We prefer to receive submissions shot on professional digital cameras
with a minimum 10mp sensor. If you have a ‘back catalogue’ of transparencies
available exclusively, please call to discuss in the first instance. Submission
guidelines
If You Decide to Represent My Work, Must
I Sign a Contract?
Yes. A contract benefits and protects both parties by clearly describing
our respective obligations and responsibilities. If we accept your images
for our collection, you will be sent a contract to review. Our minimum
contract length is five years. Under the terms of our contract, RHPL
represents your images and negotiates the licensing of reproduction
rights to them. Except in very rare instances (and then only with your
permission), we never sell all rights to an image, nor do we sell the
physical photograph itself.
Does RHPL’s Representation Contract
Require Exclusivity?
Our contract calls for exclusivity only in representing the images you
choose to submit and which we subsequently accept. In other words, we
represent our photographic images, not the photographers themselves.
If you are accepted at RHPL, you may still establish or maintain relationships
with other picture agencies provided that you don’t submit images to them
that are duplicates or similar to those RHPL has accepted. Complete details
will be provided to you if we offer you a contract.
What Percentage of Sales do Contributing Photographers
Receive and How Often are They Paid ?
Our standard commission is 40% of the net revenue received. Contributors
are paid quarterly (approximately every 90 days), and sales payment
cheques come with a computer printout detailing each sale made.
If you are VAT registered, we'll send monthly sales statements, but
you must send us an invoice for our records before we can issue
a cheque.
If I Become a Contributor, When Can I Expect
to Start Seeing Sales?
Anyone with experience in the highly-competitive stock industry will tell you that it takes a minimum of one to two years after signing with an agency before you can expect to see significant results and regular income. Here’s why:
First, you’ll need to build up a significant file of top-quality images
with our agency. Stock photography is a numbers game: the
more images you have accepted the greater the chances of those images
being seen and bought. Second, once your images are received, it takes
time for customers such as publishers to select and purchase; only shots
relevant to someone’s need will sell. It won't happen overnight, but we believe
that any skilled photographer who studies and responds to the needs of
the marketplace has a good chance of success.
How long will it take RH to edit my submissions?
This varies depending on our workload, but our goal is
to edit and return contributors' work in two to four weeks.
Is RHPL a member of any Professional Organisations?
RHPL is a founding member of the British Association of Picture Libraries
and Agencies (BAPLA) BAPLA and
library founder Robert Harding is a former Chairman of the organization.
RHPL is also a member of the Picture Agency Council of America PACA Robert
Harding is also a member of the American Society of Picture Professionals
(ASPP). Membership in these organizations indicates an agency’s dedication
to upholding the highest standards of stock industry business practices, ethics
and knowledge.
