From time to time I’ll receive an email asking if one of my photographs can be used in a magazine, newspaper or on a website. I love seeing my work published, so whenever it’s possible I’ll negotiate mutually acceptable licensing conditions, including a suitable fee, and both parties end up satisfied. But there are also occasions when people contact me with a view to obtaining work for free.

It seems that some people see nothing wrong in asking for photographs without giving anything in return. “We don’t have any budget for photographs,” is an excuse that I’ve heard more times than I can remember. “We can credit your name on the photograph,” they sometimes say. “It will be good for your portfolio,” I sometimes hear. I’m never convinced by these arguments and inevitably decline the request. Newcomers, however, sometimes feel flattered by such approaches and hope that the request will offer the chance of a big break. Be warned, that’s hardly ever the case. People willing to give away their images skew market conditions and encourage freeloading.

Producing profession quality travel photography is an expensive and time consuming business. I need to earn money when the photos are published, otherwise I can’t sustain myself. Lugging thousands of pounds of equipment around foreign streets is just part of the story. Insurances, software and computer hardware all add to the costs of creating the images; beyond the usual travel expenses. Fees for photographs enable me to continue producing high quality work.

I sometimes wonder to what extent the internet is responsible for freeloaders disregarding copyright and the intellectual property rights of photographers and writers. Their behaviour is not caused by the internet, but contacting people is certainly made easier.

Surely it is not outmoded to think that fees should be paid when photos are published?