Practical Picture Research
A Guide to Current Practice, Procedure, Techniques and Resources

This revised edition of Hilary Evans' practical professional guide covers the skills, practice, procedure and techniques of picture research in its commercial context. There is an emphasis on practical aspects with full use of illustrations, lists and checkpoints.

This practical professional guide covers the skills, procedure and techniques of picture research in its commercial context. Picture research is an integral part of the media and the publishing process. It requires a practical knowledge and experience of the procedures and techniques used. These are skills which have developed to a high degree of professionalism over the past decade as a consequence of changes and developments in the media and publishing industries. Today's picture researcher must have a knowledge of sophisticated storage and retrieval technologies, commissioning photography, selecting visual material and legal implications and requirements of copyright. The new book places emphasis on the practical aspects of picture research and makes full use of illustrations, lists and checkpoints. This book should be of interest to professional and would-be picture researchers in publishing and the media and those concerned with professional training courses in the media.

Part 1: The picture researcher. Qualifications, training and careers. Professional organisations. Reference books. Libraries. Part 2: Picture sources. Varieties of picture source. Public collections. Commercial sources. Agents and press agencies. Private sources. Criteria for selecting sources. Procedure. Retrieval systems. Conditions. Fees. Reproduction rates. Copyright. Making the most of visiting a picture source. Part 3: The assignment. Taking on an assignment. Planning the research programme. The long-term project. Budgeting. Freelance researchers' fees. Obtaining pictures. Commissioning photography and ordering copyprints. Photostats and polaroids. Receiving, storing and returning. Loss, damage and insurance. Rights and invoicing. Credits and voucher copies. The television assignment. Part 4: Picture selection. The varieties of visual material. Selecting for documentary value. Selecting for aesthetic value. Selecting for reproduction quality. The problems of reproduction. Older reproduction methods. Modern reproduction methods. Photographic techniques.