Estan Cabigas

First photo story that I've uploaded at Demotix.com. Click on image to go to the site.

Yesterday, I uploaded my first photo story, The Rags of Bagong Barrio at Demotix.com and this morning, I received an email notification that one of the images made it into the Demotix widget. So what?

Demotix.com’s website says:

…is a citizen-journalism website and photo agency. It takes user-generated content (UGC) and photographs from freelance journalists and amateurs, and markets them to the mainstream media.

Citizen Journalism has been the buzz word in recent years as some major news events were covered by people who, not necessarily professional journalists, were at the right time and at the right place. With the right tools, were able to send images, videos and accounts of an unfolding event. Just check CNN’s I-Report and you see citizen journalism in action. On the other hand, major news publications and media in general get their international news content from the wire agencies. As Demotix noted, don’t have a single staffer in 40 per cent of the world’s countries.

The beauty of Demotix.com is that it provides a platform not only for citizen journalists but, and most important of all, to us freelance photojournalists, who most of the time find it difficult to put out work into mainstream media. Our photo stories and images can now have an opportunity to be marketed and licensed to the growing media buyers comprised of major news publications and broadcasters. What’s more, the photojournalist still keeps the copyright, sales are split 50/50, fees are in the professional range (as against microstock) and payments are simple. In my case, I opted to be paid via paypal. Not bad for an agency that only started late last year.

One of my images made it to the Demotix widget. Click photo for larger image.

And what about the Demotix widget? It is an application that showcases the best photos that has just been recently uploaded to provide up-to-date, groundbreaking imagery. Subscribers, usually big media organizations, can show it in their websites as additional online content. It’s also a good opportunity for the photographer to gain exposure of his work.

As one of my images made it into the widget, I already earned £12.50 for it. What a good way to start!

Also view the slideshow of this photo story in this blog.

Tags: website