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23/06/2008: "LOST OPPORTUNITY...... almost an ideal advertising shot"
Top picture shows three subjects. Diver on a then rare whale shark (this was 40 years ago). Subject three is the most popular underwater 35mm still camera in diver's hands.
Lower picture shows my friend above the whale shark.
Look carefully at the top picture in the top right hand corner, the same diver's arm barely shows in the frame, If only the entire diver could be seen it would have made a special advertising picture for the camera company.
How much is a good picture worth? For advertising purposes - unlimited use for say three years should earn about AUD $10,000 - depending upon the budget of the client of course. After three years all rights could revert back to the copyright owner of the picture.
Whoever clicks the shutter is the copyright owner, regardless of who owns the camera/film.
Surf companies are paying around $10,000 for a special action picture which they then like to own all copyright - if the owns agrees and signs away such copyright.
This isn't a problem with surfing 'snappers' with a motor drive as there will be heaps of similar frames.
Magazines with a small circulation (under say 25,000 paid sales) are obviously on a different budget to international surfing companies. A few hundred for a cover shot at best as they are doing us a favor.
The last word. A wide-angle 20mm or 15mm lens would have captured and framed all the diver in the top picture over the shark - at the expense of creating a smaller-looking shark.
