I am an amateur photographer wondering when it is appropriate to charge for a photograph, and if so, how much (ie what is reasonable)?
Or specifically in my case:
My friend runs a supper club (in the US) and I took some amateur shots for her. She recently was interviewed for an in-flight magazine in a foreign country (wealthy, ie not third world) and forwarded on some of my photos. The editor asked if her if I could produce some higher res photos for their mag.
In the event that the editor should choose to publish my photos, would it be rude to ask for $$? If so, I have NO idea what a going rate would be in a semi-commercial magazine with repeated (more than montly) circulation, on a flight no less.
My main concerns are:
a.) the editor pulls out of the interview for my friend because her photographer was being rude.
b.) I ask the rate too high/low.
I think you should definitely ask for some money if they want to use your pics. I always charge for use of my hi-res originals by any commercial concern plus I ensure that it is non-exlusive use . The amount tends to vary depending on the size of picture actually printed but I would be suprised if they don't have a standard payment rate.
Check out the pricing page on this website as well...they give breakdowns of pricing for photos (albeit "stock photo" pricing) for magazine spreads, based on various factors:
