I saw two Real Estate agents walking around the neighborhood leaving flyers on the door step of the houses. Seems their firm is producing a business directory for the area in which I live. I talked to them and said that if they were interested I would be happy to take any pictures that they needed for this directory. Yesterday they called and then came by my house where they outlined what type of images (2) that they were looking for and asked if I would do them. Today they bought the images and one of the images will be the complete cover (front and back) of the directory and the second image will be on the inside fly leaf. Appropriate credit will be given. Inside fly leaf: Cover shot:
Fantastic Gordon!! Now will you come to the Merritt session?? You have plenty of $$$$ now.... Seriously, congratulations. :!: Frank
No question about it Frank I am rolling in it ($ not the other stuff); however, the boss said I still have to stay home. Hope you have a great time.
Gordon, Thats wonderful. Congrats. (i would have a difficult time if someone said I couldn't do something :<(( ) Cheers and maybe one day you'll come see us. Gale
Thank you Gale and actually I was joshing a bit about the boss. My wife never tells me I can't do something and supports me in my many foibles. Obviously my purchase of the D2H, 300mm f2.8 and some lighting equipments already this year have put a crimp in my disposable income. Plus we are going to Italy in May. Even I don't have to be told to curb it a little. :lol:
That's awesome, Gordon. Did you sell them one time use priviledges, or the copyright? And did you make enough for a new UV filter for the 300 f/2.8?
Hi Frank, not that the images are anything really special but I sold a one time use privilege. Already this afternoon I received an Email from another friend of the real estate agent and they want me to do a wedding. I will at least sit down with them to see if it is something I feel I can do and that they will be happy with. This business directory will get me lots of free advertising.
WTG, Gordon! Nice getting paid for what we love doing once in a while, isn't it? Hope they send some more work your way.
Great news Gordon that is great nice to make a few $$$ of what we love..... hopefully more work will come your way
Gordon, congratulations! You said that the two photos are nothing special. Let me tell you, those are the kind of photos that sell well in the real estate market and it is worth developing an "eye" for those type of shots to make some extra cash. Same as shooting an event, get some extra shots of action with a sponsor logo in the background. Unusual angles work for extra shots and sometimes surprise me. I did a shoot last summer of a new swimming pool for an inn where the photos were sent to corporate headquaters in France. I shot that pool in all directions. One of the last pick up shots I did was shooting the pool between two lounge chairs with a small table between them. Couple of magazines and a little flower arrangement on the table. Not much of the pool was even showing. Turned out to be one of their prized picks. I can only shake my head.
Woo Hoo... Now, if I could only make some sales! Hey Larry, I love your avatar. My daugher thinks you're Santa on vacation.
Hey thanks Steve, Mike, Dao, Larry and Gregory. It is nice to sell some of your work but more importantly to me at least is the advertisement that this will bring for me and my photography. I have already been asked to do a wedding and to photograph the St. George Heritage Choir as a result of this one contact. I appreciate your sentiments.
Hi Gordon, Great about your sale. Your pictures are perfect and know the buyers will come back for more. Tell us about it..what's the 'one time use' and the copywrite option that you and Uncle Frank wrote about. Is that a contract you made when you sold them. I'm curious so had to ask. Congratulation and keep up the good work! (and save up so you we can meet somewhere between here and there at a 'photo shoot' someday) Gaye
Hi Gaye, One of the problems with digital is once you sell someone an image and furnish it to him/her on a CD they could theoritically use that image again at any time for any purpose. That is why it's important to have an understanding with the buyer as to what they are buying. In this case the price of the images was fairly low because it was for a one time use. If you are selling exclusive rights to that image now and in the future the price would (or should be) considerably higher because the image is no longer yours. How they use the image in that case would be up to them and you would not have a say so. For one time use you specify what they may use the image for and once they have done that it is no longer theirs and you retain all rights to the image. You would have every right to sue or expect renumeration if it was used beyond the original agreement. Hope this helps, Gordon
Gaye, I'm sure that they will answer you. If you sell a photo by copyright, you no longer own the photo and should be paid the big bucks. Like in the mega K range. One time use is for a specific job/publication. I'm butting in here because there are other terms to know. Most times I will do an informal contract by email but have gone the more formal in print route too. I always specify non-exclusive use in the wording so that there is no mistake that the client agency understands that the same photo may show up elsewhere. I have photos that I have sold many times. Exclusive Use means I still own the photo but I can't resell use. Cuts the price between non-exclusive use and copyright sales. No reputable agency or client has ever griped about non-exclusive use since they favor the lower cost. A gated community agency called me two weeks ago asking if I had a specific photo for them to use on their web site. I do and I told the lady that I had the shot because an ad agency in North Carolina that represented this same caller (new person) purchased the use of the photo a couple of years ago. The lady thought that she had seen the photo in something but couldn't find a file copy of it. That told me something important and I told her it was because the ad agency held the photo as it was a one time use that was paid for. As you can guess, the lady caller does not know much about photo use and sales so I'm grateful to the ad agency for their honesty. The lady ended up buying 8 photos non-exclusive for their web site. I, on my own, added in the email contract I wrote, no time limit on use. Someday they will want to update the photos anyway. I see by email notification that someone has probably answered your question while I'm typing but I'll let this fly anyway. Guess I better modify one thing after reading Gordon'd note. I suppose that Exclusive Use and Copyright Sale could be the same thing. Either way, that would be nice to see those big bucks!!
Excellent Gordon! Especially good that you had the cojones to walk up to them and promote your work! You will be rolling in it soon, and the golf course shot is a wow shot.
Hi Gordon, That's a great help and I understand it... Very helpful and who knows, perhaps in the future I'll sell something :lol: . I assume you get it in writing or it would be hard to enforce. I'm sure this has been helpful to others also. Thanks very much! Gaye
Hi Larry, That's such a good help to me. I appreciate that you took the time to write. Thanks very much.. I haven't sold anything yet but have let people use my pictures from time to time and that's why I'm beginning to be curious about how to do it professionally. My home is in a golf course subdivision in Florida and I'd like to approach the manager about pictures. But I'd take the pictures first before talking with him. Thanks a lot for your input :!: Gaye
