

Freelance Photographers for the New York Times Yahoo! Group

NPPA Freelancer's Toolkit

NPPA's Official Statement on Freelancers' rights

Sean Cayton's Resource List

Portions of Common Cents were originally written for News Photographer Magazine.

Mark Loundy is a media producer and consultant based in San Jose, California. Full bio.

October 2015
Getty's in a Catch-22

2015
January-February
Deckchairs 2.0
April
Don't Cry For Getty Images
July-August
No empathy
October
Getty's in a Catch-22

May
"Master of my fate..."
March
SI Staff RIP
June
"Youer than you."
September
Leftovers
2014
January-February
"I'll have what she's having"
April
Self Preservation
July-August
Iterate
October
Glamour

May
Time
November
"I give up."
March
Telling our story
June
Who's the sucker?
September
"Value" require graphics
December
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)
2013
January-February
"Aye, there's the rub."
April
Convergence
July-August
Changin' Times
October
Don't be "a" tool

May
Orphan Works
November
When in doubt, punt
March
Rolled Over
June
Playing Chicken
September
"Eyeballs" require graphics
December
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)
2012
January-February
The Curve
April
Afterthought
July-August
So Easy
October
Indemnity

May
Verrry Pinteresting
November
Freelance Fantasy
March
A decade already?
June
De-staffed
September
"May I have some more?"
December
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)
2011
January
The Big Sleep
April
blowback
October
Not-So-Great Expectations
February
Value Match
May
Rule of 3
August
Online Bill of Rights
November
New Depths
March
100th
June-July
ticktocktick
September
Focus On Business
December
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)
2010
January
Welcome Back
April
Don't Become Extinct
July
Playing the Odds
October
It's the Glamour
February
The Good Old Days
Are So Over!
May
Craftsmanship
August
Disappointment
November
Human Nature
March
Don't Get Picked Off
June
Change
September
"Journalism's not dead, Jim"
December
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)
2009
January
Freeee
April
"Webulicious"
July
Fear
October
Nobody
February
"Content"
May
The "Cheap" Trick
August
The Law
November
Cleaning Up
March
Warm Puppies vs. Success
June
Hitting the Streets
September
Leftovers
December
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)
2008
January 2008
For Rent
April
Your Right$ Their Right$
July
Someone to watch over you (not!)
October
Nuts and Bolts
February
On The Block
May
The Perfect Storm
August
Our Side
November
"Greenberged"
March
Getty: SOLD
June
Photo Credit
September
Neighbor to Neighbor
December
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)
2007
January
"Resolutions"
April
Breaking Up?
July
It looks so easy,
it must be cheap!
October
Angry Bees
February
Warm and Cozy
May
Good Guys... Bad Contract
August
Momentum
November
Dodoesque?
March
The Fifth Column
June
Don't Do it Yourslef
September
Stick Together
December
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)
2006
January
Friends and Enemies
April
No Column
July
Stock Answers
October
"Micro Stock"
February
Pay Yourself
May
The trend is not your friend
August
Getting The Milk For Free
November
"Flexibility"
March
Speculating
June
The Clock Is Ticking
September
"The Sky Is Falling!"
December
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)
2005
January
Carrying a Torch
April
Meaning what they say
July
From the Loundy Files
October
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)
February
"You've gotta be nuts"
May
One year later
August
S.I.D.: Friend or Foe?
November
It's about the money (duh!)
March
Lowball
June
Even more one year later
September
Crunching the Numbers
December
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)
2004
January
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)
April
Mean Old Gray Lady
July
Specializing
October
Give a man a fish...
February
Deckchair Rearrangement
May
Then they came for me...
August
Fear of Digital
November
Change
March
Educating the wrong people
June
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
September
Potpourri
December
No column (Special Issue of
News Photographer Magazine)

2003
January
Caveat Emptor?
April
Wolves In Sheep's Clothing
July
They Walk The Line
October
Wal*Martization
February
Manhattan Project
May
How Much Is Enough?
August
"The Greeders"
November
A losing attitude
March
We Get Letters...
June
We Have Met The Enemy...
September
Romance and Double Duty
December
"II-B OR NOT II-B?"
2002
January
No Column
April
Taking Care of CDBusiness
July
Tough Choices
October
Collecting Is Not A Hobby
February
No Column
May
"The Loundy Doctrine"
August
To Market, To Market
November
Indecent Exposure
March
A New York (Times) State of Mind
June
Freelancer On The Lam
September
It Never Hurts to Ask
December
Giving Thanks