uniqueharm Loc: New Jersey

I just had someone interested in purchasing 4 photos and they asked if they can purchase them digitally or only as hard copy prints.

I have never sold my photos digitally. I am assuming they are asking to have them e-mailed to them.

My concern with this is having them make many copies and not
being compensated.

If I did do this I have no idea what to charge and should I give full resolution or find out what size they want to print to.

This client wants to make an photo montage so someone.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

Whats the most you think you are likely to make by selling just prints? You could sell the digital copies for that.

You could make a montage and sell that to them.

If you sell them an image that is too small for what they want to use it for then it won't look good, and that will reflect negatively on you.

You could calculate what your time is worth use that figure.

Give them a print release so they can make copies, not a copyright release where they now own it and you can't use it without their permission.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

The final decision of course is yours to make, but selling the original digital image is akin to selling the negative (from yesteryear). In other words, you are turning over to the client ALL capability for creating whatever he/she wants, so my opinion: Make the price sufficient enough to cover whatever you may have originally received, then double it, because you've sold your option to earn more in the future from those images.

JaiGieEse Loc: Foxworth, MS

Selling the digital, as has been said, gives the buyer the ability to make as many prints as they wish, for as long as they wish. What you should do is to LICENSE the image(s). Most licenses, the sort you'll gain from on-line stock agencies, are ROYALTY-FREE licenses. This sort of license gives the user the right to use the image as needed, within specified limits. Said limits are delineated within the licensing contract. Most agencies will charge $150 to $250 per image for such a license. This licensing makes it clear, on paper, that YOU still own the image and have the rights to do with it anything you wish, regardless of how the licenser feels.

The next step is RIGHTS-MANAGED licensing. This specifies a specific use for the image, with defined limits as to how many times and how said image may be reproduced, etc. Rights-managed licensing also comes into play when a buyer wants exclusive rights to the image. Such a situation may arise in advertising or promotional uses.

Right-managed is considerably more expensive to begin with, and the cost will rise with increasing use of the image. Let's say, a buyer wants an image for a book jacket. The contract will specify how many copies of the jacket may be printed. Anything beyond that requires further compensation.

Needless to say, if the buyer wants exclusive rights to the image, then the licensing cost ought to be in the four and five figure range, minimum. You license an image on an exclusive basis, it's gone, as far as you are concerned. You'll have no further rights to make any use of said image.

Licensing is the way to proceed in this case, Given your description, I'd think Royalty-free is the way to go. You can get more info online at places like SmugMug, Zenfolio, 500px and so on .

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

You need to know more about what the buyer wants to do with the images... are they for personal use? Or for editorial use (magazine, newspaper, website)? Or for commercial use (advertising, resale of any sort)? Educational (text book, seminar)?

Different uses mean different prices. For example, I charge about the same as an 8x10/8x12 print, for a moderately high resolution digital file, enough to make an 8x10/8x12 or slightly larger. I charge considerably less for small, lower resolution digital files for proofing purposes, and offer various quantity discounts. These are technically too small for printing purposes (though some might try).

Editorial, commercial or educational uses all would mean higher pricing. It varies a lot depending upon the exact usage and other factors (such as range of distribution, exclusivity, etc.)

The image license always limits what they can do with the image... including derivative works (you mentioned a montage).

I never sell RAW files or un-finished images. The small proof files are simple Lightroom grade proofs. Everything else has more advanced finishing, usually worked in Photoshop at least.

I always embed licensing info in the EXIF and attach a txt file with the same info. If they take it to a printer, they'll need that or the printer might refuse to work with the image.

I always retain copyright ownership. (I would consider selling it... but the cost would be very high, so most customers would not be interested.)