Nick Lachey Photos I sold – Gone Terrible

College Confidential Community
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<p>In short, two weeks ago I took pictures of Nick Lachey dancing with two girls at a night club in Miami, FL. I sell them to National Enquire and get ripped off beyond belief.</p>

<p>The club is pretty small, so within a couple minutes, I realized Nick Lachey was there. I didn’t think much of it. Everyone else was just dancing and minding their business. I was probably the only ‘normal’ person there, everyone else mega-rich professionals too ‘big’ to know who Nick is.</p>

<p>I happened to have my digital camera which I took to add photos to my facebook album, and decided to take some pictures of Nick - four in total- not really thinking much of it and just laughing with friends.</p>

<p>I get home at 6am and upload my photos. I realized immediately I had something pretty big, but no idea just how much –just enough to keep me up for a couple more hours and google up some information on selling them.</p>

<p>Now I’m sorry to those who oppose the paparazzi business, but please keep in mind this was a one-time thing for me. Also, I’m in college and really needed the money!</p>

<p>Anyway, Saturday I begin to email tabloid magazines. I contacted ‘Star’, ‘National Enquire,’ People Magazine, and some sort of paparazzi agency.</p>

<p>People magazine were not interested, but National Enquire, who are affiliated with ‘Star’ contacted me Monday requesting me to send them the photos for reviewed. So I did, and they offered me $500 for the whole set of four. I declined, and next day was offered $1000. I had also contacted agencies who take care of selling pictures like that, but for a 30% commission, but none had replied to me, so in fear that time was going by and eventually they would be worth nothing, I agreed with the $1000 and signed the contract on Tuesday.</p>

<p>The next day, Wednesday-–day before thanksgiving–Nick and Jessica publicly announce their divorce. I really didn’t think much of it; in fact, I began to feel lucky to have sold the pictures before then, thinking that a picture of a single Nick dancing with girls would be valued less than a married Nick in the same situation.</p>

<p>I move on with life, $1000 bucks richer, and forgetting the whole thing.</p>

<p>Fast forward to yesterday, Friday. I pick up the issue of National Enquirer and behold! MY PICTURE MADE FRONT PAGE STORY!!! A small sized print appeared on the front page, which leads to the backside story where it appears again. It’s the one with Nick standing between two girls. National Enquirer was smart and used my picture as the symbol of their divorce. It ALSO appeared in ‘Star’ magazine, even larger.</p>

<p>Anyway, for the last two weeks I’ve been exchanging emails, and talking on the phone with a photo department executive of National Enquirer. She has been really cool, and has nothing to do with the price negotiations.</p>

<p>My plan now, as silly as it is, to email her explaining the situation, and finally –requesting for additional reward money. I know it’s a long shot when it comes to a company like National Enquire, but it won’t hurt to try.</p>

<p>So you’re probably wondering what’s the point of this post. Well, most importantly, I need some emotional help here. The regret of having sold the pictures for so low is setting in hard. I won’t get into details, seeing how much I’ve written already, but I’ll say it’s pretty severe and I’m thinking of seeing a psychologist.</p>

<p>Also, I have written a draft of the email I’m preparing to send the lady of National Enquirer. I wrote it just this morning, very depressed and still ‘in the heat of the moment’, so I thought I should have you guys read it and make and suggestions, as I tend to write inappropriate stuff in times like these. </p>

<p>And maybe you guys could help me out in that very important last paragraph, where I’m trying to say that I’m not blatantly asking for money, but rather a money reward that will make it JUST enought fair to stop me from having such a large regret, and that i’m not a professional. Feel free to re-write it for a better suggestion</p>

<p>As described in the email, this is not so much about money, but I think $5k-$10k is what i’m trying to ask for, even though in reality the picture is worth $50,000 or even much more, I think $5k will put me in peace at least.</p>

<p>Here’s the email:</p>

<hr>

<p>Hi <her name=“”>, I saw the magazines, and the pictures look great!</her></p>

<p>Now obviously –I’m a 20 year old college student, by no means am I professional in this business, so logically I approached this with the understanding that I wouldn’t get the ‘best’ deal for the photos.</p>

<p>The day after I signed the contract, Wednesday, they made their divorce official, and this gave way for the photos to be used for the big story, which I think was done wonderfully. David Wright wrote a great article in which he described the photo as “the picture that spelled the end for Nick and Jessica.” And later on writing how “just 27 hours after the couple’s reps were contacted by the National Enquirer to discuss the photograph” – they announced their divorce. A small size was printed on the front page –top left, leading to the backside cover story where it appeared on page 3. Also, printed largely inside of “Star” magazine, which made front cover story. </p>

<p>No one could anticipate their divorce when I signed the contract the day before, and by no means am I accusing the editor who offered the $1000 for the—now obviously–low price I was awarded for the photos.</p>

<p>Of course, National Enquirer is like any other business, and it’s for its best interest to maximize profits – but I’m hoping my case could be evaluated by an executive or editor who can be able to help me.</p>

<p>I’m not asking for tens of thousands of dollars, and I’d hate to even request a ‘figure’. Fact is, I feel ripped off. Friends and family who have seen the magazines all agree that $1000 was not just, and I eventually felt the need to write this email.</p>

<p>So it would be beyond greatly appreciated if you could, at your convenience, forward this matter to someone who might be able to re-negotiate a price that would permit me a more tranquil peace of mind and satisfaction for my lucky pictures. I’m hoping for the particular person who can help me out, to understand I’m not a professional celebrity photographer, and to not see this as a business tactic to obtain more money, and finally that any additional reward for my photos would mean a lot to my life.</p>

<p>Thank you so much!
my name</p>

<hr>

<p>thanks again. sorry this had to be my first post, lol, but I’ve been lurking around here for many months. Nice to meet you all.</p>

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<p>I couldn’t care less about celebs, no offense to you.<br>
But hello.</p>

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<p>Yeah, $1000 is too low but I have a feeling its gonna be a very hard battle for you to get anymore. I’d personally be happy with just that amount.</p>

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<p>Sure, you could have probably gotten more money, but hey, you have $1000 that you weren’t planning on having to start with. It’s not like it was something that you had to work really hard to get. I’d say for the effort you put in, $1000 is a great return. Don’t worry. Be happy.</p>

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<p>Lucky I’m taking law and economics. Did you sign a contract for the sale of the pictures? What was the agreement? I would direct your attention to <a href=“http://lawschool.mikeshecket.com/contracts/sherwoodvwalker.htm[/url]”>http://lawschool.mikeshecket.com/contracts/sherwoodvwalker.htm&lt;/a&gt; . I hope this is a one-time thing because I don’t like the 'razzie. Boils down to a meeting of the minds. Wow, look at his eyes, the thing was def over <a href=“http://www.gawker.com/news/20051130enquirerpic.jpg[/url]”>http://www.gawker.com/news/20051130enquirerpic.jpg&lt;/a&gt; . Just reread, what did the contract say?</p>

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<p>I don’t get it. They offered $1000. You said yes. You got $1000. Why do they owe you any money? Sure, maybe they would have paid more, but $1000 is better than nothing. I mean, we’re talking about four pictures you took on your digital camera while at a party, of some guy dancing with some girls. </p>

<p>Be happy with what you have! I’d spend my time hunting down more celebrities, rather than trying to get more money out of a company that owes you nothing.</p>

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<p>

**</p>

<p>You are having seller’s remorse but what was your other option? Wait for more time to elapse…you had decided against that.</p>

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<p>I agree with CLeighDrie</p>

<p>I doubt you will get 50,000. And I doubt you can even get 5k. They are buisness people and they do busness. And busnesis people are stern and hard when it comes to buisness. Ok i Have no idea how to spell buisness.</p>

<p>Maybe they’ll give you couple more thousands at the most…?</p>

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<p>um to be honest im not sure if i believe u but whatever. and i didnt ur read ur whole post cuz that is way too damn long…whoa now/</p>

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<p>The one and only post you’ve made here is this thread…</p>

<p>Don’t most people originally come to a college forum for info/discussion on college?</p>

<p>I’m beginning to think of the “T” word… but you might be telling the truth so I’ll keep that in mind too!</p>

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<p>Scumbag. </p>

<p>You’re whining about stalking a guy, taking random pictures of him and then whining you didn’t get enough money?</p>

<p>Be happy you got 1000 dollars and not a beat to the face.</p>

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<p>thanks for the advice so far</p>

<p>i’m doing slightly better, and might not even send the email</p>

<p>the best way to describe it is, like winning a $50,000 lottery, only to find out you’re only getting $1,000 --if that makes any sense. Sure the money doesnt exactly belong or is owed to me, but it’s only fair that I should have gotten that much.</p>

<p>and for the last couple replies you didn’t belive me, here are some photos I just took:</p>

<p><a href=“ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs”>ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs;
<a href=“ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs”>ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs;

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<p>

**</p>

<p>You made your own deal for the price…you did this to yourself. How can you now think you got cheated…other than by your own lack of experience and familiarity w/ business practice…that is on you.</p>

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</p>

<p>because 24 hours after signing the contract, the divorce was made public, and they blew up the story. They told me several times the pictures wasn’t going to make front-page story.</p>

<p>In this kind of business, the difference between a picture being in the front-page, and on two different pages as large as they were, compared to --say a 2in by 2in picture in some small article in the back --is the difference between $5,000 and $50,000. I got cheated in that they KNEW the pictures gain much valued after their divorce was announce, and even though it was a mere 24 hours after signing the contract, they refused to give me a little bit of extra money.</p>

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<p>Sue them…seriously…</p>

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<p>You could have held out for another 24 hours yourself…what you are talking about is their luck and in some ways your luck also…maybe the photo wouldn’t have sold at all.</p>

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<p>anyway…w/e …what happened, happened.</p>

<p>if there’s anyway a mod can delete this thread, that would be great</p>

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<p>Seriously, I think you have grounds for getting more money. You sold something for less than what it was worth. Even though I don’t agree wiht your actions, I would ask for more money.</p>

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<p>I doubt you can argue that you deserve even an extra penny. You already made a deal for 1k and they gave it to you. Just because now you feel like you should have stuck it out for more money doesn’t mean they should have any reason to to give you more cash now that you know how much they are really worth. You wanted a thousand, so they gave you a thousand. You signed a contract. There isn’t much room or incentive for them to give any more. </p>

<p>People always encounter decisions where they say to themselves, “If only I had done ____ I would be richer right now,” especially in the stock market. Thing is, you can’t predict the future. You couldn’t have predicted a divorce, and you couldn’t have predicted that those pics would be front-page material unless you asked them and figured out those things before you signed a contract. A thousand dollars is not a bad deal at all for those pictures, so I’d suggest moving on as I don’t see how you could change anything now.</p>

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<p>“So you’re probably wondering what’s the point of this post. Well, most importantly, I need some emotional help here. The regret of having sold the pictures for so low is setting in hard. I won’t get into details, seeing how much I’ve written already, but I’ll say it’s pretty severe and I’m thinking of seeing a psychologist.”</p>

<p>Wow, you disgust me, total disregard for anyone else in this situation. You exploited someone’s privacy, got paid 500 more than you had expected, and now your greed is powerful enough to send you to a theropist???
how much more self-centered and pathetic can you be??? There’s people in this world right now who are homeless and starving, who would be happy to have 1 dollar to spare, while you are here moaning about your 1000 dollars.</p>