Buddha and the Windsurfer

My Bro-in-law must like to take the tougher road. For a first career he became a cop (albeit in a peaceful/boring 'burb) then he married my sister and now, as an artist, he's decided to work in stone.

Lately he's also developed a serious windsurfing habit, which doesn't distract him from earning a living because he's semi-retired, and courtesy of the economic crash local wealthy folks aren't dropping huge amounts of currency into hiring him to build stone walls around their estates.

Recently he's been obsessed with carving Buddha and, as it turns out, Buddha is a favorite mascot for surfers - who woulda thunk?

I'm not sure how it happened but word of his Buddha carvings made its way to Windsurfer Magazine. So he requested that I shoot one of his Buddha carvings with his windsurfing gear and beat-up stone-hauling truck. I obliged happily .

Turns out that the windsurf rag ran the image. Of course the editor didn't pick the best shot (above) and then to add insult to injury they sent me a contract that offered $40.

I don't mind getting the measly $40 for a photo I did as a favor for a family member. What ticked me off was that the contract the rag sent me asked me to relinquish all rights in perpetuity for the image. Plus, they wanted my tax ID. For those of you unfamiliar with tax/income comings/goings - the feds only demand a tax ID if you've paid someone more than $600 in a calendar year.

Needless to say I redacted the contract eliminating their rights grab and sent them an invoice for the $40 stipulating ONE-TIME use as an accompanying illustration to one editorial piece.

Having been a publisher of a small circulation special interest rag (see my blog at RidersCramp.com) I understand the budget bit - but demanding ALL rights! Gimme a break!