Do I just say no?

I am an amateur photographer, and not looking to become professional. For the first time I've been asked to put some photos I took onto a disc for someone, she's offered to pay me for them. I dont know this woman, I dont want to be nasty and just say no, but I'm not sure if I should charge her, and if so, how much is fair, and if I put them on a disc am I giving away my work to someone else to do with as they please.
It's not something I've investigated because I just take photos for fun, I haven't been in this position before.

What are the photos of?
What will they be used for?

Model shots, I give them a disk with the 10-12 shots on it. They don't buy prints anyway.
Wedding, nope, you got to buy prints from me.

What is the content of the photos? Is it just her kid(s), or something more commercial?

If they are not personal photos, then what business is the buyer in, and what is her intended use?

If they are commercial, here is a way to produce a price:
http://www.cradocfotos​oftware.com/fotoQuote-Pro/

I think we need to find out why she wants the images and what she intends to do with them.

Selling a CD doesn't change the copyright status but it sure makes it easy to violate your copyright. You can protect yourself a tiny bit with a label that says "Copyright 2011 Whippeticious. License is granted to make prints for personal use. Any commercial use is strickly prohibited."

You could also offer to sell some prints instead of giving away the digital files.

Stone-Rogers wrote in post #12715521
What are the photos of?
What will they be used for?

Model shots, I give them a disk with the 10-12 shots on it. They don't buy prints anyway.
Wedding, nope, you got to buy prints from me.

S.Horton wrote in post #12715542
What is the content of the photos? Is it just her kid(s), or something more commercial?

If they are not personal photos, then what business is the buyer in, and what is her intended use?

If they are commercial, here is a way to produce a price:
http://www.cradocfotos​oftware.com/fotoQuote-Pro/

Curtis N wrote in post #12715553
I think we need to find out why she wants the images and what she intends to do with them.

Selling a CD doesn't change the copyright status but it sure makes it easy to violate your copyright. You can protect yourself a tiny bit with a label that says "Copyright 2011 Whippeticious. License is granted to make prints for personal use. Any commercial use is strickly prohibited."

It was of a girls track day, riding motorbikes. I went along to take photos of my friend but took photos of some of the other girls as well. I dont think she wants them for commercial use, but I dont know what she does so I suppose I cant be sure.
this is one of them, the others are similar

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Nice work!

You're not a pro and not wanting to go pro. I'm in the same boat. When I'm in a situation like this and someone asks for copies of the photos I've taken, I give them to her. Do you really care if she prints them? Or uses them as backgrounds?

It's not like I'm losing out on any money because you're not planning on selling photos anyways.

I don't go taking photos to give away, but if its something I'm already taking photos of and someone else wants the photos, I'll give them copies.

Just find a price you'd be comfortable charging and go with that, whether it's $20, $50, $200 or whatever on the condition that she's only using them for personal use and not on-selling them.

That photo you posted looked really good so it's not like you're selling her snap shots or anything. She'd probably be more than happy to pay $100 for some photos to email friends, use as desktop wallpaper or blow up into a canvas. And you get $100 to spend on a couple of really nice bottles of wine that you otherwise wouldn't have bought. It's win/win.

spkerer wrote in post #12716076
You're not a pro and not wanting to go pro. I'm in the same boat. When I'm in a situation like this and someone asks for copies of the photos I've taken, I give them to her. Do you really care if she prints them? Or uses them as backgrounds?

It's not like I'm losing out on any money because you're not planning on selling photos anyways.

I don't go taking photos to give away, but if its something I'm already taking photos of and someone else wants the photos, I'll give them copies.

Up until now I've giving my photos away, but it's been to friends. I know how much professionals feel amateurs like me are bringing down the business of photography and although I have no intention of making it a business I had several requests about the bike photos and I suspect there will be more to come.

Whippeticious wrote in post #12715930
I dont think she wants them for commercial use, but I dont know what she does so I suppose I cant be sure.

Nice shot.
Since "...but I dont know what she does", then you need to ask her? Then, when you do know, you can decide what to do.

If she wants the digital files for her own use (to reproduce prints for herself, scrapbook, computer viewing etc) then I'd charge her the going rate that sport/event photographers are charging. I shoot running races and a single digital file sells for $20, a download of all the racer's shots is $60. This seems to be a sweet spot where racers will often choose to buy all the shots rather than a single shot. If you're expecting to be approached by others wanting to purchase digital files from these races it makes sense to establish some pricing model. BTW - nice shot, you should be able to sell the shots.

You can include a personal non-exclusive usage license so she can reproduce prints, but also state the license does not include third party or commercial usage and that you remain copyright. If you want verbiage for such a license PM and I'll help you out.

I'd also consider a digital download over a disk - save the time burning the disk. Sign up with Dropbox.com (or equivalent), zip all the files together and hang them out in the public folder and email the customer a link with a time frame they have to download.

Good luck - looks like you might be starting a little biz

Rubi Jane wrote in post #12716878
If she wants the digital files for her own use (to reproduce prints for herself, scrapbook, computer viewing etc) then I'd charge her the going rate that sport/event photographers are charging. I shoot running races and a single digital file sells for $20, a download of all the racer's shots is $60. This seems to be a sweet spot where racers will often choose to buy all the shots rather than a single shot. If you're expecting to be approached by others wanting to purchase digital files from these races it makes sense to establish some pricing model. BTW - nice shot, you should be able to sell the shots.

You can include a personal non-exclusive usage license so she can reproduce prints, but also state the license does not include third party or commercial usage and that you remain copyright. If you want verbiage for such a license PM and I'll help you out.

I'd also consider a digital download over a disk - save the time burning the disk. Sign up with Dropbox.com (or equivalent), zip all the files together and hang them out in the public folder and email the customer a link with a time frame they have to download.

Good luck - looks like you might be starting a little biz

thanks for your advice. Is a single digital file one photograph? I'm new to all this, sorry if that is a really dumb question.

You went to the trackday for fun without intending to shoot for sale.

Personally in this situation I'd just be a nice guy and let her have a disc of images - it's not like it is costing you anything to let her have them.

If on the other hand I had made the trip there with the intention of shooting for profit I would sell them as it is a business venture.

Personally I can not understand people wanting to make every last cent from a situation - think about this example :

You are driving down the road and a 20 yr old girl is walking dowh the side of the road away from a car with a petrol can in her hand - you know the petrol station is 2 miles away... do you :

1 - ignore her and keep driving
2 - stop and offer to drop her at the petrol station
3 - stop and offer to drop her at the petrol station for $10
4 - stop and take her to the petrol station and then back to her car

Here is a situation you might not have considered:

You give the woman a CD with a few digital files (even small-ish files at 600 x 800 pixels).

Six months from now a "friend" of the woman mentions to her that they need photos from the track day . . .

The woman you gave the CD to doesn't know anything about intellectual property laws, copyright or trademark issues so she says to the friend, "hey I have a CD with pictures on it you can have" and, as it turns out the friend is the owner of the riding school.

The "friend" uses the pictures in an advertisement that is printed in several magazine issues, a billboard on the side of the freeway and several banners displayed at the track advertising the riding school . . .

The woman knows nothing about intellectual property laws, so she has no idea she did something wrong . . .

The "friend" who owns the riding school also has no clue about copyright and intellectual property laws, so that person has no idea that what they did was wrong . . .

Nobody cares WHO took the pictures, only that the woman in the pictures is someone they know . . .

Meanwhile you DIDN'T get paid a single cent, or the woman paid you $40 bucks for the CD and you are left trying to explain to the people that YOU didn't give permission to use your images in advertisements and you would like to be paid a reasonable amount for the licensing of your images . . .

You should have thousands of dollars in your pocket for the use of your images, but the hassle of trying to educate these people about intellectual property laws just sucks-the-life out of you and your creative spirit, blah, blah, blah.

Or . . .

She gives you a few bucks for the CD and makes a few prints for her garage and everyone is happy . . .

You just never know how these things are going to work out . . .