 Sheila L. Willis |
Question about copyrights on headshots for Mod/Act I have been asked to do Model/Actor headshots for a young lady. I have never done this particular kind of work. She requested that the images be put on a cd. I am not sure about doing that, as I usually maintain the copyrights for anything I do. How can I do this for her and still ensure my property? AND Is it professional for a copyright mark to be seen on a headshot photo? If not, then how do I maintain my work in that instance? I will be using a digital camera.
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
head shots aren't something that's a big concern about preventing unauthorized use of. They're usually done as a fee for the shoot and/or a fee for bulk rate of prints or on cd so the person can get prints made, which is why she wants the cd. Prices and what you get can vary widely depending on if it's a convenient person with a camera or somebody who works with real actors. What they have in common is do several shots and have the person pick a certain amount of the best. After that, prices can vary from $100 -$400 and beyond. And you'll probably see more people provide final images on a cd than you will a stack of prints.
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Mark Feldstein |
Of course the reason she wants a CD is to make her own prints or zed card. You really have three choices: Don't give the work on a CD; you get the prints made for her with her name, etc. stripped in at the bottom; or raise the price to cover the loss of control over your work, which is where you're essentially headed. There are plenty of labs that can print zed cards and/or just head shots with info stripped into a high quality paper stock print run on an offset press at what I've found is an extremely reasonable price AND with your copyright/byline and phone number. I highly recommend http://www.isgophoto.com If you go that route, you have to charge a mark-up for your time and efforts to get them printed, usually in press runs of 250-500 cards. It also helps to have some fundamental understanding of the printing process to communicate what you want to the guys doing the work and know how to shoot the work for reproduction to require less post-shoot fixing time. So, as Greg suggested, this is one reason why you'll find more and more "photographers" giving their work away on CD, but a good reason to keep the work to make higher profits up in the $400-600 range for this kind of work, per shoot. Good photography tends to help the model find work. Bad photography ends up in the agency's trash can or, in rare instances, with a post card suggesting the model get the photos redone.
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John H. Siskin |
Hi Sheila, People pay me for my work in order to use it for their businesses, whether they be representing them selves as an actor or selling vitamins. This is why they are paying me. If I have no intention of allowing them to use the work as is appropriate for their business that I ought not sell to them. They are hiring me as a craftsman, not as an artist. Thanks, John Siskin
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Sheila L. Willis |
Thank you all for your advice. It is greatly appreciated. I wasn't expecting answers so fast. I am looking at the ISGO site now. Basically, I need to decide if I want to be a craftsman or hold out for future profit potential. But....what are zed cards?
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Another name for composite cards. Envelope sized, about three pictures worth portfolio or calling cards. With personal stats like height, eye and hair color, contact info. I'm getting a feeling that you may not have understood John's point, and that's if I understood it also. Headshots aren't something that working photographers group together as being the same kind of work they do along with commercial, ad campaigns, fashion, and the stuff they work out licensing uses and copyright protection. The whole purpose is to provide the photos or a bunch of prints for the actor to give away and send out. So it's not something that you have to be either/or about.
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John H. Siskin |
If you want to do head shots, you need to give the client what they want. If I work with a large company I get more of what I want, but I still have to deliver what the client wants. Note that this is not always what the client needs. Thanks, John Siskin
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Sheila L. Willis |
Thanks again. I've seen zed cards now that I know what they are. Around here though, they are usually used for party advertisement. I am going to give her a cd, and she will provide some referrals.
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Mark Feldstein |
Of course she'll provide some referrals and they'll be asking you to provide the work on CDs and round and round you go, with or without your "copyright" emblazened on your CD copies of your photos. Best wishes to you in your new endeavor, Sheila. M.
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Sara Montour |
When I shoot headshots I charge the fee for the shoot and include 2 digital files on a CD with a print release for their own non-commercial use. So, they can use them for their promotional purposes, but I hold the copyright and they can't license them for any other uses.
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Kayleigh R. Carter |
Thats a pretty radsauce idea Sara! What exactly does the print release say so I can start doing that as well?
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Sheila L. Willis |
That exactly what I had decided to do. I'm trying to find some sample print releases so that I can draw one up. Any ideas on where to find one to suit my purposes?
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Sara Montour |
Something simple like this is what I usually use:
__________________________________________________ to use the material specified in this Permission Form for their own personal use only. This does not include commercial use. This permission is for the following material: Nature of material ________________________________________________________ Source _______________________________________________________________________________ It is understood that the grant of this permission shall in no way restrict republication of the material by the photographer or others authorized by the photographer. ___________________________________________________ ____________________________
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Christie R. Bielss |
From having been a model several (and did I say several?) years back, when I had headshots taken I was given a copyright release, and if the photographer chose, they could put a small credit on the photo. Because I had an agent, then their commercial agency info had to be put on the photo, along with all of my stats. By doing a release that is strictly for "personal use", would that prevent the model from being able to get these kind of prints made? Also, when I was doing this 8 years ago, it cost around $300 for a one-hour session with a lesser-known "agency-approved" photographer. Any touch-ups and stuff were done through the lab - not the photographer. The photographer pretty much took the shots, sent them to a lab and he was done. But like I said that was 8+ years ago and I'm sure just a few things have changed since then. ;)
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Could make a lab not want to print 250 8x10's when they see "strictly for personal use" on a release form.
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Christie R. Bielss |
To say the least.
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