need some advice.... please....

[SteveJa]

This is going to be somewhat long... so if you dont like long posts... sorry!!! Also it is a post of selling and or pricing.

I used to race RC cars for about 15years total. I have since taking to photography and guess what? I love to take photos of RC cars. I have a local track that is great and race every weekend. I take pictures of everyones cars on the track and post them on my flickr. People love seeing there cars in action. I sell my photos, never give them away.

At my local track we had a National race, all the big name racers where there and magazines taking photos. I spent 4days at the track taking pictures and 3 more going through the photos and fixing them and posting them.

After everything was done, I started to send some of the pictures to the RC car manufactures to see if I could get some of them to buy my pictures. In a dumb move I gave 2 photos to a company that are using them as wallpapers. (they are giving them away for free so free for free.. ya my bad) They have my signature on them but I just gave them the photos because I though sure I want to get my name out there and all the excitement (remember I am very new to all of this)

http://67.199.85.166/media/ the ones with the truck that say ©2009 Javorsky on them.

Moving on.

I have another company that just emailed me wanting to buy some photos of mine. First off it is my bad... I should not send photos to companies when I dont have a plan together. But really I did not think any would respond.

Here is a quote from the email

"We may be interested to purchase some unwatermarked images for promotional use. We would acquire all rights to these pix. What are your policies and prices?"

again my bad. I have pricing for John Doe when he wants an 8x10 or just the digital file because he wants to use it as a screensaver or desktop, but for company use? Also they acquire all rights ? and policies ?

Any help or links to read up on.

Thanks.

Here are some of the photos I sent them.

http://excalibursword.mine.nu:8081/sharepictures/img0107dpp.jpg

http://excalibursword.mine.nu:8081/sharepictures/img0120dpp.jpg

http://excalibursword.mine.nu:8081/sharepictures/img9607dpp.jpg

[rabidcow]

$50 per image plus a $25 copyright release (for all images, not each image) is standard for us when customers want digital only.

We release the images non-edited on CD. Editing should cost a bit more, but we do no in-house editing, as we have lab personnel for that.

[The Stig]

Don't have any advice for ya, but I'm a RC-to-photog refugee myself. I'm surprised Team Associated would pull a stunt like that. But in any event, g/l to ya combining the two hobbies :-)

[PhotosGuy]

You have some nicer ones in the gallery. For you, & only in this case, remember, whatever you charge for these 3 average shots this year, that's what they'll expect to pay next year, so I'd start with this on the low end...
$200 per unedited image including all exclusive rights for two years. See what they come back with.

Next time, get a shot of the start & one with the winner holding the car + anything else you can think of. More in the air shots would be good, too.

Sticky: How much Do I Charge? One of the most often asked questions (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=137162)

License of Rights (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=408066)

[Bsmooth]

i'm trying to break into photography too,with no sucess, but If team associated used your images,they must be pretty good.i would use that fact to your advantage.Let people know there using them,use it as great advertising.Use there name.They already used your images,besides there still YOUR images !

[Concretin Nik]

Also think about what the photos are worth to anyone else... probably not alot of money, or very few people... so I would take the big sale where you can. I like the above idea of a time limit on their "exclusivity", but I wouldn't give up copyright. (Don't know why, that's just a thing with me... even with a very liberal license, I want to retain my copyright... weirdo, I know) Relinguishing that (paid or not) means you can no longer do what you want with the photo... That would take a BIG check for me.

Be glad the wallpapers still have your copyright on them... too bad it doesn't have contact info (website or phone #)... You might ask that company to provide a link or contact info, considering they did use your photos for their own promotion without asking... Something like, "For more great RC photos, Contact Steve J. at #."

Good luck. Have fun!

[Alleh]

$50 per image plus a $25 copyright release (for all images, not each image) is standard for us when customers want digital only.

We release the images non-edited on CD. Editing should cost a bit more, but we do no in-house editing, as we have lab personnel for that.

They are looking for commercial use not personal. $75 is not even close to enough for all rights.

$400 with all rights is a little more fair considering you can't really resell it anywhere else anyway. I wouldn't go lower than $250 if they don't bit at $400.

Racing RC cars looks like so much fun.

[Alleh]

You have some nicer ones in the gallery. For you, & only in this case, remember, whatever you charge for these 3 average shots this year, that's what they'll expect to pay next year, so I'd start with this on the low end...
$200 per unedited image including all exclusive rights for two years. See what they come back with.

Next time, get a shot of the start & one with the winner holding the car + anything else you can think of. More in the air shots would be good, too.

Sticky: How much Do I Charge? One of the most often asked questions (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=137162)

License of Rights (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=408066)

2 years exclusive rights for $200 sounds good as well. They don't really need the images longer then that anyway plus it gives you a way to negotiate your deal better than just lowering the price on the buyout from $400

[Alleh]

After everything was done, I started to send some of the pictures to the RC car manufactures to see if I could get some of them to buy my pictures. In a dumb move I gave 2 photos to a company that are using them as wallpapers. (they are giving them away for free so free for free.. ya my bad) They have my signature on them but I just gave them the photos because I though sure I want to get my name out there and all the excitement (remember I am very new to all of this)


It's also illegal for them to be distributing your photo even if for free.

[Karl Johnston]

They are looking for commercial use not personal. $75 is not even close to enough for all rights.

$400 with all rights is a little more fair considering you can't really resell it anywhere else anyway. I wouldn't go lower than $250 if they don't bit at $400.

Racing RC cars looks like so much fun.
I echo him

[rabidcow]

They are looking for commercial use not personal. $75 is not even close to enough for all rights.

$400 with all rights is a little more fair considering you can't really resell it anywhere else anyway. I wouldn't go lower than $250 if they don't bit at $400.

Racing RC cars looks like so much fun.

Just my $00.02 :)

I do not deal with commercial photography and the rights/norms therein, so I only pass on that which I know.

[Tom Reichner]

I like the above idea of a time limit on their "exclusivity", but I wouldn't give up copyright. (Don't know why, that's just a thing with me... even with a very liberal license, I want to retain my copyright... weirdo, I know) Relinguishing that (paid or not) means you can no longer do what you want with the photo... That would take a BIG check for me.

Regarding the whole "release of copyright" issue, there are certain publications & manufacturers that you simply won't sell to unless you're willing to give the copyright to them. Many companies simply are not interested in photos at all unless they control the copyright. If you are stuck on keeping the copyright, you simply lose out on many, many opportunities to sell images. If you ever want to earn a consistent income selling product photos, you've gotta get over it.

[Concretin Nik]

Regarding the whole "release of copyright" issue, there are certain publications & manufacturers that you simply won't sell to unless you're willing to give the copyright to them. Many companies simply are not interested in photos at all unless they control the copyright. If you are stuck on keeping the copyright, you simply lose out on many, many opportunities to sell images. If you ever want to earn a consistent income selling product photos, you've gotta get over it.

Good thing I'm not in that business then huh? ;) And I said I'd give it up, but for a bigger check. :)

For me, at the very least, I want to be able to use any photo I take for my own promotion/marketing... So yea, it's important to me. I admit it's a strange neurotic hang up for me...

I can absolutely understand a company demanding copyrights to photos of their products, if they hire the photog for the shoot. (There is some debate on who owns 'commissioned' photos copyright... contracts are very important in those situations.) The OPs pics aren't commissioned photos...