Pricing out a CD of images

[tumi747]

I am shooting an event this saturday for an organization I have worked with before. It is strictly event style photography. Normally I have sold images straight from my website via paypal but this time they want me to supply them a CD of all the images. Knowing that I am allowing them have domain on the images, what should I charge them for the CD considering it would have 100- 150 images on it?

 

[CrimsonFoxPhotography]

I am shooting an event this saturday for an organization I have worked with before. It is strictly event style photography. Normally I have sold images straight from my website via paypal but this time they want me to supply them a CD of all the images. Knowing that I am allowing them have domain on the images, what should I charge them for the CD considering it would have 100- 150 images on it?

Consider that a lot of professional photographers' income comes from the sale of prints, reprints, and products. Once one hands over a digital image, they rid themselves of the opportunity to obtain most, if not all, of that residual income AND don't have any control of the quality of the manner in which the customer decides to reproduce the images (images that have your name on it). Ultimately, only you can [subjectively] put a price on how much you think your time and talent is worth; the only objective things that go into the determination of price is amortized compensation for equipment depreciation, equipment insurance, business insurance, other dues such as memberships and education, rentals, payroll for assitants and such, and whatever other expenses that you may have to support the business. The degree to which all of those things are amortized depends upon how much work you do on average over the course of a year, or two years, or five years, etc.

But if nothing else, think about how much money in print and product sales you're giving away when you hand over that many images; whatever that dollar amount is, you may want to charge that much (or somewhat less, looking at it like a discount for the customer essentially buying in bulk).

AND if they're using the images commercially, those images have a certain value to them to bring in more business. How much more business? For instance, if quality images could potentially bring in another $10k for them...your talent may be worth at least $500-$1k (just an example).

 

[Big Mike]

Remember that even if you hand over a CD, you are not necessarily giving them the right to make copies or the right to use them as you please....you still hold the copyright.

Of course, they will probably want to do more than just look at them. You should write up a contract before hand, outlining the usage that you are allowing them. For example, you could give them the right to make prints but not to publish them or use/sell them commercially. Or you could just give them all the rights and not worry about it. Of course, your price should reflect the rights that go along with the images.

You may only need to consider how much you would have made selling prints and charge at least that much.