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Red Cover Picture Library
Lee
I live in a spectacular part of Anglesey. Overlooking the Menai Straits I have the perfect landscape with views that go from Caernarfon to Bangor with the Snowdonia Ranges as a backdrop.
Winter and Summer, no other place on earth could give such inspiration for a La...
Stu
Hi I'm an amateur photographer based on the Wirral in North West England. Now 100% digital I enjoy the freedom that digital capture offers.
Many thanks for taking the time to look in.
Stu
Posted: 3 Jul 2008 - 16:08
I have never heard of this library before but generally if a business goes belly up there's a long list of creditors that will be looking for a share of any moneys that can be recovered from the spoils with the tax man firmly at the top of the list and unfortunately smaller stakeholders and customers are sadly normally bottom of the list. So i would say to anyone affected the situation may not be ideal but it could have been worse
Lee
I live in a spectacular part of Anglesey. Overlooking the Menai Straits I have the perfect landscape with views that go from Caernarfon to Bangor with the Snowdonia Ranges as a backdrop.
Winter and Summer, no other place on earth could give such inspiration for a La...
Posted: 3 Jul 2008 - 16:21
I was actually wondering where the money went though.
Image bought - Image paid for (or indeed could this have been a problem ??) - Money into Client Holding Account.
That money didnt belong to the business, it belonged to the submitting photographer, it shouldnt have been touched to do anything else with surely ??
Thats what Im wondering, did they NOT have a "Client Holding Account" or did it just all go into the "Pot" and got used whenever and for whatever.
Not sure how they can "Trade" out of this one now as Im betting some photographers have lost a fair bit of faith.
Image bought - Image paid for (or indeed could this have been a problem ??) - Money into Client Holding Account.
That money didnt belong to the business, it belonged to the submitting photographer, it shouldnt have been touched to do anything else with surely ??
Thats what Im wondering, did they NOT have a "Client Holding Account" or did it just all go into the "Pot" and got used whenever and for whatever.
Not sure how they can "Trade" out of this one now as Im betting some photographers have lost a fair bit of faith.
Posted: 3 Jul 2008 - 17:51
Hi there,
As far as I know (I am a contributor) the money was hidden frorm us. It didn't appear on our sales statements even though the sales date back years.
In a letter from the owner she says she needed the money to put back in to the business, but it seems from the state of the companies accounts and it's turnover, it's never made enough money to keep it's self going, and she used our money to keep her head above water. The biggest insult is the fact that many photographers thought their images were not selling, and were told by the owner it was because the images were not right. The reality is they were selling, she was just not paying us for the sales!
Sadly it's an awful situation for all photographers and writers involved!
As far as I know (I am a contributor) the money was hidden frorm us. It didn't appear on our sales statements even though the sales date back years.
In a letter from the owner she says she needed the money to put back in to the business, but it seems from the state of the companies accounts and it's turnover, it's never made enough money to keep it's self going, and she used our money to keep her head above water. The biggest insult is the fact that many photographers thought their images were not selling, and were told by the owner it was because the images were not right. The reality is they were selling, she was just not paying us for the sales!
Sadly it's an awful situation for all photographers and writers involved!
Lee
I live in a spectacular part of Anglesey. Overlooking the Menai Straits I have the perfect landscape with views that go from Caernarfon to Bangor with the Snowdonia Ranges as a backdrop.
Winter and Summer, no other place on earth could give such inspiration for a La...
Posted: 3 Jul 2008 - 18:09
OMG.
That is so terrible for you and just plain disgusting. One thing Ive never liked about alot of agencies is the lack of transparancy and secrecy.
Ok, so I know why they do it (because they dont want the photographers selling direct) but at the end of the day Photographers are "Clients" as well. End of.
This happening is proving my theory more and more correct and Im positive that my ideas and business ethos are the way to go.
There is a way photographers and agencies can work together but from what I can see a lot of agencies dont care about the photographer and a lot of stuff is hidden. Not a way to take a business forward. Or really a morale one.
This is sad, because all I can see now is that this Agency has lost the trust its submitters had, Photographers will pull images, business wont work at all, so its a lose - lose situation.
Im just reading a book about a company that was losing money hand over fist, it talked to its clients, talked to its workers, talked to everybody. didnt hide a thing (NOT ONE THING, no matter how dumb, stupid, silly it looked) and guess what, they pulled together, made changes, got it working and its now a multi million dollar company.
EVERYONE happy, End of.
I wish you well and I hope this turns out well for all the photographers concerned.
That is so terrible for you and just plain disgusting. One thing Ive never liked about alot of agencies is the lack of transparancy and secrecy.
Ok, so I know why they do it (because they dont want the photographers selling direct) but at the end of the day Photographers are "Clients" as well. End of.
This happening is proving my theory more and more correct and Im positive that my ideas and business ethos are the way to go.
There is a way photographers and agencies can work together but from what I can see a lot of agencies dont care about the photographer and a lot of stuff is hidden. Not a way to take a business forward. Or really a morale one.
This is sad, because all I can see now is that this Agency has lost the trust its submitters had, Photographers will pull images, business wont work at all, so its a lose - lose situation.
Im just reading a book about a company that was losing money hand over fist, it talked to its clients, talked to its workers, talked to everybody. didnt hide a thing (NOT ONE THING, no matter how dumb, stupid, silly it looked) and guess what, they pulled together, made changes, got it working and its now a multi million dollar company.
EVERYONE happy, End of.
I wish you well and I hope this turns out well for all the photographers concerned.
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Posted: 12:50pm, 5th Dec, 2008
Lee
I live in a spectacular part of Anglesey. Overlooking the Menai Straits I have the perfect landscape with views that go from Caernarfon to Bangor with the Snowdonia Ranges as a backdrop.
Winter and Summer, no other place on earth could give such inspiration for a La...
Posted: 3 Jul 2008 - 18:38
Just did a bit of research, from what I can see, the business wasnt a Ltd company either, so I suppose the financial records where not available to anyone until recently. So a Photographer had no way of seeing accounts or Agm meetings etc and didnt find out until too late.
Posted: 4 Jul 2008 - 11:06
Too late indeed! The only reason we found out was because a staff member told a photographer and they told the rest of us. I fear had the information not been leaked from the company we never would have known. It had been going on for years so she clearly had no intention of paying us had we not found out.
I think a lot of us will be put off ever working with a library again after this. The trust has gone which is a shame.
I think a lot of us will be put off ever working with a library again after this. The trust has gone which is a shame.
Lee
I live in a spectacular part of Anglesey. Overlooking the Menai Straits I have the perfect landscape with views that go from Caernarfon to Bangor with the Snowdonia Ranges as a backdrop.
Winter and Summer, no other place on earth could give such inspiration for a La...
Posted: 4 Jul 2008 - 17:29
Quote:
The only reason we found out was because a staff member told a photographer and they told the rest of us. I fear had the information not been leaked from the company we never would have known.
The only reason we found out was because a staff member told a photographer and they told the rest of us. I fear had the information not been leaked from the company we never would have known.
Thats really bad. How on earth do people possibly think they can treat others so badly and think they can get away with it. What goes around comes around but thats no help, or consolation to you I know and Im really sorry for you.
Good luck with everything.
Posted: 7 Jul 2008 - 12:49
Thank you...I think we will need it.
I have now received a repayment offer. 50% of the money owed to me over 4 years! Some what of a joke I think you will agree!
I have now received a repayment offer. 50% of the money owed to me over 4 years! Some what of a joke I think you will agree!
Suzanne Bosworth
Am a freelance writer, researcher and photographer, currently based in Scotland. Have a Canon EOS 300D and favourite lens is the 50mm f/1.8 - it's fab, particularly for candids. I prefer to experiment and push my boundaries so my portfolio is varied and has no overall t...
Posted: 7 Jul 2008 - 19:35
Pfffft .. and even then you can't guarantee you're being paid for all the pics she sold - are her records even correct.
Posted: 8 Jul 2008 - 09:43
Quote:
Pfffft .. and even then you can't guarantee you're being paid for all the pics she sold - are her records even correct.
Pfffft .. and even then you can't guarantee you're being paid for all the pics she sold - are her records even correct.
That's another thing. We asked for an independent audit that was refused. Sally then appointed her own company to do the audit, and in the letter from this company detailing the repayment offer, it states they have had no access to Red Cover's books, and all figures were provided by Red Cover. So you are right....we have no idea if the amount she says she owes us is actually true!
mark
Based in the NW, I'm a designer by trade, I've had a passing interest in photography for quite a few years. I've been interested in it in a more serious fashion since 2003
Thanks to Dougie and Angie for the PF pic!
Dave Hudspeth
Pro photographer living on Teesside (someone has to). Been using digital now since Easter 2003, and having taken some 100,000 images .... I love it.
I also teach photography and have done for over 12 years and I'm the Chief Examiner for a national awarding body's p...
Posted: 8 Jul 2008 - 17:41
Quote:
The reality is they were selling, she was just not paying us for the sales
The reality is they were selling, she was just not paying us for the sales
Is that not Fraud ...
DTL
Ian Homewood
I've learned so much from this site over the past couple of years I'm now seriously disappointed in some of my shots with which I would have been over the moon a while back. I suppose that's progress. :0)
Ian
kit list
Nikon D200, Nikkor 18-2000VR, Nikkor 60mm ...
Posted: 8 Jul 2008 - 19:06
It sounds like the money taken was being used to expand the business instead of to pay the photographers what they were owed. In my eyes that is fraud.
I suppose that is one of the good things about PhotoDimension, because our photographers sign a certificate each time a print sells they have direct information about what sales have been made.
Ian
I suppose that is one of the good things about PhotoDimension, because our photographers sign a certificate each time a print sells they have direct information about what sales have been made.
Ian
Posted: 14 Jul 2008 - 16:16
Markysnaps please do not be disheartened with stock libraries. I contribute to a well established London based Interiors & Home Interest library and have been treated excellently.
All activity appears transparent and payments are made regularly. In fact, I have often asked for payments between schedules and this is never a problem.
As the industry has embraced digitisation, so has this library and they do everything to help its contributors in this uncertain time.
My advice to you would be to move your images elsewhere. There are honest and profitable image libraries out there.
Good luck.
All activity appears transparent and payments are made regularly. In fact, I have often asked for payments between schedules and this is never a problem.
As the industry has embraced digitisation, so has this library and they do everything to help its contributors in this uncertain time.
My advice to you would be to move your images elsewhere. There are honest and profitable image libraries out there.
Good luck.
Submitting Photographers are being told that they cant/wont get their money for another 2 years.
1. I hope not too many people on Epz are affected and
2. How can this happen (well I know it can and does obviously) but what happend to the "Client Holding Accounts"
Surely if money goes into this account that belongs to the photographer, no one else (incl I think the Inland Revenue as it is taxed after it goes to the submitter) can/should be able to touch this money, even the administrators if it was to go this far.
Hopefully the new invester will come up trumps with the dosh, but didnt they get their systems in place first ??
Its a nice website (one of the reasons they said for the financial problems, over investment, over expansion etc) but was it worth the risk of losing a business over.
Just thoughts and ramblings and good luck to any submitters on here.
Lee