How much (Page 2): What ever you decide to do make sure it is a ONE TIME RELEASE so he cannot continue to use it without your permission or payment.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

jrw_mdus wrote:

I take and post on marine traffic ship pictures, some 200. A reality show producer has approached asking to use one or two in an upcoming documentary on ship disasters how much should I charge for the use. Any one have any experience?

What ever you decide to do make sure it is a ONE TIME RELEASE so he cannot continue to use it without your permission or payment.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

traderjohn wrote:

Your name as the photographer is as important as the price.

But you should still get paid! Exposure is not being paid. I can expose myself!!!

Wait, I didn't mean it like that.

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

jrw_mdus wrote:

I take and post on marine traffic ship pictures, some 200. A reality show producer has approached asking to use one or two in an upcoming documentary on ship disasters how much should I charge for the use. Any one have any experience?

Some information on what to consider in regards to pricing your work are on this page:

http://www.roshsillars.com/2018/02/21/much-photographers-charge-2018/

Stan

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Phew!! We were worried! There is a section dedicated to that.
Mark

dsmeltz wrote:

But you should still get paid! Exposure is not being paid. I can expose myself!!!

Wait, I didn't mean it like that.

!!

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

Stardust wrote:

These type of shows almost always have standard rates they pay, although obviously dependent on how rare the photo the more negotiable. May also ask for a credit line when credits are shown if that is worth anything to you.

In addition, I would ask for residuals for multiple showings or negotiate a price to sell them all residuals. Please keep us posted on the outcome.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

First, you must "license limited usage" to them. Do not under any circumstances "sell them your copyright". Retain the copyright (your "ownership" of the image). I also highly recommend you register your copyright. That must be done within 90 days of first publication to give maximum protection in the event of misuse of the image. If not registered in a timely manner, your recourse is greatly reduced. If left unregistered, you have relatively little recourse (you can get a judgment in small claims court for "standard usage fees", but good luck collecting it).

Image licensing is very flexible and can be set up to accommodate almost any usage. So there really is no need to ever sell a copyright and give up your ownership of the image.

Your next question to them should be asking for specific details how they intend to use the image. I'd also search online and at the major stock photo agencies to see if there are other similar images out there, "competing" with yours. You need to know these things to determine fair value and licensing.

An image license can or should:

- be for single or multiple uses (always state "further use requires additional written permission from copyright holder", leaving the door open to future negotiated use).
- be for use in a certain way within a specified market or world wide.
- be for a set number of copies of a book or publications
- prevent re-sale of the usage by the licensee
- determine exclusivity of usage.
- set a time frame for the usage.

A very helpful book is Michael Heron's "Pricing Photography". In addition to helping you determine value based upon the user's needs, it also includes sample licensing agreements and a lot more detail than we can possible get into here about the fine points of licensing. There are also some similar online resources, but all I'm aware of require a subscription or membership. It's somewhat risky asking the would-be user their budget or to make an offer. Photo editors job is to get the best deal they can for the publisher... not for you. And unfortunately photo editors have gotten accustomed to naive photographers who sell their images at ridiculously cheap micro-stock prices or give away their work free just for the thrill of seeing their name in a photo credit.

Photos credits are "nice" and appeal to photographers' egos. But to get some idea of their actual value try to use photo credits to pay the rent, buy food or put gas in your!. Photo credits are pretty standard practice in most publications (real world or onlnie), particularly when the image is outsourced. Credits are usually not given in advertising usage. The most valuable things about a photo credit are that it helps protect your copyright ownership and that it might lead to additional licensing of the image to other users in the future. Also you should ask for and get a "tearsheet" or at least a get a digital copy of the page showing using your image in use, to put in your portfolio for future bragging rights to potential customers.

Be careful. It's always difficult to say a photo's future value. A photographer shooting a teenage Norma Jeane Baker would have no idea that she'd eventually be known to the world as Marilyn Monroe. At one time Mick Jagger and John Lennon were unknowns, too.

Some years ago I worked with a newspaper photogpraher who took one of the most iconic photos of the 20th century. You've probably seen it: A 1963 black & white image of Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald in the basement of the Dallas police station, shortly after the Kennedy assassination. He was a staff photographer for the Dallas Morning News at the time, so the newspaper owned the copyright. But when Bob left their employment, they gifted the copyright to him. Re-used many thousands of times since in publications worldwide, I have little doubt that the ongoing licensing fees from that one image have paid for his kids' college educations and much, much more. It's hard to say if Bob or the newspaper publisher and editors had any idea the future value of that image.

I also knew a photographer who resold some stock photos dozens of times and seaw certain images generate license fees totaling six figures over time. He was very pleasantly surprised at times when a photo "went viral"! His stock sales were actually a side-line to his work as a travel, advertising and assignment photographer (but he sold enough stock to be considered one of the top five stock photographers in the world and to employ two people full time just to handle that portion of his business, leaving him free to go make more images).

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

dborengasser wrote:

A fundamental principle/proverb concerning negotiating is "whoever gives a price first is at disadvantage". That being said, it's good to have an approximate fair price in mind, and if you must go first add at least 20% to that.

Clarify usage rights in writing, too. If a documentary will be shown on PBS, your image should command more than the local news.

d2b2 Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA

dsmeltz wrote:

They sought you out. Ask them to submit an offer and terms. Then you have something to react to.

And when they make that offer - whatever it is - tell them it is not enough!

sv3noKin51E

jrw_mdus wrote:

I take and post on marine traffic ship pictures, some 200. A reality show producer has approached asking to use one or two in an upcoming documentary on ship disasters how much should I charge for the use. Any one have any experience?

jrw; depending on the seriousness of the environment and mood of the producer, I usually don't hesitate when I automatically respond with the low-ball sale price of $2,000,000.00 (from the 'Clear and Present Danger' film when Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan wants to rent/buy a Huey helicopter). Humor doesn't hurt unless you have a buyer who has absolutely no sense of humor, and 2M beats $2K anyday:) Life is too short if a producer can't take a 3 second pause for humor before serious dickering, and shows you know your work is worth it, even if you won't get 2M. All the better if they know Harrison Ford's work. The buyer's eyebrow going up for a second is always countered with a disarming grin, and your serious request for their bid, as others wisely have stated. Good luck. sv

ggab Loc: ?

jrw_mdus wrote:

I take and post on marine traffic ship pictures, some 200. A reality show producer has approached asking to use one or two in an upcoming documentary on ship disasters how much should I charge for the use. Any one have any experience?

How many people, that have photography skills, have taken pictures of that ship? What, if anything, is unique about your pictures? Essentially, why are they coming to you?
If your pictures have a unique "something" and the fact that the ship has sank, your images could be very rare. If you are going to negotiate, you need to know the entire picture. Your strengths and weaknesses.

If you are relatively unknown, they will try to low ball you big time. They may offer spiffs that do not cost them anything, yet feed your ego in the attempt.
Keep your ego and emotion out of the negotiation. Fully understand both your position and theirs.

Good luck.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

sv3noKin51E wrote:

jrw; depending on the seriousness of the environme... (show quote)

Get real. We are talking about a few still photographs, not an entire motion picture. If I was a producer and couldn't get a historic still picture and the owner asked for a ridiculous sum, I would walk away and find a picture of another ship for a reasonable price. And, remember with CGI an inauthentic photograph can be altered to look like the real thing.

ggab Loc: ?

bpulv wrote:

Get real. We are talking about a few still photographs, not an entire motion picture. If I was a producer and couldn't get a historic still picture and the owner asked for a ridiculous sum, I would walk away and find a picture of another ship for a reasonable price. And, remember with CGI an inauthentic photograph can be altered to look like the real thing.

And, remember, CGI for movies is real cheap.

johnt56942

You should not put the first price on the table. You are at a disadvantage if you do. Research on line Go on Yahoo or Google and ask bout what amount of money can your photos go for when it comes to selling to news media or television show. You may be surpised what you find out. Reseach do not take anything. Unless they have experience in this field. You will find out the right resources if you do it the way I suggest. God Bless your endeavor

d2b2 Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA

Mick Jagger was reportedly called by Pepsi (I think it was,) and asked how much he would charge for the Company to use one of the Rolling Stones' songs in an advertisement. He had no idea! No one had asked him that before. So, in his own ignorance, he asked what Pepsi was thinking. In the meantime, he had figures running through his head that he thought were so ridiculously high, he was almost embarrassed to say them out loud. Pepsi came back with a number that was something like five times what he had been thinking, at the high end of his own numbers. Let the Buyer go first, is the lesson here!