You can find helpful information for clients and contributors here.

Many frequently asked questions we can hopefully answer for you already herewith. Should you have more questions, or the answers below not be sufficient enough for you, then please write us at mail@twinkle-images.com, or use the contact form below.



HELP FOR CLIENTS
Where can I search for photos from TWINKLE IMAGES?

You can find photos of TWINKLE IMAGES either here through our webshop, or through the image-search system my-picturemaxx, if you are signed-up to this system.

Does TWINKLE IMAGES also offer royalty-free photos?

Yes, TWINKLE IMAGES offers Rights Managed (RM) as well as Royalty Free (RF) material., RM images require clarification of usage rights and associated royalties before they can be used.

Is the image search associated with costs?

The image search itself is free. You can either do it yourself or ask us to pick pictures from our archive for you. More about this can be found under >> OUR SERVICE.

What should be considered in the image search?

Image search is easy: Enter a keyword or keywords and start search. It applies

Spaces = AND (Example: Football Bundesliga)

Minus sign - = NOT (example: politician - Chancellor)

Semicolon; = SHARP SEARCH (example: sailing;)

Asterisk * = CONTAINS (examples: "sail*" or "*money")

How do I gain permission to download high-resolution images?

There are three steps to do this:

1. In the menu on the top right, under "Registration", you will be taken to a form window in which you must enter personal and contact details. Then please send the form online to us.

2. Upon receipt of your registration, you will receive an automated confirmation of your signup and can start browsing our archive without watermarks. At the start, you can NOT download high-resolution images.

3. Once you are in need of high-resolution images, please get in touch with us. We will review your request and enable you to download high-resolution images after examination of your request.

Are there other options than the download to get image data?

Yes. Please tell us which image (through the image ID!) You need. The shipping options are FTP, WeTransfer, Dropbox or E-Mail. Any costs incurred will be charged at cost. We are happy to help.

How is the licensing-fees calculated?

The licensing fees depend on the type of use. Factors such as the type of medium, distribution, duration of use and so on play a role here. When calculating the fee amount, we are guided by the "Overview of customary royalties for image usage rights" published annually by the Mitelstandsgemeinschaft Foto-Marketing (MFM) and respected throughout the industry. Information about the overview in general can be obtained from the Federal Association of Press Picture Agencies and Picture Archives or www.foto-marketing.org.

 

Our usage fees are personal, individual and strictly confidential! If you have specific questions about use and image fee of one of our photos, please contact us directly. We are happy to help.

 

Please do not forget to send us 2 voucher copies after printing, or share links with us for online usages.

HELP FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Is TWINKLE IMAGES even looking for photographers?

Yes! Good photographers are always welcome at TWINKLE IMAGES. We are looking for photographers who have a modern imagery and are able to implement current topics in a contemporary way. However, we are very selective in our approach and only include photographers who fit in with us, and can deliver TWINKLE IMAGES something new that we do not yet have in our archive already, both artistically and in terms of content.

How can a photographer introduce his work to TWINKLE IMAGES?

Very easily. Send us an e-mail with a link to your website or a PDF (no bigger than 3 MB). We are interested in seeing both your freelance work and your commercial photos. After reviewing your image material, we share our assessment of the chances of cooperation. If we consider a cooperation to be meaningful, it is important to clarify both the possibilities of marketing and the mutual expectations. We assume that you have informed yourself about our agency and offer us photos that fit our profile.

How are photos offered by the agency?

TWNIKLE IMAGES offers its customers photos in very different ways. Direct image orders by phone or e-mail are processed and transmitted via FTP, WeTransfer, Dropbox or email. In addition, image buyers can search in our databases or with the my-picturemaxx tool. Furthermore to these sales channels for single images, we also offer complete reportages and image series on our website. Up-to-date information about the work of our photographers and about new imagery is sent in newsletters to our customers by email.

 

We utilize all online and offline means available, in order to make sure each contributor, image and each story will get promoted and showcased to our clients. This via regular emails, industry blogs and newsletters, social media, printed flyers to picture desks and art directors, personal meetings, phone marketing, image galleries on the TWNIKLE IMAGES homepage as well as in the my-picturemaxx network, and FTP push to clients that subscribe to such a service.

Is there a contract, and what does Exclusivity mean?

Yes, of course there is a contract. If we want to work with you, we will send it to you as a PDF for your review.

 

A central point of marketing usage licenses is the exclusivity of photos. Photos that are distributed via TWNIKLE IMAGES should ideally come with all rights of use worldwide and exclusively with our agency. If customers have usage rights, e.g. for advertising or book covers, they must be sure that this photo will not be used by a competitor for a similar object or product. For this reason, photos are blocked for certain types of use or distribution areas for a certain period of time. The customer pays for such a blockage a corresponding fee and expects a corresponding security. More than 90% of all images in our archive are exclusive and only available here.

 

We know that a photographer may be active in a number of very different areas and produce material of such breadth that it is only of partial interest to an agency because of its focus on content, and representation by multiple agencies may be appropriate. Therefore, unlike many other agencies, the contract only refers to the material submitted and not to a complete work.

Does TWNIKLE IMAGES only represent photographers in Germany?

No! Even though our core market is Germany, we represent our photographers and their images in Europe and worldwide. We have customers in all markets and on every continent, and sell globally.

What image usage do we aim for?

Front covers or double-page spreads like “Pictures of the Week“ or “Outstanding Images” selections in premium magazines and publications, multi-page feature stories, corporate or commercial usages like billboards or ads in magazines, below and above the line, classic or new media.

What clients do we focus on?

Ad agencies, minor and major publishers, market-leading publications, content producers and music companies. We want to provide the highest quality photographic content to an international client base of publishers, media, charities, corporations, brands and cultural institutions. We have a database of more than 1000 clients from Germany and Europe, coming from exactly those targeted peers. Furthermore, we maintain a contact database with over 19,000 contacts. And they are checked and up-to-date!

 

Hamburg, the home of TWINKLE IMAGES, is the capital for publishers and ad agencies here in Germany, and many of the biggest names in Europe are located here. Meeting clients and showing them the work of our contributors in person is easy.

What should be considered during editing, and what about "similars"?

We are only looking for the technically and qualitatively best photos. Second choice has no chance. Be critical. If you offer pictures, you should look at the competition and then consider whether your own material can stand its ground. An image selection is a business card. Our needs are the same as those of your clients. The number of photos we archive varies from case to case. Basically, however, the smaller and more precise a picture selection, the faster it can be archived and offered.

 

Same or confusingly similar images may not be distributed by you or other agencies. Side shots are other photos, if they are not to be confused with the actual photo. We expect photographers who want to work with us to be able to decide the likelihood of confusion between a photograph and the side shot.

How does TWINKLE IMAGES store image files?

TWINKLE IMAGES works exclusively with digital files. We archive image data in JPG format, stored at compressions 12. Digital photos should have a minimum size of 3500 pixels on the longer side, at 300 dpi. The bigger, the better, of course. The images should not get interpolated, however, so not get artificially enlarged by editing software. Filenames should not consist of any spaces. The color space used should be Adobe RGB 1998.

In addition to complete author and image-right information, the metadata needs to include a headline that describes the images, plus sufficient keywords that cover the content of the images as well as its symbolic and thematic meanings. Please contact us to clarify our requirements.

 

Got questions or requests we can help you with?
Don't hesitate to contact 
us!


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