Photography is priced in a number of different ways depending upon the type of photography, usage rights and exclusivity.
First is the type of photography:
Photography is basically broken down into two major categories; “Promotional” and “National and larger Magazine; Editorial or Advertising”.
Promotional is loosely defined as images used in brochures, local advertisements, in-house prints, portfolios and websites. These usages usually are subject to a half of full day rate (which will vary based upon the complexity, need for lighting and assistants and length of time to complete the work) and will normally include a standard usage agreement.
National and larger Magazine; Editorial or Advertising is defined as national or larger circulation of magazines as either editorial or advertising. In addition to the half or full day rate the usage pricing is based upon size of the image within the publication, the circulation of the publication, the markets it will be shown and the date range of the publication. This pricing is based upon the anticipated income produced by such ads and how much of it is based upon the image selling the item or service. This is a commonly accepted practice among larger companies and advertising agencies.
Second is usage rights:
The standard usage agreement for images used for most promotional work is “Single user, non-exclusive, modifiable, unlimited, except national and larger magazine; editorial or advertising, worldwide and in perpetuity” usage.
“Single user” means only the hiring client has these rights and they cannot be sold or given to another entity. “Non-exclusive” means that the photographer still holds the copyright to the images and he/she can resell to editorial as the opportunity arises. “Modifiable” means that the client or client’s agents can modify the image as they see fit for the purposes they wish. “Unlimited, except national and larger magazine advertising” means the client may use it in any medium except “national and larger magazine advertising”. “Worldwide” means any place in the world and “In Perpetuity” means without date range or time limit.
National and larger magazine; editorial or advertising usage pricing is based upon size of the image within the publication, the circulation of the publication, the markets it will be shown and the date range of the publication. This pricing is based upon the anticipated income produced by such ads and how much of it is based upon the image selling the item or service. This is a commonly accepted practice among larger companies and advertising agencies.
Third is exclusivity:
“Exclusivity” means that the client wishes to have exclusive rights to the images shot. This is normally called a “buyout” and can be priced up to ten times the rate that the photograph was produced, i.e. 10x the day rate. Often times the subjects shot do not have any editorial value to the photographer but sometimes they do and the photographer looses out on that income stream if he gives it away resulting in higher day rates. Please recognize that the standard usage covers almost all the usage you’d require.
Finally, all pricing is subject to variations and modifications based upon individual needs and requirements and remember: talk is cheap, in fact, an estimate costs nothing so don’t hesitate to call.
