ADVICE needed - Contacted by Local Chamber About Using Photos in Print

I am torn, as usual.

I have the local chamber of commerce contacting me about using my photos in a print brochure they put out for residents new to the area. Great news, of course. However, she asked if "I would charge for the photo usage, or would photo credit be acceptable".

Now my head is spinning. I want to get back to her as soon as possible. I do not want to throw away an income possibility, while at the same time if I put a $$ on the photos, the exposure might be gone either way.

How do you handle a situation like this? I would prefer not to say, "well, it's this much to use my photos in print....oh you have no budget?....well, then OK, here are the images to use free but with credit".

Make sense? Can I ask her if she has a budget FIRST? I have sold images that are local to our area to businesses to use as backgrounds on websites. Maybe I could lead with that?

Thank you for any and all feedback regarding what direction to go.

skwty wrote in post #18505259
I am torn, as usual.

I have the local chamber of commerce contacting me about using my photos in a print brochure they put out for residents new to the area. Great news, of course. However, she asked if "I would charge for the photo usage, or would photo credit be acceptable".

Now my head is spinning. I want to get back to her as soon as possible. I do not want to throw away an income possibility, while at the same time if I put a $$ on the photos, the exposure might be gone either way.

How do you handle a situation like this? I would prefer not to say, "well, it's this much to use my photos in print....oh you have no budget?....well, then OK, here are the images to use free but with credit".

Make sense? Can I ask her if she has a budget FIRST? I have sold images that are local to our area to businesses to use as backgrounds on websites. Maybe I could lead with that?

Thank you for any and all feedback regarding what direction to go.

You are in a 'negotiation'. The Chamber of Commerce representative has already initiated this by seeking your terms. If you go back with a reasonable figure, he/she is unlikely to reject it outright and walk away. At best, they will accept your terms (very unlikely). At worst, they are going to come back with a counter-offer. I don't think they are going to say 'Goodbye ... we're just not interested'.

EDIT: I forgot to add ... don't, under any circumstances, ask what their budget is. Who on this planet is going to give you a true answer to that question?

Thank you very much for your quick reply. I understand what you mean and am going to take your advice by offering my terms and see where it goes.

$500

BlakeC wrote in post #18505285
$500

Regardless of # of prints and the distribution numbers?

skwty wrote in post #18505304
Regardless of # of prints and the distribution numbers?

that's up to you I guess.
I just threw a random number out there to get ppl thinking.
The chamber is cheap. And every community is different and has different budgets.
I know our Chamber wouldn't pay for a photo. Do you know if yours does? I bet they have a low budget, that's why they already asked you to use it for free "photo credit."
If they really wanted it and were planning to pay, they would have lead with "We would like to use your photo, what is your fee?" Or "This is what we usually pay for photos." They most likely expect you to charge but are hoping you won't. They may so no thanks if you give them a price at all.

You could start by telling them you require a usage license to be purchased for use of any of your photos. Then ask them for more information about their intended use.

Maybe start with what you charge local businesses for photo usage. Then look at that number and decide if you think the Chamber should pay more or less for their use.

BlakeC wrote in post #18505308
that's up to you I guess.
I just threw a random number out there to get ppl thinking.
The chamber is cheap. And every community is different and has different budgets.
I know our Chamber wouldn't pay for a photo. Do you know if yours does? I bet they have a low budget, that's why they already asked you to use it for free "photo credit."
If they really wanted it and were expecting to pay, they would have lead with "We would like to use your photo, what is your fee?" Or "This is what we usually pay for photos."

Maybe start with what you charge local businesses for photo usage. Then look at that number and decide if you think the Chamber should pay more or less for their use.

I see. Well, I wasn't going to use those numbers as part of my quote. Just that they wanted to use for print and whether they wanted exclusive rights. I have NO idea if my chamber will pay, but I am guessing it will NOT. I am guessing they might have opened with something else as well. If they are not going to pay, I am going to offer a few photos for photo credit and then offer my services to cover events and other smaller communities/businesses in the area for the exposure.

We'll see where it goes. Thanks!

skwty wrote in post #18505311
I see. Well, I wasn't going to use those numbers as part of my quote. Just that they wanted to use for print and whether they wanted exclusive rights. I have NO idea if my chamber will pay, but I am guessing it will NOT. I am guessing they might have opened with something else as well. If they are not going to pay, I am going to offer a few photos for photo credit and then offer my services to cover events and other smaller communities/businesses in the area for the exposure.

We'll see where it goes. Thanks!

Exactly. They are more just a part of the community. Tell them to give you a free Chamber Membership and some ad space and they can have some photos. Bartering may be an option.
I shoot weddings and product/business photos. I just negotiated a dinner party from a caterer for doing some of their food photos. Didn't really need the extra money, I like these guys, and I wanted a dinner party.

I am always more willing to barter with local businesses.

I do ALMOST nothing for free. Once you do something for free, people begin to expect it. This is the Chamber of Commerce, they are quite aware that people are in business to make money. Now, that being said, if the Chamber has somehow directed some paying customers your way, that might have to be factored in. I can never get over how so many people want images for free when they are only speaking to you because they are getting PAID. Photography already gets little respect, giving away images just amplifies that. I shoot for the local newspaper so people feel that I'm already "getting paid" and have no problem asking for images. I give these images away because people can order 8x10 prints from the newspaper (except pro sports). I already feel under paid so I'd rather not allow them to make money off my prints. Plus, there is no guarantee that the paper will use an image I submit, so I email the images to them as a thank you for taking the time allowing me to take the image and giving me the information I need, such as IDs. My local chamber holds a "photo contest" every year, "winners" are published in the upcoming new year calendar. Just a way of getting free images for a calendar that they charge money for.

BlakeC wrote in post #18505308
that's up to you I guess.
I just threw a random number out there to get ppl thinking.
The chamber is cheap. And every community is different and has different budgets.
I know our Chamber wouldn't pay for a photo. Do you know if yours does? I bet they have a low budget, that's why they already asked you to use it for free "photo credit."
If they really wanted it and were planning to pay, they would have lead with "We would like to use your photo, what is your fee?" Or "This is what we usually pay for photos." They most likely expect you to charge but are hoping you won't. They may so no thanks if you give them a price at all.

Maybe start with what you charge local businesses for photo usage. Then look at that number and decide if you think the Chamber should pay more or less for their use.

Sure the CoC is 'cheap'. It's there to represent business people and business people don't throw money around. On the other hand, the CoC is also probably a lot more familiar with the idea that buying stuff involves paying money for it than would be a lot of other local civic organisations (charities, church groups, and all). And it is hard for a group supposedly representing local businesses to hold with the idea of exploiting individual local businesses by not properly paying for their services.

State a fair and reasonable price (a fair bit higher than your 'lowest price', below which you would not be prepared to do business) and see what comes back. Don't waste any time over it. Make sure you look like you deal with this sort of thing every day ... no stress.

DaviSto wrote in post #18505322
State a fair and reasonable price (a fair bit higher than your 'lowest price', below which you would not be prepared to do business) and see what comes back. Don't waste any time over it. Make sure you look like you deal with this sort of thing every day ... no stress.

This is where I am at. Thank you for the advice and I agree, the chamber KNOWS how local businesses work. If they come back with anything other than payment terms, then I will just go about my day as normal. I tend to try and make it sound like I do this every day, but that is where my head gets wrapped up. We'll see how it goes. I'll report back soon.

Didn't read the tread, but I would do a trade for membership.

I feel it is usually a worthwhile community organization even if you don't always participate. Just drop by the business after hours a couple of times a year, chug a free terrible domestic beer or two, and split.

Membership stands as long as the piece is being used in any form.

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #18505331
Didn't read the tread, but I would do a trade for membership.

I feel it is usually a worthwhile community organization even if you don't always participate. Just drop by the business after hours a couple of times a year, chug a free terrible domestic beer or two, and split.

Membership stands as long as the piece is being used in any form.

I think this is a useful fall-back position. If it turns out that they are just not going to pay out real cash money, come what may, then try to get something out of it that has real value to you but they find easy to give away (even though they really shouldn't see things this way).

But I still think you should be able to get paid for this. It's not going to make you rich ... but you know that, already.

DaviSto wrote in post #18505337
I think this is a useful fall-back position. If it turns out that they are just not going to pay out real cash money, come what may, then try to get something out of it that has real value to you but they find easy to give away (even though they really shouldn't see things this way).

But I still think you should be able to get paid for this. It's not going to make you rich ... but you know that, already.

I think we are all on the same page... DON'T DO IT FOR FREE! lol

I sent them a reply with my print pricing sheet attached. I hope we can work together in ANY capacity, but for now, the ball is in their court. Thanks again for the discussion, everything here was useful to me!