Hired by the organiser/venue or band to shoot, watermark or no watermark?

[The Moose]

I've shot paid gigs a few times now, hired by the band or organiser and each time I've just given them as many photos as I could on a disc at a size good enough for myspace (800px long end usually). It's always been pretty informal and I never put my watermark on any of the photos. Should I have? Should I from now on in similar situations? Should I tell them to contact me again and pay another fee if they want some photos with no watermark for some reason? Seeing as they've been informal agreements, I'm thinking I should have watermarked them because it's not like they paid more or anything. I'm still getting into shooting paid gigs so anything related to this would be very helpful :)

[Mark1]

What does your contract say?

If you have done it a few times it is time to start to "get it in writing" before they start to take advantage of you. "getting it togather" now will be a lot easier than later if this grows into something bigger.

If you are delivering proofs first, I definatley would watermark them. But not on the final images. -- how many CD liner note photos have you seen that are watermarked?--

I would start to limit you offerings as well. Send in just the good ones. Rather than everything you can fit on a CD. At times it can be hard as we like our own work. But be ruthless in editing, the quality you submit will be better, and with better work comes more work.

[The Moose]

What does your contract say?

If you have done it a few times it is time to start to "get it in writing" before they start to take advantage of you. "getting it togather" now will be a lot easier than later if this grows into something bigger.

If you are delivering proofs first, I definatley would watermark them. But not on the final images. -- how many CD liner note photos have you seen that are watermarked?--

I would start to limit you offerings as well. Send in just the good ones. Rather than everything you can fit on a CD. At times it can be hard as we like our own work. But be ruthless in editing, the quality you submit will be better, and with better work comes more work.

I don't have a contract, they've all been small gigs where I've just spoken to one person and they've dealt with me really. Getting it together is what I want to do and that's why I started this thread because I need some knowledge as I don't know any photographers experienced in this field that I can talk to face-to-face :lol:

Yeah that's what I meant by if they wanted to use them for a new CD or something that I'd get them to contact me and pay another fee.

I definitely only send in the good ones. I go through them a few times over, cull once, cull twice, cull three times and then finalise what I'm giving them. So there aren't any proofs to send really, I just give them however many good ones I ended up with. And that's where I don't watermark but I'm thinking I will from now on.

[merp]

What does your contract say?

If you have done it a few times it is time to start to "get it in writing" before they start to take advantage of you. "getting it togather" now will be a lot easier than later if this grows into something bigger.

If you are delivering proofs first, I definatley would watermark them. But not on the final images. -- how many CD liner note photos have you seen that are watermarked?--

I would start to limit you offerings as well. Send in just the good ones. Rather than everything you can fit on a CD. At times it can be hard as we like our own work. But be ruthless in editing, the quality you submit will be better, and with better work comes more work.

^^great points, and +1 for watermarking your stuff. I mean it's your photos =(