Model wants discount on wedding in return she will sign a publication release...

I have been approached by a young woman who is part of Elite Model Agency from NY. She is Canadian and has been on the cover of two of Canada's most prominent fashion magazines. She said she didn't want her photo's used on our website or blog or any other publication, however if we give her a discount of 20% she will sign the release. She also committed to buy at least one 12x12 kiss album from us at full price.

What are your thoughts on this situation, if you were in my shoes would you do it? She is booking either way, willing to pay full but not with a release, the release is a 20% discount. She says she is trying to keep he cost down for her parents because they are old school and want to pay for everything.

I'm not in that business, but it seems like a completely reasonable offer to me. If you need her images for your advertising purposes, she's placing a value on them; if you don't, she's still up for the shoot.

Dave

I suppose it depends on what YOU value most. Assume a $3000 wedding, or whatever. Would it be worth it to you to give up $600 (...or whatever) to have her photos on your website? I love that she is putting that condition in there. sounds like a girl with some business savvy...

another thought: if she really likes your wedding photos and your service, she will be showing them to all her friends regardless, so you are still getting some utility there.

Seems like a very fair offer on her part. I guess it really depends on if it's worth it to you.

Just to clarify, is the situation that she under no terms wants her images posted or published by you anywhere for her privacy. But she wants to get the 20% discount that you give to couples who agree to let you use their images, even though you cant use them?

We are leaning towards taking it. I figure her skill in posing and i assume her being photogenic would lead to some great shots for our portfolio and website. She sounded pretty savvy on the phone! She is a woman that knows what she wants and isn't afraid to ask for it.

torvaterra wrote in post #12821619
Just to clarify, is the situation that she under no terms wants her images posted or published by you anywhere for her privacy. But she wants to get the 20% discount that you give to couples who agree to let you use their images, even though you cant use them?

She will let us publish them IF we give her the 20% discount.

What a great way for someone else to manipulate yet another discount!

My contract clearly says that I have the right to use images for promotional and publication purposes. That's standard. If someone doesn't want that, I will let THEM pay to have it taken out of the contract, not the other way around. Tell her you will shoot at your normal rate and print as you like OR she can pay 20% more and you will remove that bit from your contract.

Honestly, if someone comes to me with a legitimate reason for not having pictures posted (in one case their daughter was a foster daughter and couldn't have her images posted online) I will of course and not charge. But for a reason like this I wouldn't let the client manipulate me into a discount by doing this. If she really had an issue with her wedding images going online she wouldn't be willing to let you buy the right, either.

Peacefire beat me to it.

I wasn't convinced the models reason was genuine. If she has been on the front cover of 2 leading Canadian magazines, I prefer to think of her explanation as a cunning way to lower your rates.

As much as I can buy into Peacefire's reasoning, there may be a chance you two can work something out and both be content. If this young lady turns into a public figure down the road, are you going to be ok with your unsellable shots, or would you rather let your archive work for you.

How many weddings do we do a year? And how many "HOT" brides that know how to pose do we do a year? How many brides will look at your website, see that you did a fashion model, or not know she's a fashion model, and think you're an awesome photographer?
Your call, but I know what I'd do.

Ya i think its really if I didn't get her to sign the release I would be kicking myself after. She was smart to ask for the discount though. The good part is she said she was probably going to buy at least 2 full kiss albums and maybe 3.

I know she is just trying to work for a discount, but really i think it is worth it to us to have her pictures in our portfolio, as well we can then put them on our blog with her name etc. Our deal was that she purchased at least one full size album, which profits us the difference of what we would be loosing on the wedding.

I don't let people use their looks as currency. Posing is moot. I can pose someone who's never been in front of a camera before. That's part of my job.

I'm a photographer, not a GWC.

reply that usage is included in the price. You will have to raise the price to take it out of the package for her.

Seriously though.... It really comes down to do you NEED her images or no? Semi famous or not... Do you need HER images? Will giving her the discount bring at least equal value in referals or other business? If you are not sure it will, is it worth the gamble to you? Sometimes yes sometimes no. If added buisness from her specific event brings at least an equal amount of income from giving the discount, then why not.

This is our (my wife and I) first year doing wedding photography on our own, and I think that the value of having someone's pictures like this in our portfolio would be worth it to us, we are still trying to build our clientele and name, and I think this would help.