An alumni magazine contacted me with interest in using a few of my images for an upcoming issue. They were wondering what my going rate for image use was, but having little experience with this sort of thing, I don't know what to ask. A little research led me to the calculator at photographersindex.com which is suggested anywhere between $175-500 per photo; but again I don't know what is fair. The editor pointed out the magazine is nonprofit but I would expect them to be well-funded since its a good sized public university.

Other relevant info:
-Circulation: ~85,000
-Planned use: 2/3 to full page feature

I don't make a living out my photography (I'm a grad student), so getting published would probably be take precedence over making the most profit from these photos. I should also point out that I'm not affiliated with nor attend the university who wants my photos. Thanks for any help!

I don't know ... $300 maybe? If they say the price is too high then ask them what people generally charge who are not affiliated with the university (sometimes the alumni magazine can publish photos for free from students, but sometimes not; just depends).


Even though the magazine is not for profit, the alumni assocation is, and an alumni assocation with at least 85,000 members is pretty large. That would be on par with universities like Brown, Villanova, University of Missouri, Temple, etc.

A couple of ideas

1. The fact that it is your alumni magazine shold not be part of the equation unless you really feel like giving a donation as an alum.
2. The fact that they are non-profit, is only minimally important. Are donations to them tax deductible? That might enter into your price.

nathanlake wrote:
A couple of ideas

1. The fact that it is your alumni magazine shold not be part of the equation unless you really feel like giving a donation as an alum.
2. The fact that they are non-profit, is only minimally important. Are donations to them tax deductible? That might enter into your price.


The photographer is not an alum (as stated in his original post), so why would he give money to the alumni assocation? It doesn't matter if the donations are tax deductible (which they are), because the photographer is not looking to give, he is looking to get paid!

I shot a portrait of a local business owner for an alumni magazine. A very small public university. And charged $250 for the shoot about three years ago. The location was 2 miles from my house, the setup was 15mins, and I took a dozen images...they used one. Quick easy, editorial assignment. Don't think so hard about what to charge, just come up with a fair editorial price and send an invoice.

The last time I shot for a major university's alumni magazine it was the mid 1990s and I was paid $600 plus expenses for a photo that ran once at less than a quarter of a page. That still sounds about right to me. Whether you use digital or film, are a student or an alumni, or make your living from photography, have nothing to do with the value of the photo to the client who wants your photo.

The fact that the magazine is non-profit is irrelevant. Are you non-profit?

Your rates should depend on the circulation of the magazine, how they plan to use the photos and if it's one time use or for a series of articles.