Now I’m a published photographer
Schmap have published a photo of mine as part of their New York guide.
It’s interesting. I don’t know who Schmap are, but they seem to search Flickr for the pictures they want and ask permission to use them. I’m not getting paid for this, but the photo is credited, which is cool. I just wish they’d used either this picture of the Queensboro Bridge or this generic New York one, both of which I prefer to my Grand Central Terminal shot.
I’m happy as an amateur photographer that one of pictures has been publisher. Schmap is happy as they have the picture they need. The only people that are unhappy, it strikes me, are professional photographers and photo libraries who would normally have expected to provide this kind of picture to a guide.
Amateurs have been taking great pictures with good cameras for nearly two centuries, so it is the internet and sites like Flickr creating an incidental showcase that enables this new approach. Quite remarkable commercial evolution.
