[Lone Buggin]

I wasn't sure where to put this, but if it's in the wrong spot, please feel free to move it.

Has anybody heard of www.onrequestimages.com? Client calls this agency with an advertising campaign; say they need 7 ads for Oil of Olay. The On Request Stock responds with a quote that is based on stock licensing fees with no expenses, no assignment fees, no shooting fees, no creative fees, just a stock licensing fee comparable to what a Getty or Corbis or other agency would charge. They get the go ahead, they assign the shoot to 5 photographers.

These 5 photographers have 48 to 72 hours to go out and cast, get the props, get the wardrobe, built the sets, get the backgrounds, do whatever they need to get the shoot together; 48 to 72 hours to deliver digital images to the light box at On Request. Those images are then edited and provided to the client. The client can then select from those images the images that they need.

Out of the 5 photographers only the photographer whose images are chosen will get a license fee and they only get 50%. On Request keeps the balance and pays no expenses. It's unlike any other business model. There are bad business models out there, but this makes every other agency on the planet look angelic. I mean, now you've got 4 photographers who went out and shot the job over a 72 hour period, delivered it, have all the expenses; they don't get a dime, no expenses, no fee, nothing.

Now On Request has a 5 year exclusive on all their images though, so On Request then takes those images and forwards them to all their partners out there, all the other stock agencies that they have contracts with. These stock agencies then put the images out for licensing and whatever they license they pay On Request a percentage, probably 50% and then On Request forwards 50% of that 50% to you. So you are getting 25% of whatever it's being licensed for and you've got no expenses back.

[Gary Bagshawe]

I don't think that I will be registering or offering my services, but each to their own.

[Lone Buggin]

I would hope that everyone has enough common sense to avoide something like that, but as a business, they seem to be doing very well for themselves.