if you are curious as to what images fetch, and/or what's on the market, here's a site worth poking around. they represent about 100 image publishers, with both royalty-free and rights-managed images.
if you want a real education, click on an RM image and play with the price calculator--those usage/pricing schemes can be quite an eye-opener. simply click on the 'PRICE/INFO' below the image.
Heh, funny thing is I sold a photo yesterday for a 1/4 ad in a magazine. The price I asked was almost exactly the same as this program suggested, $600. :-)
Heh, funny thing is I sold a photo yesterday for a 1/4 ad in a magazine. The price I asked was almost exactly the same as this program suggested, $600. :-)
way COOL!
now, did you go see what you should have sold it for if it was going to be on the cover of an international multi-language magazine ;-)
Never ever offer to sign away "unlimited usage", unless you're getting a ridiculous amount of money for it...a really ridiculous amount.
Otherwise, try to insist that somehow you limit or at least define the usage. For example, a website might say that they want unlimited usage to one of your photos and have offered you $500. You may go back and say that $500 is fine, but you would like to define the usage as unlimited usage on the website only. "No problem", they say, because that's all they ever plan on using it for.
Two years later, the website decides to place an ad in a print magazine to generate more traffic. Guess what, they want to use your photo. Great! You've just made another sale because you were smart enough to limit the usage to what the website thought they needed at the time.
Also, the fotoquote is a great tip as well.
People, your photos are worth something! I'm just at the very very beginning of my endeavour to become a full-time professional but I have it engrained in me that my photos have value and I will refuse to work for free/below cost. I don't care if you just do photography as a hobby, try not to hurt the industry by giving away your work.
Nobody sets up a hotdog stand right next to the concession stand at the ballpark and gives away free hotdogs, "just because the opportunity itself is worth it" and "because it's just a hobby". Can you imagine how ticked the hot dog guy would be?
Since this thread is about selling your photos, where do you submit your photos for sale? I have been thinking about doing this, although not to confident that ANYONE would want any of my photos, but who knows, I might get lucky!!!
I agree.... now I feel like a total idiot... I enrolled in the "other agency" over a year ago and am just now realizing that I can possibly make some actual money doing what I love doing... I realize I'm an amateur with A LOT to learn, but why not go for it... I feel like I have found a support group here at DPC as I begin my endeavor. Now it's time to take a deep breath.... and take the plunge...
Any other aspiring amateurs with me? I'm gonna need a lot of support and input.
I agree.... now I feel like a total idiot... I enrolled in the "other agency" over a year ago and am just now realizing that I can possibly make some actual money doing what I love doing...
Nah... No need to feel like an "idiot" - all of these stock companies have their place in the market, and the microstock places are a great place to start out. That's where I started, and now I just shoot stock full-time.
I just don't think that a lot of times photographers realize how much money people spend on ad campaigns - $184,000 to run an ad in a national magazine is a lot of money, so they don't blink at a $4600 price tag on a photo (or $500 or $200 or whatever).
But there are plenty of "mom and pop" operations (or non-profits) who can't afford more than a few bucks for their newsletter they're sending out - microstock sites are a great place for companies like that, and there's no question that the sales add up...
But someone had asked the question of why anyone would pay more for stock photography, and I think that link is a great answer that provides food for thought.
