Should I Charge Magazines for my Photos?

[DGMPhotography]

Hey folks. So with a couple of my recent shoots, I've had a newspaper and a local magazine ask for my photos to use in their publication in an article. One is for a stage production, and another is a Hispanic chamber event.

I haven't really experienced this before. Should I be charging for these photos, or simply give them to them and take the exposure?

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[tirediron]

Will they pay for them? Many periodicals these days expect images at no cost, so chances are, especially the newspaper will simply do without rather than paying dime one. The magazine... maybe, but even if they do, it will be a pittance. As far as the exposure goes, that and $3.50 will buy you a cup of coffee at Starbucks... If these images aren't valuable in any other way and you're not too worried about the whether or not you get the $20, then let them have them, add a couple of tear sheets to your portfolio and call it a day.

 

[astroNikon]

Assuming you give it to them for free,
make sure you are able to get them to state in the article or below the photo you provided the photo ... free advertising which could be beneficial.

 

[table1349]

I would agree with Iron the newspaper will probably not pay but should put you information below the photo or as a sub line at the end of the article.

Most magazines, large circulation magazines, not necessarily the little local magazines, still pay for photographs. They have found it more cost effective to pay for photos submitted than to have staff photographers. You have to be careful if you start dealing with large magazines. TIME.Inc is the worst of the bunch at this point.

The whole state of photography these days makes me happy that in my retirement I just shoot for myself. I can do as I please and If someone happens to want one of my photos they take my terms or not, I don't care.

 

[astroNikon]

I would agree with Iron the newspaper will probably not pay but should put you information below the photo or as a sub line at the end of the article.

Most magazines, large circulation magazines, not necessarily the little local magazines, still pay for photographs. They have found it more cost effective to pay for photos submitted than to have staff photographers. You have to be careful if you start dealing with large magazines. TIME.Inc is the worst of the bunch at this point.

The whole state of photography these days makes me happy that in my retirement I just shoot for myself. I can do as I please and If someone happens to want one of my photos they take my terms or not, I don't care.

what does TIME do ?

 

[zombiesniper]

Pretty simple. If they make money so should you.

 

[jcdeboever]

I would agree with Iron the newspaper will probably not pay but should put you information below the photo or as a sub line at the end of the article.

Most magazines, large circulation magazines, not necessarily the little local magazines, still pay for photographs. They have found it more cost effective to pay for photos submitted than to have staff photographers. You have to be careful if you start dealing with large magazines. TIME.Inc is the worst of the bunch at this point.

The whole state of photography these days makes me happy that in my retirement I just shoot for myself. I can do as I please and If someone happens to want one of my photos they take my terms or not, I don't care.

what does TIME do ?

Heal all wounds

 

[table1349]

I would agree with Iron the newspaper will probably not pay but should put you information below the photo or as a sub line at the end of the article.

Most magazines, large circulation magazines, not necessarily the little local magazines, still pay for photographs. They have found it more cost effective to pay for photos submitted than to have staff photographers. You have to be careful if you start dealing with large magazines. TIME.Inc is the worst of the bunch at this point.

The whole state of photography these days makes me happy that in my retirement I just shoot for myself. I can do as I please and If someone happens to want one of my photos they take my terms or not, I don't care.

what does TIME do ?

TIME Inc no longer has staff photographers. SI laid off their staff a year ago and just recently laid off their three photo editors/directors. TIME Inc. is the owners of several large magazines:

All You
Coastal Living
Cooking Light
Entertainment Weekly
Essence
FORTUNE
Golf
Health
InStyle
LIFE
Money
People
People En Espanol
People StyleWatch
Real Simple
Southern Living
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated for Kids
Sunset
This Old House
TIME
TIME for Kids

TIME now has a new photographers contract that the contributing photographers must sign. Some of the biggest complaints about that contract are as follows.

1. The concept of “space” rates goes away. Photographers were previously compensated a minimum of $125 each time their photos appeared in print within a magazine. The new contract grabs perpetual rights for “space.” A photo of President Obama that might have previously been used in multiple issues and generated hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, for a photographer, can now be used without compensation in any “assigning brand.”

2. Any video shot while on a Time Inc. assignment is a work made for hire – i.e. they own the rights.

3. If an assignment is never published, there is no end to the embargo period.

4. An image that is used on a cover can not be licensed anywhere else.

5. Photographers have no injunctive relief if they believe Time Inc is in violation of the contract.

6. Payment is only paid upon “acceptance,” which is undefined. If an editor doesn’t like the photos, is it unacceptable? What if the story is killed?

Many of the large publication owners are doing the same. Time is not the only one doing this but they did lead the charge. Freelance work is pretty much drying up. Publishers know a line of suckers waiting to work on the cheap (or free) is queuing around the corner.

 

[Trever1t]

Any commercial use where a profit is made by the entity using my photos will pay dearly for limited commercial use.

I have contributed to non profits and such

 

[vintagesnaps]

I don't think Time owns Time anymore, meaning didn't it get bought by some big conglomerate that uses the Time name?

Well anyway, YES, you should charge magazines for use of your photos!! Do the magazine and newspaper make money and benefit financially from using your work? Yes. They are not charities. Do their employees get paid to work there? yes they do, they may be contracted/freelance and not staff employees but they are paid/compensated and are not volunteers. Neither are you in this situation (it would be different if it's a nonprofit and you wanted to volunteer time or donate a service/product.)

If the newspaper was covering an event, that would be editorial use. If the magazine was covering a Chamber of Commerce event, that is editorial use too, but if the Chamber itself wants to use the photo for anything else, like their website, brochures, etc. that gets into commercial use. For either purpose you license usage and get paid/compensated for your photos. A photo credit is not compensation, it's just that, a photo credit.

Even if it's local and payment won't be a lot, still, you own your photos, they are your work. you own the copyright - you need to learn how to license usage of your photos. Any contract should be specific in terms of how the photo will be used, for how long, etc.

I think they count on the average person not knowing any of this and being thrilled that someone wants to use one of their pictures, so the company offers to use it free, for credit, or just plain ol' wants to use it.

Before you get any further with this, start getting informed and learning this stuff so you can start figuring out what to do and how to do it. I've gotten a lot of information thru http://asmp.org or you might try PPA. It's fine to get ideas and ask for help here, also start reading up on how to do all this so you can be an informed professional photographer.

 

[table1349]

I believe you are thinking of Time-Warner the cable division. TIME.Inc is the publishing division.