Do you sell the "negatives" & copyright?

...for you wedding guys/gals; Do you sell the full-size files to the clients with the Copyrights?

-daniel

In general, no. In general, the bride and groom want nice prints. Period.

In a few cases, the bride and groom have decided that they do not want to pay a photographer's price for many multiple prints, like of the family shots. So, sometimes they ask for all of the full-res files. That generally sets off a few alarm flags with me.

One way to get around all of that hassle is to completely off-load the print service to a regular pro lab. Make it clear to the bride and groom, up front, exactly what they get from you, the photographer, for what fee. Then add that anything they want above and beyond that is something that they will deal with the pro lab over. The pro lab will have scans of your film, and they will have your digital full-res files, so if the bride and groom want to pay the pro lab, then let them have at it.

As a general rule, brides and grooms don't give a damn about copyrights unless they are celebrities or something. You, as the photographer, should care, even though most of these things will never be published to any great extent. The one place that they do get published is when the bride and groom send a print or a file to the local newspaper for the Recent Weddings page. At that point, there should be a simple "Photo By xxx" either on the image or beside the image. I recommend having it on the image, because it is less likely to be "accidentally lost" that way.

---Bob Gross---

Thanks Robert,

Those were my thoughts as well. My biggest concern is that I sell the full size files and copyright and then they go to the local wal-mart for prints and they end up looking like crap. Then they show their friends and suddenly my name is associated with crappy prints. But then I see several photographers online who advertise that they sell the negatives so I wonder if there is any merit to my fear.

Even though it was in my contract that I wouldn't sell them, the B&G begged me anyway and I stuck to my guns and said, "no." As it turns out it didn't matter too much because they have ordered several hundred more prints from me.

-daniel

If you are a photographer who is sure enough of his result quality that you don't care any more about having your name accidentally attached to cheap prints, then go ahead.

Frankly, I have never seen any photographer advertise that they sell the negatives. Maybe I just haven't seen it.

In general, that is what I would do. After they would beg me, I would say, "Well, I don't intend to violate the agreement." Then I would stop right there.

Another contradictory way to do it is to apply the principle that you will sell whatever it is that the customer demand. That makes it appear as though you are bending over backwards to please the customer. However, you price it at some point that is prohibitively expensive. That lets the customer decide that he does not want to go there. If they demand to know why the prohibitively high price, then you say that it might have to go for legal fees... which takes them back to the agreement argument.

---Bob Gross---

Thanks for the help Robert. Much appreciated.

-daniel

I have no experience in this area, but another side to not selling your negatives is there are two sides of photography; taking pictures and selling pictures. If you are giving the negatives 'away', then you would be losing that part of your business. I wouldn't be opposed to selling negatives if I ever got in the market, as long as it made financial sense to me (i.e. estimate how much you could make off that negative by selling prints of if)... which would probably be more than a customer would be willing to pay.

That idea just popped in my head after reading Bob's comment... hopefully it makes sense.

Yes, that makes sense and probably is the main reason most photog. don't sell them. They make a good deal from the prints ordered. At this point however, I don't. Being that I'm new to the wedding scene AND I love doing it . Its not a full-time job for me, as I'm a teacher, its something that I do when I have the time and desire. So, I don't make a ton $$ much from the prints (or the wedding for that matter). But once this last wedding order is complete I am planning on taking the total cost for reprints and maybe doubling it. Then at the next wedding I may offer the negatives (TIFF files) at that doubled cost. ?? I've still got lots to learn about the business side of it. But it sounds like this last wedding may add up to several hundred reprints for the family/friends....so I'm thinking doubling that cost might be safe if I do consider handing over the negs. next time??

thanks,
daniel

I do but it's for a price & I make sure I make most of my money off of them before I do. Since alot of photographers is offering a copy of the negatives, to be competitive I've decided to sell a edited copy of the file. But I don't sell the rights in full.

My former boss's photographer kept the negatives and digital files for the first two years after the wedding. At that point the B&G had an opportunity to purchase them.

I bought the negs from my wedding from the photog that did it. He offered them when he retired. He had kept all his wedding on file and was making a nice retirement fund selling off negs. I bought the whole group, even pics we had not seen for $250, and did not hesitate a bit.

I would never sell an unedited digital file to a client. Quality is the main concern. Everyone knows taking the image is only part of it. Cropping, color, touch up, effects, etc...etc...lead to your final product.

Would I sell my edited files? Well, maybe. But it would depend. My main concern is not loosing money. So, if the client had enough money, they could by the files from me.

Print sales from weddings drop off after a few years, that is why some sell after that time....

Don't give anything away or sell yourself short.