A Monkey's Revenge - My Blog

Jul 29, 2014

National Twits

It particularly annoys me that the National Trust are at it again, sending threatening letters out to stock agencies wherever they see photos for sale with their properties featured.I took mine off several years ago, cancelled my two NT subscriptions and make a point of not buying anything from them or visiting any of their properties. So NO NTcards,merchandise, etc.

My sister works for the NT-but not in their picture library. It's a short-sighted policy to have a go at photographers who try to make a few quid flogging stock pics of NT properties. They will have lost a fair bit of revenue and pissed off people like myself who used to basically fund my membership and frequent visits with the pics I was able to sell.

Their own stock library could have benefited from this if they had been more enlightened and asked for a cut of any profits made from photo sales elsewhere.
As it is they have pissed off most professional photographers, created a bad atmosphere and lost revenue. Stupidity at it's finest. Welcome to Britain's heritage....but don't try selling any photos or any kind of commercial use of images shot on their property! I will not even use one of my photos here from past visits or jobs shot on NT properties for national newspapers like The Guardian and The Telegraph-in case they decide to get legal on me. In effect they got LOTS of free publicity and extra visitors as a result of my efforts, and those of other professional editorial photographers.Their loss- and also the nation's.Sad that nobody in charge at the NT can see what has occurred and talk to people like me to make changes that would benefit everybody. As guardians of our heritage they leave an awful lot to be desired!