Licensing One Of My Photos!

Hi Jacque,

Sorry, haven't a clue re. the licensing but how exciting for you!

There's some funny code thing happening on your about page btw.

Tina

Jacque,

Welcome! We really can't help, until we know what the usage will be, and HOW it will be used and BY WHOM, tiny little business or GOOGLE!!! Then we can help offer advice....

Rich

Here is a calculator you can use to come up with something.

https://www.gettyimages.com/purchase/price-calculator/sb10069475ab-001

Adam's link is helpful. Alternatively, go to a photographer's web page that does have a stock engine and use their prices as an example. You're welcome to use the one in my website's photo archive, if you want (it's just my name dot come). You'll have to add a photo to cart and then select the Products tab in the pop-up.

If this becomes a regular thing, consider investing in FotoQuote software. It's quite handy for those who license a lot.

Also, be ready to be flexible with your pricing, and be prepared for rejection. The Getty pricing engine is showing prices that 95% of the prospective clientele will not pay. Most licensing customers will come to you citing a limited (or no) budget, and are not willing to pay high prices. I usually negotiate in order to close the sale. Also, just because a customer is a "non-profit," it doesn't mean a photographer is. Travel, gear and time all cost us money. Don't just give away images to a non-profit. They should have a budget for marketing, so they shouldn't automatically get stuff for free every time.

And of course, don't simply give your work away. Though since you're asking here already, you're obviously on the right path in that regard.

Max

You want to know the exact use. If it is print or a product you want to know how many. You want to have a time limit but make it reasonable. Not forever but usually for as long as is needed. You don't want to go back and renegotiate every 6 months or a year and it would be difficult to do that anyway. After you find out the use then ask if there are any other uses they might have so you can add it into the license.

Thanks everyone all this information has been very helpful! I really appreciate it!

Keep in mind when Getty spits out those prices the artist is probably getting at most 30% of that so maybe go with around 50% of it give or take a little.

It seems like lots of inquiries about using a photo want it for free or almost free and will go back and forth endlessly trying to get something for nothing. If they aren’t willing to go with my initial offer or close to it I usually just pass on the deal because it’s not worth the time.

Generally “exposure” or “credit” is worth a big fat zero unless it’s some really high profile thing. The only kind of “credit” or “exposure” that is worth anything is a printed item with your website address on it or a link to your website. Just putting your name with the photo is worthless.

If it’s a high profile calendar or something like that, then if you have a gallery or do a show or something like that it can be something to show off to build your brand and show your work has been used in some sort of high profile thing. It can give you more credibility.

Chances are anyone who contacts you is doing it as part of their job that they get paid for and if they want to use and feature your work then you should be compensated for it.

Hi Jacque, I have been selling via agencies for 19 years and to independent book producers for about 22 years. Prices are not what they used to be. Often small magazines will say that if you let them use it for free or at a reduced price they will try and give you business in the future. Not always true as sometimes the person sourcing the image needs it for a deadline and after the deadline is met then the promises are forgotten. It really depends on what the use is for and you can take a look at a few online libraries, find similar images and then price them. Once priced you can reduce the price a bit because if you were selling via an agency you would get between 30 -50% of the sale price.

You can research the going rates for a number of markets on google...