Hi all,
I am only just turning pro after many years, but have already been asked to submit some of my images to a country for their board of tourism to use. I am only in early discussions as yet, but any images of mine they want to use, will be used globally for advertisment purposes via anything from magazine adverts through to billboards, or possibly even on TV.
How do I go about negotiating agreements and prices with a country and what payment could I reasonably hope to recieve?
Thanks for any info and help.
Dave (UK)
What your (and I use that term in a generic way) photographs are 'worth' vs. what you can 'sell' them for is often an equation that rarely balances. Thus the short and generalised answer... is as a pro ' whatever you can get for them that is over and above your break even point to make a living from your photography and ensure repeat business. '
An amateur will usually either give away their images or sell them for far less than a pro photographer - usually because they are happy just get something in print. They don't know the real value of an image per se in terms of what it means in $ to a working pro. This is why a lot of pros are whinging that amateurs are eating into their market. But I digress...
In order to give any kind of meaningful answer to your question you will have to give more detail. What sort of use are the images for - I dont mean where will they be used as you have given an indication already - but will they be Rights managed? provided for exclusive use?
Wether your client has made you aware or not - they WILL have a budget for the purchase of images. If its government (I assume by country you mean a government tourism dept.) then that budget will be pretty much set in stone. In fact, they will likely tell you what they will pay you for them and you will be left to make the decision on wether you want to accept it or not.
I dont mean to sound blunt or overtly critical; but if you have turned pro you should already have a good idea on how to negotiate agreements as well as understanding what payment you 'need'; rather than what you 'hope to receive'. Its a critical difference.
As a pro you have to be prepared to walk away from a potential sale if the $ just dont stack up for you. Work out what you need in dollars from the photographs to maintain your life and run a business (it will be a scary number). Sell yourself and your photos for the value they are worth to your client (easier said than done these days). Dont give them away just to make a cheap buck. I declined to license some files only last week to a company in NZ that couldn't even get close to what I need to make my living. They were shocked when I rejected their offer - even when I explained why in great detail. Sometimes thats just the way it goes...
I dont know who the UK pro photography association is - but here in Australia the AIPP provide an industry guide to pricing for this sort of thing if you are unsure of where to start. Might be worth speaking with the UK equivalent (I assume there is one).
