 - Wendy Wyatt  Contact Wendy Wyatt Wendy Wyatt's Gallery |
Pricing for Commercial Use I may have my first paying shoot for a commercial use, and don't know how the whole copyright and pricing thing works. I know what to charge to go to the sight and take the picture, but don't have a clue as to what to tell them price wise for using my photo in their advertising. Thanks
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John H. Siskin |
Hi Wendy, I don’t like to give prices, especially on a commercial job, because the circumstances of each job can be very different. However, I would say that pricing a commercial job is different from pricing a portrait job. A portrait photographer gives an artificially low price, and expects to make his/her profit on the print order. Consequently, it is vital to retain control of the files. When you do a job for a business, however, you will have to provide them with a copy of the finished files. They will need it for their advertising, whether on the Web or in print. Most businesses will not understand if you give them a bill that shows fees for the shoot and usage fees. It is easier to maintain a good relationship with the client if you do not try to tack on fees. Having said this, you can charge much more for a commercial shoot than you would get for a portrait. If you work for an ad agency, you have a much better chance of getting usage fees. Don’t give your work away, but make it easy for the business to pay you. Thanks.
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- Wendy Wyatt Contact Wendy Wyatt Wendy Wyatt's Gallery |
What about copyright, do you give them permission to use the photo for a specific amount of time? Should there be a fee for that as well?
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John H. Siskin |
Hi Wendy, The thing that you want to keep in mind, if you try to add a bunch of fees to a commercial sale, is that you will probably never see that client again. Charge the money you think you want for the job upfront. This is not a wedding where you tack on prints after the job is over. Most commercial jobs are more about craft than art. For a basic product shot, made for the client, it is unlikely that any client would pay additional fees, if they went direct to the photographer. If you worked through an ad agency, or if you did something really unusual, then you can probably charge extra fees. If someone buys a stock shot, you can charge extra fees. But for the majority of work commissioned by businesses you are unlikely to be paid extra for copyright. Remember they paid you to do the job. Of course I don’t know the circumstances of the job you are doing, so this advice might not apply. Thanks, John Siskin
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
This is sounding like a local business venture, and Mr. Siskin may be alluding to the fact that something like a local clothing store, just as an example, probably isn't going to be a situation where whatever photos you take, you can re-use them somewhere else. So a usage fee and a lot of emphasis on retaining copyrights is going to make react like "what's all this?!" However, it's always good to make clear that all photos are yours to use for portfolio purposes. And iron out the details of the extent of what this business plans to do with the photo. Just a brochure, not as much as brochure plus in-store display plus print ad plus web ad. If you can give him more specifics to what you're going to be doing, he probably won't give you direct price quote, but maybe get you in the ballpark. Or at least the first row of the parking lot.
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Ronald H. Musser |
If they are hiriing you to do a specific job, shooting interiors, products, ect. They will have a price they are willing to pay. if you like it take if not try to come to an agreement on your compensation. If they hire you they are paying you for the work you produce and they have they can use it in any manner they like. I would suggest that you make sure that you have the right to include it in your portifolio.
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