What to do, What to do?

[Chris Stegner]

My wife and I visited a local (One and a half hours away) Bed & Breakfast last fall. It was a gift of a getaway weekend for her, but actually a sneaky way for me (us) to get away so I could shoot some photos. Anyway... I just sent the owner of the B&B a link to a panoramic shot I took:

Chris Stegner - BluegrassPhotography.Net | Nashville Indiana

As well as a gallery of stuff I shot in the nearby area:

Chris Stegner - BluegrassPhotography.Net | Nashville Indiana

I told him to let me know if he enjoyed the shots and to contact me if he had any need for them.

At this point, let me say that I am not interested in becoming a "business". I have posted comments on here before expressing my dis-interest in becoming a "professional". Now I do however believe that you can sell some shots without being a "Pro". That sounds odd I know, but what the heck.

He emailed me back within an hour and said he'd like to talk to me about using some of my stuff for his 2010 calendar.

My question is, how should I price something like this? I'm thinking maybe get a free weekend out of him for the photos. Or maybe even suggest that I re-visit with the sole purpose of shooting the entire weekend and sell him the rights to whatever he wants. Would I be screwing myself to give up the rights? Would it be best to sell on a "per image" basis?

Any suggestions would be helpful!

Thanks in advance!

 

[DRoberts]

I am always one to say never give up rights to your work. The only way I give up rights to a photo is if I am hired to shoot specific photos for a specific reason, even then I retain the right to use the work for my own marketing.
If your purpose is not to make a living with the shots then trading services is a very logical way to go, especially if you want to return frequently. Maybe after this he will want more and then you can consider charging him per print. Unless you are contributing to a re-occuring release, always charge per piece.

 

[Imaginis]

Any suggestions would be helpful!

Keywords: License Agreement

Instead of giving up your rights to your images, draft up a license agreement which will give your client predetermined usage rights. This way you keep all rights to the images and the client is able to use them for all purposes agreed beforehand.

 

[Rich F]

The idea of trading your services for a complimentary weekend stay sounds like a good idea....

Maybe even take it a step further.... Try to negotiate four to six weekends throughout the year so you can capture the area throughout the year as the seasons change. This would make for a great calendar in my opinion.

 

[craig]

Depends on how much you value your work. Are you serious about selling it or is it what the heck? Consider your experience and time spent. You will also have to consider the clients budget and distribution of the calendar. Giving up the rights is rarely necessary. Main thing is to discuss the deal with the client.

Love & Bass