Licensing photography

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience - good or bad - of those companies (and I guess I'm asking which companies) that license photography?

I'm putting out feelers to the 'art licensing companies' I have found on the web but rather than read "what we do", I'd rather hear from photographers who have gone down this route (what, in Scotland, we call talking to the organ grinder and not the monkey ).

Does anyone have success (or horror) stories and/or info they could share?

tia, David.

Do you mean "Stock"? a noobs guide to stock photo...

PhotosGuy wrote in post #10589055
Do you mean "Stock"?

No, I already stumble down that route. I mean (ultimately) the Art.com; AllPosters.com; Target; WalMart and etc route (where I've seen some bad <?> and some great photography).

That "licensing" (me to licensing company to wherever images are used).

Of the companies that I've had license my work, I've gotten paid first. They already knew which shots they wanted based on existing shots sized for the internet and stamped with my website, so the next step was to get them the high resolution shots.

If you're talking about being hired to do a shoot, you've got to agree on the pay, usage- both quantification of use and duration, and have everything in writing.

SnapLocally.com wrote in post #10589357
Of the companies that I've had license my work, I've gotten paid first. They already knew which shots they wanted based on existing shots sized for the internet and stamped with my website, so the next step was to get them the high resolution shots.

If you're talking about being hired to do a shoot, you've got to agree on the pay, usage- both quantification of use and duration, and have everything in writing.

Yes - and thanks for your input. My first problem was separating licensing from licensing (and the licensing I mean is neither of those - certainly not the second).

There are 'art licensing companies' which take a photograph (or any suitable 'artwork') and sell it on for 'reproduction' (in print; poster; card and coffee mug form). Next time you're in a 'chain store' - or bounce across to Art.com - look for the Ansel Adams (etc) repros - that licensing.

I had to read your posts a few times because you really are using the wrong terms.

Licensing is simply the means for another party to use your images. You do your own licensing (or agree to the others). You can do royalty free licensing. You can do Creative Commons licensing. You can release it to the public domain. You can do a rights managed exclusive license. Basically, for anything you own the copyright to, you can grant the license.

It sounds like what your really asking is what has been your experience with places like art.com, allposters.com and shops like that. Issues like what percentage of royalties do you collect back? How long does it take to get paid? Do they reach a significant market? Those are the kind of questions you should be asking.

Yes, I probably am using the wrong terms but the companies which are involved in this market call themselves 'art licensing companies' (hey, I'm just the messenger).

From very long experience, I understand licensing - I just don't have experience of art licensing companies. Art.com etc are not those type of companies (but they do buy from them). So... you're right (and I should've been more precise with my first mail) - Does anyone have any experience with art licensing companies which sell to outlets such as Art.com etc?

Licensing companies are simply agencies, they represent your images and search out new ones to re-sell using online and other means. In some you submit, they try to sell, if they do you get paid, if they don't you get nothing (spec basically). Some will hire out photographers for specific shoots, again paying ahead and paying for sales. Some will pay you for the shoot and then own the rights and you get nothing of future sales. To put it shortly they can work in several different ways. Find the companies and search their name, it's the easiest instead of just asking how they are as a group. I've shot for a few agencies, all good, and refused to shoot for others I heard were bad...but you need to know the names instead of just asking as a whole.

Thanks to everyone for their input.