Question about pricing and copyrighting for selling images

[JClishe]

I was contacted by a person that found an image of mine on Flickr and wants to purchase it for personal use, to print and hang on their wall. I've had images published in various 'hometown hotties' swimsuit publications but I've never actually sold an image. That brings up a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone have guidance on current pricing for images for personal use?
2. Would I watermark it?
3. How would copyrighting work? Is there some verbiage I would send him that defines the copyright?

Thanks for any guidance!

 

[orljustin]

Tell him you'll print it and have it shipped. Then you don't have to worry about the other stuff.

 

[Overread]

Few thoughts:

1) Ask the person for their address and you'll handle the printing side of things - you can easily get a printing firm to print the photo and have it mailed direct to them (or to yourself to check the quality before sending it on). This approach means that you control the quality of the print and you make sure its up to your standards; in addition it means that you don't have to send print ready files to an unknown person. (thus helping protect your copyright).

2) If you want to mark the photo most photographers will have their name signed on the back of the print (many printing firms can do this for you). The only time you sign the front is if you're doing a hand written signature and then its really your choice - most people don't expect this with photographs (unlike paintings) unless you're doing it at request or are very famous.

3) Copyright is yours; you don't have to do anything to protect yourself legally other than not sign it over to another party. Simply sending someone a print (or even a file) does not give them copyright. In the USA you will want to register your photos with the copyright office - its cheap and simple and helps ensure that you can take the maximum legal action possible if you find an infringement (ergo you can use the pants off them).

4) Price is tricky; if you've not fixed price then its honestly whatever you want. You could quote a number or you could ask of the interested party what kind of budget they have to work with for purchase and see what they offer up (who knows they might value your photography more than you'd have asked for). You also don't even have to charge anything at all if you don't wish to. There's no really right and wrong for one off sales like this where photography isn't part of your regular income.

 

[KmH]

I priced personal use prints by the square inch.
An 8x10 is 80 square inches. At $0.50 per square inch an 8x10 print would cost $40. Framing would cost extra.

I charged more per square inch for desktop size prints than I did for wall size prints.

Is there some verbiage I would send him that defines the copyright?

Copyright is defined by US copyright Law.

I suspect you're asking about defining usage rights rather than defining copyright.