A while back, Fifi and Mark styled and photographed my home. The pictures were in Romantic Country and Country Sampler Home Tours. When you sign a release, you have no ownership of the pictures and it is a good thing for the photography team to be able to market them and use them as much as possible. It's also flattering when the pictures are popular and resold.
But…. it is nice to know when they are going to be published. I know, I know, I know, that once the team leaves my home, I am out of the loop. That is just how it is. They are on to the next venue and not looking back. That is the industry.
I've done dozens of articles, sometimes as writer or stylist, this time just as the home owner.In the past, I've seen a picture of my bedroom from one article show up years later in another article featuring 5 or 6 different bedrooms. Same thing with my bathroom, or other pictures here and there.
It was always a sweet,little surprise.
But I've never had a whole entire article published in a magazine without knowing about it before. This was a huge surprise.
A friend mentioned to me on FB that she had enjoyed seeing the article. I was flummoxed. What article?
Now, I'm not saying that I'm pissed or that anybody did anything wrong, because no one did. This is just how the publishing industry works.
BUT… it would have been nice to get a heads up.
When you open your home to a photo shoot, it can be a TON of work to get ready. And when I spend time on getting my home ready, I neglect the rest of my work. So, it not only doesn't pay, it takes away from time I could be working and earning some moola.
I think of it as a lark, though, and do enjoy the experience. And I adore my home, it is special to me. So, it is a delight to see it in print.
That is why, it would be nice to know if and when it is printed. Seeing the house in print is the only perk you get from all the prep and hard work, and from the chaos and mess of the day. After photos are taken, the house looks like it has been through hell and back, from all of the moving, shifting, and redoing that happens all day long.
From looking at the article, I'd say that the writer took a glance at one of the other articles the pictures had been used in. And what they didn't get from that, they just made up. Like saying the ceiling was plaster, not pressed tin. Or saying that I recovered a sofa with worn upholstery. Nope, the sofa was in great shape, I just covered pillows in vintage fabric to change it.
Not that these details really matter at all to anyone, nothing earth shattering or rude or unpleasant.
Just incorrect.
Because no one asked me. They just wrote what they wanted to.
Although, if I really had a piece of Chinese pottery, I'd be hiding it in the back of the closet, because I really dislike that stuff.
And while my son did build my cabinets, they are far from plain, I added ornate embellishments to all of the cabinet doors.
It was very kind of Daphne to compliment me on my painting, but the piece of furniture that she added to the page was not anything I own, painted, or have ever seen before.
And I didn't exactly horde a special roll of wallpaper for years, I am an avid (obsessed) vintage wallpaper collector and can open a cabinet in the studio to pick up a roll anytime I need one.
So, attributing the statement that I held onto it, knowing it would come in handy someday, is pure fabrication.
As is saying "that Karla had so much fun doing it."
Not that it wasn't fun to redo the old farm house. Well, some of it was fun, I guess. But I didn't tell her that it was so much fun. She made that up.
Maybe some of the meaning was lost in translation. It is a magazine from the Netherlands. And it is a very, very pretty issue. It is an honor to be a part of it.
So to recap, here is what I'm trying to say:
- I'm honored, it is a lovely article
- I wish I'd known about it
- I wish someone had interviewed me
- No one did anything wrong, or violated copyrights, I'm not angry, and hopefully I don't sound bitchy about it
- Thanks to Diane for letting me know I was in this, or I might never have seen it
- I hate Chinese pottery and do not use it along with jugs when entertaining
- I didn't paint that green piece of furniture
ps- If you're interested in seeing a few of the other publications I've been in, I have some listed here. I recently updated it, this page had been neglected for quite a while.
Personally, I think you have every right to be upset and I think you should contact the editor of the magazine. I’ve seen the magazine and it is a very pretty magazine, but if she is doing this to you, she is doing it to others and eventually she is going to get sued by someone. If she is lifting photos from other publications and making up the article and then publishing it without ever contacting you she is wrong.
No, honestly it is NOT wrong, this is the way the industry works. The photos and story were bought and paid for by the magazine to the stylist and the photographer and they were credited for it. I signed a form giving them my permission to do this at the photo shoot. The magazine had nothing but nice things to say about me, there was no slander, there was no copyright infringement.
Im glad that Fifi and Mark have sold the photos multiple times, good for them, they are talented and took good photos. And it is a compliment to my home too.
My only point is that it is sad that so often, homeowners arent informed when the pictures are published even the first time. If the publication is the perk they do it for, it is sad to miss out on it. When my home was first in Country Almanac, ages ago, I remember looking at the stands every single time I went to the grocery store, waiting to see where and when it would show up. I didnt even know which magazine it would be, only that it was Harris Publications, who own quite a few.
There is nothing to sue and no reason to sue anyone, and Im not mad. Its kind of funny, Ive had quite the chuckle out of it.
I see your point completely, Karla. It’s a lovely article (from what I can tell, even though it’s inaccurate!) and splendid photos (of course). But yes, a quick note saying “We sold the pix to another publication. Not sure when it’s out but here’s the source to touch base with” then at least you have a head’s up and can even be a little more aggressive so they would get it right.
Flattering, yes. But a little courtesy goes a long, long way!
True, its a matter of curtesy, Jeannie!
I had no idea the publishing world works the way you explained it. I think you are being very gracious about the whole thing. At least you have groupies all around the world now!
Well, there was no link to my blog, so Im groupie-less.
I think you should get a free copy of any magazine that your home appears in. Makes me want to never open my home to anything “unsponsored”, that’s for sure.
Youd think so, wouldnt you, Erica? Not all do that. Somerset publications do, but they often lose your artwork or keep it for years… Romantic Homes never sent me one, Romantic Country did. None of the other Harris Publications did, Country Accents, Small Room Decorating, Paint, etc. Where Women Create sent some for a give away, and so did Country Sampler Home Tour. They were great, and sent a big stack. Plus were so good to work with, very friendly and helpful!
I’m glad you can keep your sense of humor about it all, Karla! I feel the same way about Chinese pottery, LOL! Your house looks beautiful even though Daphne got it wrong in oh so many ways!!