How It’s Done In India

Ever wonder what a foreign stock photo agency requires of its clients? Here’s what the Dinodia Picture Agency in Bombay, India requests of potential customers. The system isn’t much different from the average American photo agency.

The best way to work with a picture library:

When you phone a picture library for a stock photograph, if the picture researcher is going to do a good job, he needs to put himself in the shoes of your client/client servicing team/creative team. It is likely he may ask you a number of questions. So, it is easier if you have all the answers ready.

Let us go through some of the possible questions:

   1. Your name: Of course, only to ensure that the selection is sent to the right person. We get so many fax requests without the name of the sender.

   2. Your surname: Many a time, there may be more than one person with the same name in your organization. The surname will avoid mix-ups and consequent delays.

   3. Your designation: Again, only to identify your department so that the packet may be delivered speedily.

   4. Your company name: If this is the first request, it may go through credit appraisal.

   5. Full address: Room number, floor, building name, street name and number, city, pin code number, phone number, fax number.

   6. Billing address: If it is different from the address to where the picture is to be sent.

   7. Your company’s job number, estimate number, purchase order number – in short, whatever is required to fulfill payment formalities.

   8. What words would you use to describe the photos you need?

   9. Should it be printed in colour or black & white?

  10. Must it be horizontal or vertical?

  11. What is the headline? Will it be printed on the photo? In what colour? In which corner of the photo?

  12. If it is a scenic, is it with people or without?

  13. If they are photos of people, are they urban/rural, Indian/foreign?

  14. The rough budget for the photograph.

All this information over the telephone could be avoided if you could fax the necessary details along with the layout. The best course of action, however, would be to visit the picture library.

Remember, the picture library is your partner in the creative problems. By answering the questions given earlier, you will help the picture library fill in those grey areas that can lead to undue delays and hassles. The next time you make a call, make a mental note of this list and you can be sure your requirements will be fulfilled at a price you can afford.

The Dinodia Picture Agency is owned and operated by Jagdish Agarwal, 13 Vithoba Lane, 2nd Floor, Vithalwadi, Kalbadevi, Mumbai – 400 002, India; Phone 011-91-22-2240-41  Fax: 011-91-22-2240 1675; Email: jagdish@dinodia.com  Web: http://www.dinodia.com