There are three main aspects to EPUK – the website, the EPUK Weekly News mailing list, and the main EPUK discussion list. While the first two are open to all, our core business is the email discussion list, where professional photographers discuss business issues about the UK editorial photography market.

Currently with over 920 members, the EPUK mailing list is one of the most valuable resources for a working photographer. If you’re not yet a member – you ought to be.

How exactly does it work ?

Let’s say you want to ask a question about a magazine’s rates, or a newspaper’s record of rights grabs: you put your query in an email to the list address. That then gets sent out to each of EPUK’s members, each of whom can reply, and their reply is then posted to all EPUK members in return.

“The most professional advice forum for editorial photographers in the UK. No ‘f’stops, no geeky techy stuff just the business of running your business.”

- Brian Harris, former chief photographer at the Times and the Independent: EPUK member since 1999

Who can join EPUK ?

Membership of the EPUK mailing list is only open to full time photographers working in the UK or Irish editorial market. EPUK membership is not open to students.

How much does it cost ?

Zilch, nada, nothing: EPUK is entirely free to its members. However, we welcome voluntary donations to go towards covering the running costs such as our server, domains and software.

Won’t my inbox become clogged up ?

Not at all: we offer a lot of advice on how to filter EPUK (“list”) emails into a separate folder so they don’t interfere with your regular work emails. You can also choose to subscribe to the “digest” version, which mean you will get just one or two emails a day, with all the messages on. You can also turn EPUK email delivery off altogether if you are going away on holiday.

“I joined EPUK in February 2006. Since then I have enjoyed record profits and triple digit growth in turnover in the business of editorial photography. These two facts may be completely unrelated, but EPUK provides an excellent forum for professionals working in this line of business to share insider information and business related tips.”

- EPUK member Simon Brown

What topics can be discussed ?

If it’s related to editorial photography business, it’s allowed. So insurance, VAT, accounts, rates, copyright, picture desk dilemmas, print prices, suppliers, getting discounts and offering warnings to other photographers about certain titles are all typical posts on EPUK.

I’m a photographer working for editorial titles ? Should I join ?

Absolutely. There simply isn’t a better resource or knowledge base for working editorial photographers in the UK.

“EPUK is in my view the coolest forum/list on the web, It is helpful …never boring…and sometime entertaining. When is really tricky….like during the Kash crisis, it shows that you can get honest and warm help from your colleagues!”

- EPUK member Marco Secchi

I’m based outside the UK, but I supply UK and Irish titles. Can I join ?

Yes you can. We have members in the US, Canada, Russia, India, Australia and Thailand to name but a few.

So how do I join ?

There are four very simple steps:

  • read and agree to the rules below
  • fill in the application form in the next few days
  • the Membership Moderator will review your application, then post it on the main list.
  • If there are no objections, you’ll become a member usually between three to seven days, and you’ll be notified by email

The Rules

Being a member of EPUK, reading or sending a message to the group means you agree to follow the rules of EPUK

Click here to agree to these terms and to apply to join

(Not eligible to join, but want to keep up with the latest happenings in the industry ? Scroll back up to sign up to the EPUK Weekly News at top left)