This morning as I was journaling,
I mentioned that I want to do a third installment on Growing My Photography. As I continued writing and was talking
about the latest website adjustments, I began to wonder, what would happen if
all of a sudden my website took off and I had people contacting me to make
purchases? (That’s legitimate people, not all those scams that go on.)
Yes, I know, the chance that my
site would be a big hit and one that a lot of people will find is not likely.
It’s dreaming… or is it fear, ha ha. However, it is something to consider. It
has taken me years to be comfortable with the prices I have set for prints and
products (comfortable, though I still sometimes doubt.) However, the question came
up about someone wanting a digital image to use on their own website or in some
kind of advertising? What would I charge for that?
I’ve already had people ask me to
e-mail images, people who just wanted them for personal reasons. I do have to
take into consideration, though, that I am trying to eke out a living with my
art. Sometimes I don’t mind sending a photo especially when people are doing
volunteer publications in town. I feel
that’s one way to do my part, but how often do I do that sort of thing? I also
wonder if people think that because they are receiving the image via e-mail and
I’m not printing it for them, that there should be no charge.
I know what I am paid per photo
used in the newspaper. Would that price also work for others? Dr. Bob, who does
my website, sent me a couple of links addressing this issue. What I read was
enlightening. Photographers have been dealing with price issues forever and
with digital images, there are more questions and more issues to consider. There
is no one real answer.
I’ve talked about my friend,
Karen Winterholer, who has had her images copied from her website and used
elsewhere without permission or acknowledgment, and legally, that is theft.
There are sites that do “give away” photos, but if a website is copyrighted
with all rights reserved, that is a totally different story. I don’t know if there’s any way to stop this from
happening. There are always those who want to take and not pay. Hey, I like to
get things for free, too, but to take someone else’s images without permission
is something I wouldn’t even consider.
So, perusing the two websites
gave me much to consider. Simply put, it all depends on the situation, what the
customer is looking for, how the image will be used, and negotiating the price.
Licensing also needs to be taken into account. Is the customer looking to own
the image outright? If I understand this correctly, if the customer purchases the
licensing rights, you would no longer be able to sell prints or use that image
yourself. In this case, you would be able to ask for a lot more money in the
negotiation.
Determining and setting prices
for any kind of art work entails a lot of thought and planning. I’ve been told,
for the most part, that it’s important to have consistent pricing. You wouldn’t
want something in a gallery or show at one price (because of commission or show
fees) and charge a different price if the customer comes directly to you. Now,
in reading yesterday’s material, what holds for prints and such is not
necessarily true for digital submissions.
Such as life and the bottom line
is that each artist needs to find their own way.
Here are the two websites:
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