And to anyone saying this is priced low, I’d like to see your signed estimates and invoices to back it up, because I call bullshit.

I agree, this is the second wonderful machine estimate posted and both have seemed low considering the usage….granted 32k is a nice chunk o change but still relatively speaking that’s a lot of images for a lot of uses.

what is the time period on this license? is it forever?

As an example…
I quoted a job not too long ago for 2 images/2 days shooting/ 1 yr regional print advertising in trade and newspapers(1 state) and 1 yr web use usage. client was a national bank.

total estimate was about 70k

quote was 12.5k/image and AB had no qualms about it…granted i didn’t get the gig for other reasons but still…

Great Piece!

pwp

Image libraries are a digital thing. Because of the way many of us have started to approach shooting – more often producing scenes and “covering” them with hundreds of frames – our clients have noticed the price advantages of asking for all frames at a bulk rate.

For example: what would be the price difference if I asked for a library of 400 images – 100 each of 4 scenes w/unlimited use for 5 years vs. 4 shots, one each 4 scenes w/ unlimited use for 5 years? It could be $100 / image vs. $1000 or more / image – true?

Certainly the library doesn’t cost the per shot price x 100. This usually leads to “why am I paying so much for 4 images when I can have 400 for such a relatively small amount? ” Followed by: “since I can have 400 images at $100/image … why are you charging me so much when I only want 4?” If we aren’t very careful and transparent in our pricing this can be an extremely uncomfortable dance.

This is one of the many forces in our industry that are contributing to the downward pressure on prices.

Thank you!

We’ve done a good amount of advertising shoots lately as a library of images and they always turn into actual print ads or billboards.

PDN did an informal nation-wide survey of photographers shooting corporate work and found that most were billing out a base fee of between $1500-$2500 a day to simply put the job in the can (no mention of how many set-ups were expected during that time frame). Those fees did not include any licensing. So I am wondering why the $2400 fee would have rights packaged into it.

With the producer’s pricing model, the photographer would average $250 per image for unlimited usage. This seems exceedingly low for unlimited usage–the fee is similar to what a newspaper would pay for one-time print publication rights! I wonder who can compete with that?

I think it’s better to try to pin them down to specific usage, instead of caving in to unlimited usage. Or to just say “no”.

“My normal starting point for a medium-sized corporation and a middle-of-the-road photographer would be to quote a modest day rate (usually around 2400.00 plus expenses) which would include unlimited use, excluding advertising, of up to 8 images.”

seems so low that next time the client needs photography they have been groomed to expect something that is not normally realistic. Which of course takes us to the ever on-going argument that when you price something so low you hurt all photographers out there. My question is why would a shooter shoot “library” work for $2400/day when it’s just as much work or may be even more work than a regular shoot? It’s still a day that you’re shooting. You should get your regular rate plus whatever the usage will entail.

Does the fee cover the photographers out of pocket cost on the cost of business insurance. How is the specific fee amount arrived at?

Does the photographer have existing business insurance paid on an annual basis or are they purchasing insurance coverage on a per job basis?

The last I checked with my insurance agent they instructed me that if the insuree charges a third party for insurance coverage with the understanding they are covering the third party on the existing policy this action would be illegal in certain states where an insurance agent must have a valid license allowing them to “Sell” insurance policies.

Explain in more detail what the fee overs?

Thanks,

John Jackson

Are you charging them to be listed as additional insured? or is this a fee for providing them with a copy of your insurance?

Love me some Wonderful Machine.

Additionally, our usage generally covers anything except the use in any “paid placement” which is allowed but charged separately.

These libraries have a shelf life and I believe that 5 years is pushing it.