Is This a SCAM

[Chief]

I have a company wanting to put one of my pictures in a book ?
I need to know if they are legitimate and I'm also curious how they got my picture ?
here's their web site
[url]http://www.photolaureates.org/

Gordon

[sldi]

I got an error when I tried the link, but I am on a crappy connection up here in VA today. Did they want any money? Do you retain rights to the photo? those are some questions to ask. If they want money and retain all rights to the photo, then run for the hills.

[kenw]

not a true scam in the technical sense, but a "vanity press" thing sort of scam.

They publish, and you get to buy a copy (or 10 or 20). Basically anyone who pays the $$ for a book gets their pic published. I have a friend who fell for this years ago, I never had the heart to explain it to him. It should have been obvious by the lack of overall quality of the pics (his were fairly good, but not great; some of the other "winners" were truly awful).

No one "in the business" looks at these books to find the next Ansel Adams, in spite of what they claim.

[Ahh!]

Interesting to google them up...

http://www.andhranews.net/intl/2006/...s-Released.asp

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...ssage=27962319

[Chief]

Thanks Ken

Thats What I expected to hear.
Now how can they use my picture if I never entered their contest ??? I did notice viewed this picture on my smugmug site and left a nice comment about it. I thought that was odd !!!! Since the picture is nearly 4 years old.

I'm not gonna worry about it much.

[PhotosbyHollyWood]

it appears to be just like picture.com


same thing... ALMOST every gets selected... they MAIL you to death about the book and to buy it.. buy it now get a % off

then they email and mail you to death for an award ceremony, and pay X amount to have your photo displayed in the gallery...


legitimate.. kinda sorta.. but more of a way to PRY money out of peoples hand!!!

[123canon]

they "accepted" one of my photos one time then tried to sell me the book, imagine that! i thought about submitting a really nice portrait of a ducks butt to see if it would make it also...

[Duffy Pratt]

Yup, it's just like a bunch of the "Who's who" publications. If you are willing to shell out for the book, then you are important enough to be included.

[PhotosbyHollyWood]

hahah SAD to say I have 2 images in one of the books.... I just never bought the book!!!

however I am curious to see the book and see if my photos are in it.. of course this was 5 years ago or so!!!