Blog

Pricing Photography for Image Libraries

“…in a world where photographers traditionally price their product based on usage, what is “unlimited” use worth? There have always been photographers who intentionally or unknowingly ignore the subject of licensing, or otherwise simply give away unlimited use of their pictures without charging a premium for it. Those tend to be young photographers who don’t know any better, or established photographers who have found that it’s the only way they can compete, or they couldn’t be bothered with the extra work involved in understanding how image licensing works and explaining it to their clients.

However, in most of these cases, pricing photography “by the day” is a dysfunctional system, and not in the interests of the photographer or the client. There’s an inherent conflict when a photographer is compensated in inverse proportion to her productivity. The more photographs she produces, the less she is paid for each of them. Any photographer’s natural motivation will be to produce enough work to satisfy the expectations of the client, and no more. That is no way to run a business.”

by Jess Dudley

via A Photo Editor – Real World Estimates – Pricing Photography for Image Libraries.

Leave a Reply

 

News

Interviewed on PhotoShelter
Interviewed on PhotoShelter

As you may or may not know, I’ve been a PhotoShelter customer for several years now. I love th...

More in News

Work / Tear

Portland Bride & Groom - Bright Ideas
Portland Bride & Groom – Bright Ideas

Once in a while, it’s fun to get outside your comfort zone and shoot something totally differe...

More in Work / Tear

Ides of May

Looking Through the Pyramid
Looking Through the Pyramid

I finally got to visit the Louvre on our most recent trip to Paris. The museum is huge and holds an ...

More in Ides of May

Pro Tips

How Much Should I Charge?
How Much Should I Charge?

Saw this on A Photo Editor and thought it was so well done I wanted it on my blog. The first few min...

More in Pro Tips

Recipes

A Recipe for Oven Baked Trout in Parchment
A Recipe for Oven Baked Trout in Parchment

Trout is a pretty tasty fish, but cooking it right can make it a phenomenal meal. Try out this quick...

More in Recipes