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I NEED YOUR HELP...Someone wants to purchase my photo!

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chosen1

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chosen1 wrote:
I got an email today by someone who wants to purchase my photo. This

is a first for me so I immediately thought of DPR's Pro Talk for help. I need your input, advice, help, and ideas on the subject. Anyone who knows anything please don't hesitate to chime in.

Here is the email i got in my flickr mail, so you guys know what I'm
dealing with:
Member said:
Hello, my name is [BLANK]. I'm an Art Director for [BLANK] in Harrisburg, PA. I'm > interested in purchasing rights to this photo for use on the web for our client, > [BLANK], a company who is expert in design, inspection and rehabilitation of all > types of bridges. The photo you took is one of the bridges they've had a hand > in.

It will be used as the major photo on their temporary landing page, and will be > up in this instance for 6-8 months.

They might be interested in a long term purchase. Who knows, we may end up > commissioning you to shoot all of their bridges, they really like this shot.

Let me know your thoughts.

Please contact me at your earliest convenience
Thank you for your time!
Click to expand...
She is referring to this photo I took back in January:



So questions I have are:

•She wants to purchase the rights to my photo, I know she'll be able
to do whatever she pleases with the photo, but does she still have to
credit me for taking it?

•How much should I charge for the purchasing rights to my photo for a
web client who wants to use it as the main photo on their landing
page?

•And lastly how much should I charge if they commission me to
photograph other bridges?

Thank you sooo much for anyone who decides to answer one, a few or if
you're feeling dandy all of my questions.

-art



.email.
[email protected]
.web.
http://www.arthurseabra.com
http://www.flickr.com/arthurseabra
 
Be very careful. I had an email very similar to this and it was a scam. Google their name and ad agency and then call them.

It's very similar to the nigerian scam, but it targets photographers. The guy I had was so good that we were even negotiating buyout rights. Sent a check for it but it was for more than the job.

Anyhoo, I hope yours is real, but just giving you the info.

--
http://www.kevinfochtphotography.com
 
Phone contact and any other way you can think of.

If they pay by cheque, I guess the worst that can happen is you'll be up for the bounce fee.
No providing images 'til the money is cleared in your account. ;o)
If you're uncomfortable at anytime, walk away.

cheers
Bill

Gotta believe in something....believe I'll take another photo...

http://www.pbase.com/billrobinson
 
web (and web resolution) , to license 12 months media usage, main page : USD 1,750 - mandatory credits on the publication

that's a license, not a transfer: you keep the rights.

to shoot bridges and if you don't know what to charge then go by the hour (creative fee plus assistants, rentals, processing, couriers, travel, producers, location scouts etc.)

nice shot
 
At first I thought cityphotographer's response was a bit optimistic, but after poking around in Fotoquote, it seems like he might not be too far off.

That might be a good number to start at, but I'd be prepared for them to get total sticker shock from it, and maybe have a plan B.

One thing to keep in mind is that this is not a consumer brand company, but instead, a small, specialized company selling their services to only a tiny number of other industrial companies. This doesn't mean they don't have some money to spend, just that their web site will probably never be seen by the general public. A web site targeting the general public has thousands of times the traffic that this company does, and their web site would be a true big-budget piece of their advertising.

So start with that number, and see what happens. If you need to negotiate, don't come up with a new price right away, but tell them you need to work on the numbers overnight.

Anything over $1k is probably pretty good, and I might even consider something in the $600-700 range. Hopefully they're not thinking about something ridiculous, like $100. Even if this might be a relatively small, specialized company, the picture is still going to be featured very prominently.

I would forget about getting a credit, which I tend to think is pretty worthless in a case like this, anyway. It is also very unusual to see in a corporate piece like this. Look at the rest of their work, and I'll bet you won't see a photographer credit anywhere. Pick your battles.

Also, you said, "...I know she'll be able to do whatever she pleases with the photo..." WRONG! Why would you assume that? She can only do with it what your license allows.

As far as future assignments (good luck!), this type of corporate work starts at probably about $2000 a day, plus digital fees, and all expenses.

Good luck!

David

http://www.brennanphotography.com
 
Legally, they can only use it for the purpose licensed. they'll have to pay more to use it elsewhere unless you negotiate with them.

If they have sticker shock from a > $1k licensing fee, you could, instead of negotiating down, negotiate up to a broader use or royalty free use for "only a little more".

If they want to commission you for more of the same kind of shoots; just walking around and snapping photos (i can't see your posted image so i don't know what else might be involved), I'd start at a day rate around $600 and not go lower than $400 plus expenses (mileage, bridge fare, etc. remember, to rent your camera and lens for a day probably costs over $100. build that into your estimates). Build a certain number of licenses into that day rate, perhaps... so they don't get all 400 pics you shot; they can choose, say, 2 of each bridge. (this last part is a guess. other photogs might have a better idea of what to suggest as licensing terms for day-rate shooting)

--

'I put the camera in 'P' for 'professional' and wrote what I wanted the camera to do on a sticky note under the batteries... Used the headlights from my car on the model and that did the trick...'



You can have it done (pick two): () good () cheap () fast. -Anonymous
 
jugglervr said:
If they want to commission you for more of the same kind of shoots;
just walking around and snapping photos (i can't see your posted
image so i don't know what else might be involved), I'd start at a
day rate around $600 and not go lower than $400 plus expenses...
Click to expand...
This is a corporation doing high-tech work on a very professional level. They sould be treated as such. They need professional photography, not some guy "just walking around and snapping photos".

Why is it the knee-jerk reaction here to encourage people to do down-and-dirty cheap work even when the situation strongly suggests that one could charge true professional rates for serious work?

David

http://www.brennanphotography.com
 
Arthur,

I don't get it.

Your profiles says, "Profession: Marketing Director / Graphic Design / Photographer"
and you are asking basic questions online about pricing your services?

May I suggest you join at least one, if not both of these orgs:

http://www.aiga.org
http://www.apanational.com

There is also a considerable amount of information on these topics in past threads. Both on this forum, and other forums about commercial photography.

V
chosen1 said:
Here is the email i got in my flickr mail, so you guys know what I'm
dealing with:
chosen1 said:
Hello, my name is [BLANK]. I'm an Art Director for [BLANK] in Harrisburg, PA. I'm > interested in purchasing rights to this photo for use on the web for our client, > [BLANK], a company who is expert in design, inspection and rehabilitation of all > types of bridges. The photo you took is one of the bridges they've had a hand > in.

It will be used as the major photo on their temporary landing page, and will be > up in this instance for 6-8 months.

They might be interested in a long term purchase. Who knows, we may end up > commissioning you to shoot all of their bridges, they really like this shot.

Let me know your thoughts.

Please contact me at your earliest convenience
Thank you for your time!
Click to expand...
She is referring to this photo I took back in January:



So questions I have are:

•She wants to purchase the rights to my photo, I know she'll be able
to do whatever she pleases with the photo, but does she still have to
credit me for taking it?

•How much should I charge for the purchasing rights to my photo for a
web client who wants to use it as the main photo on their landing
page?

•And lastly how much should I charge if they commission me to
photograph other bridges?

Thank you sooo much for anyone who decides to answer one, a few or if
you're feeling dandy all of my questions.

-art



.email.
[email protected]
.web.
http://www.arthurseabra.com
http://www.flickr.com/arthurseabra
Click to expand...
 
between web and printed usage is that there is no diffusion (for the web) but there is the position (in the web site) as well to account

it's a (consolidated, so far at least) good practice to set some sort of standard (not counting the competition, and the getty's competition as well but that's for another thread..)

1,750 main page (or home)
775 (second level page)
650 (third level page)

banners and icons are separated with some confusion about the prices.

all based on a 12 months license

and all regardless of the diffusion (that I'd gladly put into account but since that's the "standard" -again so far- I believe that it will be good if all comply, at least for now)

the room for negotiations should start from the standard price point. (in my opinion)

P.S.: the "getty's" competition is not really a real competition because of the restrictions they apply.
 
Dave Brennan said:
At first I thought cityphotographer's response was a bit optimistic,
but after poking around in Fotoquote, it seems like he might not be
too far off.

That might be a good number to start at, but I'd be prepared for them
to get total sticker shock from it, and maybe have a plan B.

One thing to keep in mind is that this is not a consumer brand
company, but instead, a small, specialized company selling their
services to only a tiny number of other industrial companies. This
doesn't mean they don't have some money to spend, just that their web
site will probably never be seen by the general public. A web site
targeting the general public has thousands of times the traffic that
this company does, and their web site would be a true big-budget
piece of their advertising.

So start with that number, and see what happens. If you need to
negotiate, don't come up with a new price right away, but tell them
you need to work on the numbers overnight.

Anything over $1k is probably pretty good, and I might even consider
something in the $600-700 range. Hopefully they're not thinking about
something ridiculous, like $100. Even if this might be a relatively
small, specialized company, the picture is still going to be featured
very prominently.

I would forget about getting a credit, which I tend to think is
pretty worthless in a case like this, anyway. It is also very unusual
to see in a corporate piece like this. Look at the rest of their
work, and I'll bet you won't see a photographer credit anywhere. Pick
your battles.

Also, you said, "...I know she'll be able to do whatever she pleases
with the photo..." WRONG! Why would you assume that? She can only do
with it what your license allows.

As far as future assignments (good luck!), this type of corporate
work starts at probably about $2000 a day, plus digital fees, and all
expenses.

Good luck!

David

http://www.brennanphotography.com
Click to expand...
I think David is generally correct, smaller companies are sometime hard to judge relative to budget. You also have an agency involved which can complicate matters in some instances depending on what their client's budget is but they can also go to bat for you too.

In situations like this, I will often ask, "Do you have a budget for this?" and sometimes I will get a figure back that will exceed what I might have been thinking. In that case, I'll reply, "I think I can do it for that."

Negotiating deals like this is a skill that I think is essential for anyone thinking about professional photography. Like photography, it takes practice and time to develop the skills but they can be used in all facets of everyday life although it's still easier for me to negotiate a usage deal vs. issues with women in my life. I'm still working on that.
--
gmorioka
moriokaphoto.com
 
Excellent point. With a new client, I always ask if they have a budget in mind. Too many of them want to keep the budget a secret because they think (i guess) that they're tipping their hand and will really, seriously take a bid from a guy who says "fitty bucks"
I need to target better clients, i guess. ;)

--

'I put the camera in 'P' for 'professional' and wrote what I wanted the camera to do on a sticky note under the batteries... Used the headlights from my car on the model and that did the trick...'



You can have it done (pick two): () good () cheap () fast. -Anonymous
 
I got a simular request for an mage on my site last week. He was willing to pay $6.99. It was not worth the trouble to me in emailing a release back and forth for that little of an amount. so I sent him to a stock site where he found an image to use in the free section. These days images can be had off stock sites for next to nothing anyway.
--
Sincerely

Ron J
 
Ronj2 said:
I got a simular request for an mage on my site last week. He was
willing to pay $6.99. It was not worth the trouble to me in emailing
a release back and forth for that little of an amount. so I sent him
to a stock site where he found an image to use in the free section.
These days images can be had off stock sites for next to nothing
anyway.
--
Sincerely

Ron J
Click to expand...
Correct, photographers need to quit giving their stock away for nothing.
--
gmorioka
moriokaphoto.com
 
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