i was recently contacted on an old flickr account about someone being interested in using one of my images in a series of images for a Health Spa office. Im not quite sure how to price such a request as i have never really been into selling much of my work. Also im concerned that selling a Digital Copy would open them to print and use the image for anything they want.
Any thoughts?
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here is what was written to me with all identifying details removed:
Hello! I have an interior designer customer who has expressed interest in one of your photos of a feather, which is one of five she has chosen. All the images are of feathers.
The designer would like to reproduce the image as a giclee print in large format (3 feet x 5 feet) on archival paper for an installation in a health spa in Palm Beach Florida. In theory, I would be handling the logistics of printing, thus I would like to know how much you would charge for a one time use license to fulfill this request, if your willing to do so. Further, the link below is to a Tumblr which is being set up as a portal for interior design, architecture, fine art and fine art photography. If you have interest in being represented in this manner, I’d love to chat and discuss the possibilities with you. Please get back to me as soon as possible as I am on a deadline to deliver this order.
In my limited experience selling photos when people come asking out of the blue, I find you can get the high end of what you would think would be reasonable. Don't sell yourself short. They clearly want your photo and this guy says he has a deadline, so he's more likely to shell out a bit more cash than he would like to rather than go looking for another photo and end up with something that doesn't fit their needs as well.
As for usage, he clearly states one-time usage so just write up a little contract to that effect (or get a template off the Internet) and Bob's your uncle.
If I got that email, I'd ask $250 since it's for something big and commercial, and maybe come down a bit if they balk at that price. The bit about the Tumblr seems like a ruse to get you to sell the pic cheap or for free in exchange for "exposure." Unless you look at the site and think it's really worth your while, go for the cash. These types of things are usually one-time deals. Make 'em count.
thanks for the advice. the problem is the image has no monetary value to me, nor would i know what to even ask for it. i just take images for the intrinsic happiness it gives me. but you say $250 would be a good starting point? i would have started much lower... shows how much i know =)
We had contact out of the blue via Flickr a year or so ago. An Ad agency wanted to use one of my wife's photo in a publication for a bank. Having never sold (nor were we looking to sell) any images before I was contemplating a price. The Ad agency let slip that they had a budget of around NZ$500 so I replied with a quote for a full size tiff (with unlimited usage rights) would be $475 (inc sales tax). Sale went through fine and everyone was more than happy.
I was also contacted via Flickr about 1 of my images. They offered me $500 for use of my image on some sort of yellow pages. In the end it didn't work out. If I were you I would consider sending a PM to some of the regulars on FM who have more experience with this scenario. I'm guessing people like G Dan Mitchell get contacted often with requests like this.
Even though the image has "no monetary value" to you, it does to the person who wants to buy it. They've got an upper limit in mind. You want to try to hit that without going ridiculously over. You can always come down if you don't scare them off with your initial offer.
Don't feel bad about it or anything. It's just business. They'll be happy to pay whatever they'll willing to pay. And the money you make can go towards new gear which you can use to take more photos and achieve more "intrinsic happiness."
RobsonF wrote:
Yeah, there you go. $250 might be low.
Even though the image has "no monetary value" to you, it does to the person who wants to buy it. They've got an upper limit in mind. You want to try to hit that without going ridiculously over. You can always come down if you don't scare them off with your initial offer.
Don't feel bad about it or anything. It's just business. They'll be happy to pay whatever they'll willing to pay. And the money you make can go towards new gear which you can use to take more photos and achieve more "intrinsic happiness." ...Show more →
right. i would never feel bad about blowing a sale. i make plenty of money outside photography so i wont be dissapointed if i get turned down. this is just such a new thing to me. i run a machine shop in 'real' life and the value of a job comes down to things that i control: material, time, and hassle. now all of a sudden im asked to price something that i have 0 experience in. so i thank you and everyone that is helping me!
first $250 is on the high side and now it might be low... im liking this guessing game. reminds me of quoting jobs for the shop. =)
I highly recommend reading ASMP's licensing guide -- it's a very concise, informative look at how licensing an image works, and how to read/write a licensing agreement. http://asmp.org/tutorials/licensing-guide.html
Trying to work out what a pic is worth with usage and rights and referring to guides etc is all pretty much useless for this sort of things these days.
Save yourself wasting time and flat out ask what their budget is.
It's no use working out all these calculations if you come back to the client and they say "sorry, thats out of the budget" They will pay what they will pay and it's up to you to accept or turn it down.
In this day and age there are so many images around if they can't get yours for the price they want they will just go to the next flicker account and find something they can use.
They will always give you a lowball figure when you ask budget so go higher than what they say. If they tell you $100, offer it for $125. If they baulk too much you can always come down and appear to be doing them a favor.
I would say something like " I have a rough idea of what the image is worth but before I check the going rates, what did you have in mind so I can see if we are even in the ballpark?"
If they say they aren't sure, ask them to ring the client and find out and get back to you when they know. DO NOT offer up any figures, stand firm and let them tell you.
It's a game but you may as well cut to the chase instead of wasting time on insignificant calculations that are really irrelevant when it comes to what the client is prepared to pay/ offer.
The purpose of the calcuations, ideally, is to determine what you need to sell it for to make a profit. You don't know your point of profitability unless you do the math.
