Badger photos needed

[Words]

I've been asked if I have any contacts for photos of badgers (I don't have any of my own shots). It's for what will be the authoritative/definitive academic book on badgers. Publication due in 2010.

As with all such projects, there generally won't be a fee (academic publishing is weird... high prices, low print runs), but I would assume a copy of the book will be no problem. No specific type of shot, but a wide variety of interesting behavioural images certainly. Everything from wild terrain to garden shots, feeding etc. Good quality images will be needed.

If you are interested in more info, please PM me.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Sounds like a bargin to me - photos for a good book. Are captive photos ok?

[Words]

I would imagine so, but I've not asked that. The main purpose is to illustrate behaviour, habitat etc.

[Wild-Woman]

Sounds like a good project underway. Sadly, the only badgers I come across fairly regularly are road-side casualties that didn't make it.
I'm sure badger/mammal groups around the country will be interested.

[Badger Watching Man]

Sounds like a very good deal. Unfortunately I don't think any of my pictures will be good enough quality for publishing.

I'd be interested in getting the book though. Do you have any more details about it?

[Tobyh]

I potentially have some decent ones, just need to sort out the "zombie" eye problem I get from the flash (need to arrange off camera flash setup) - example



I'm lucky enough to have them visit the garden most nights so I'll bear this thread in mind.

TobyH

[paulthomas]

Sounds like another go at ripping off naive amateurs. You give your time and photographs for free, you buy the gear and sit out night after night either getting frozen on cold nights or bitten to death by midges on the milder ones. Then you give them your photos and they make the money. That's know as a rip-off. If you have a picture which is worth money to them then it's worth money to you. Surely only a fool would give money away to a commercial enterprise?

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by paulthomas

Sounds like another go at ripping off naive amateurs. You give your time and photographs for free, you buy the gear and sit out night after night either getting frozen on cold nights or bitten to death by midges on the milder ones. Then you give them your photos and they make the money. That's know as a rip-off. If you have a picture which is worth money to them then it's worth money to you. Surely only a fool would give money away to a commercial enterprise?

I think that many that do this sitting up to take photos would do it for nothing, in fact most do. There is no great money made in academic publishing, if the book has a number of pics the cost can over-run the income from the book. A photo for a copy of the book seems reasonable.

[Words]

Originally Posted by paulthomas

Sounds like another go at ripping off naive amateurs. You give your time and photographs for free, you buy the gear and sit out night after night either getting frozen on cold nights or bitten to death by midges on the milder ones. Then you give them your photos and they make the money. That's know as a rip-off. If you have a picture which is worth money to them then it's worth money to you. Surely only a fool would give money away to a commercial enterprise?

Paul, I would agree in some areas of publishing, but academic publishing is weird. The books are horribly expensive, and the authors tend not to earn much from them either (ok, Stephen Hawkings is an exception). No-one has to contribute, professionals who provide cover images etc no doubt do charge and get paid if that's what's needed, but in the main photos are taken from existing library stock, taken by the author or research team, or collected via enthusiasts. Very few professionals would go near the work for a 1/6 of page b/w repro of a shot. It doesn't make sense on any side because the budgets wouldn't cover the time needed to select the photo and invoice it.

This isn't a coffee table book on badgers, or a wildlife photo book. Nearest thing is that I can think of would be Ernest Neal's classic on the subject.

Anyway, anyone interested should PM me.

[witham]

We have a Badger visit us most nights in a part of our land which we keep 'rough', we have quite a few pics its Badger trails, nose holes, latrines etc but so far the actual beastie has evaded us, but if these are any good as a sign of their behaviour I can sort some out