Buying the rights to a photo

I have a client who I recently did a photshoot with and she wishes to buy the rights to some of her photos. she has yet to buy prints from me, but she says she plans too. My question is how much does one charge for usage rights per image. I have my print pricing and I charge $300 for a CD with full res, but I have no idea what to charge for individual photo rights.

Thanks.

Not to sound flip. But make up a number you would be happy with. Base it on your likely profit from x number of prints. Dont make it so low as to undercut the CD price though. Are we talking printing rights, or full and total copyright? Might not make a difference but it should be explicit.

What does she plan on using the image for? If she is going to profit from it in some way, the rights are worth much more.

she requested "the rights to the image" which to her would really only mean printing rights or potentially using one for wedding invitations, I cant see what else she would use them for. Should there be a difference in price between those two.

Ok so here are some of my print prices

5x7- $8
8x10- $20
11x14- $33

and since my CD price is $300, does about $50 per image sound about right. I still feel like I would be losing potential money with that price.

I'd clarify that its for printing rights, copyright remains with you, and then your price is probably fair. If she asks for full copyright, for whatever reason, you can have a discussion about what usage she suggests.

Ok thanks for the help

gonzogolf wrote in post #10367555
I'd clarify that its for printing rights, copyright remains with you, and then your price is probably fair. If she asks for full copyright, for whatever reason, you can have a discussion about what usage she suggests.

AND GET IT IN WRITING!!!! Yes, I know we're not suppose to yell, but it was needed for emphasis. I would not give her full copyright. There's really no need for it.

asysin2leads wrote in post #10367763
AND GET IT IN WRITING!!!! Yes, I know we're not suppose to yell, but it was needed for emphasis. I would not give her full copyright. There's really no need for it.

'

I'm not as rabid about copyright sales as some members here. I would do it for the right price, certainly on a portrait that has little value to me otherwise.

gonzogolf wrote in post #10367789
'

I'm not as rabid about copyright sales as some members here. I would do it for the right price, certainly on a portrait that has little value to me otherwise.

Good point.

Yeah these are a couople potraits im not really sure what else they could use them for, its not like product or commercial photography were i would have to worry about my photos winding up somewhere they shouldnt be

copyright = $20k+
printing release = $75-100 per image IIF (if and only if) they have paid for a certain dollar amount of prints first; we require $500 in print purchases before print releases are even considered to be offered.

Subfightersandman wrote in post #10369871
Yeah these are a couople potraits im not really sure what else they could use them for, its not like product or commercial photography were i would have to worry about my photos winding up somewhere they shouldnt be

its not about where they shouldnt be. Its how they are going to be used. Imagine you made a squiggle line that a shoe company wanted. Think the swoosh is worth more than the few bucks someone got paid to design it for nike? I'm not saying your client has that potential, but that you should get in the habit of protecting yourself.

There really is little value for portraits with regard to usage rights. Its not a commercial market, and thus really has no established pricing for usage.

I would base a price for the digital files based on your average print sales per client. Some clients will print more, some less, but it will all even out in the end. Further, your profit margin would be higher since you have no direct print costs. So its a reasonable trade off financially. I would also stipulate these prices are for personal use, the same as if they were prints, and any commercial use would be priced on an as needed basis and per current market value.

If they persist for commercial use, select a number of likely uses, figure a term of say 10 years, add them all up, and give them that price. It will be in the tens of thousands and you can negotiate down from there. I.e., you won't be doing billboards, great, I can save you $3K there. No POS posters, another $1.5 savings,... Hopefully, they will get the idea.

sfaust wrote in post #10370228
There really is little value for portraits with regard to usage rights. Its not a commercial market, and thus really has no established pricing for usage.

what happens if the person you take the portrait for becomes a world wide hero; or assassinates a president. and you sold the rights to the image... how are you gonna retire off their fame now?

You're better off buying a lottery ticket! But it does happen.

My point really being that trying to sell usage rights to a portrait client is like trying to nail jello to a tree. The retail market isn't in tune with usage rights, and most retail clients already assume they 'own' the pictures you take of them. Trying to sell them something they already own is a hard sell

But the key phrase in my post was the following;
"I would also stipulate these prices are for personal use, the same as if they were prints, and any commercial use would be priced on an as needed basis and per current market value."

This alone limits all commercial use by the client. And the alternative I also gave, was to price what they asked for, but then whittle them down to a license for usage they actually need, showing them how they save by not buying rights for 50 years on billboards in Belfast.

As long at the photographer retains copyright and doesn't give the client an 'exclusive' usage license, if they become famous in the future and a magazine wants to pay the big bucks the photographer can license the images to the magazine as they see fit. I rarely advocate giving up all rights to an image unless the payout is obviously worth it, but if someones aunt Martha wanted to give me $10K for rights to her portrait, I would. In fact I'd give up commercial photography and only do portraits for that price