Is this crazy or is it just me?

[d2creative]

I shot a local commercial building for the people who own the building. The architect who built it wants to purchase full rights to use the photos for their own marketing. There are almost 100 photos total and they want to purchase all of them for a total price of $1500!!! That's like $15 per photo! I gave them a quote in steps from purchasing just a couple photos for around $300 a piece to purchasing the whole cd for $3000, which i still think is a freakin steal. I was told that they do "photo sharing" on properties and the price I quoted was about double what a photographer would normally charge. And the other problem is, they are working through another contact of mine from the original project, so it's not like I even have direct contact with them to try and sell my services for future work.

Now I don't support myself with photography so I have the luxury of turning things down. So the question is... would you take the money and run, or give'em the boot? I'm currently leaning towards the latter but is that just emotions talking? $1500 is still a chunk of change for basically doing nothing.

[rab3rd]

Verify his claim of twice the amount normal, if it is and you want the money, then agree to his price. If not tell him he will have to hire a photographer that is willing to do it for the price he is asking.

JM2CW

[tomdrink]

I looked at your website, and you're obviously extremely talented! For your level of expertise, I would demand the higher amount, but again, if it was me (advanced amateur), I would probably soil myself if someone offered me $1500 for my pictures!!
Great Website!

TomD

[rab3rd]

You might look at it this way, I assume you are selling the pictures to the owner of the building, if you sell to the other guys you are getting paid twice for working once...

[rab3rd]

I agree about the website. I like the blue lemon as the download progress bar.

[klynam]

What are you EVER going to do with those photos? Probably nothing.

Write up a quick agreement. Sell the architect full rights to USE the photos, but not sell them. Retain copyright for yourself.

Take the $1500 and build the relationship with the architect.

Win-win for everyone.

[Bruce M. Morris]

Originally Posted by d2creative

I shot a local commercial building for the people who own the building.

If the architect is not the one that owns the building, you may have a conflict. If you are shooting specifically for someone, you may not OWN the copyright to sell.

Others that have more knowledge on this, please verify or correct me if I am off base on this...

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by klynam

what are you ever going to do with those photos? Probably nothing.

Write up a quick agreement. Sell the architect full rights to use the photos, but not sell them. Retain copyright for yourself.

Take the $1500 and build the relationship with the architect.

Win-win for everyone.

+1

[klynam]

Originally Posted by Bruce M. Morris

If the architect is not the one that owns the building, you may have a conflict. If you are shooting specifically for someone, you may not OWN the copyright to sell.

Others that have more knowledge on this, please verify or correct me if I am off base on this...

Let's not break out the popcorn on this one - we've done that a thousand times already.

The creator always has copyright to the photograph(s) he/she creates, but not necessarily the subject photographed.

[Bruce M. Morris]

But Kevin, if the shoot was contracted.. the OP shot specifically for someone else, they Don't have the copyright. My understanding is the person that contracts an assignment owns the images unless they release them back to the photographer. I am not talking about portrait work.. Talking about Contracted assignments.

As a Navy photographer, I created the images, but I didnt own the images.. they were govt property.

[Tom]

But Kevin, if the shoot was contracted.. the OP shot specifically for someone else, they Don't have the copyright. My understanding is the person that contracts an assignment owns the images unless they release them back to the photographer. I am not talking about portrait work.. Talking about Contracted assignments.

Totally depends on the agreement with the two entities. If there was no agreement on rights, the photographer retains the rights.

[d2creative]

Originally Posted by klynam

What are you EVER going to do with those photos? Probably nothing.

Write up a quick agreement. Sell the architect full rights to USE the photos, but not sell them. Retain copyright for yourself.

Take the $1500 and build the relationship with the architect.

Win-win for everyone.

This was what I was thinking, but then there is the principal of the thing.
And it goes back to the whole creative industry being treated like a barter industry. No one pays us what we're worth.

Originally Posted by klynam

Let's not break out the popcorn on this one - we've done that a thousand times already.

Agreed.
I appreciate it being brought up but in this case it doesn't matter, as the original client is involved in this process.

[d2creative]

And do i really want to build a relationship with a client that wants to pay $15 per photo?

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by d2creative

And do i really want to build a relationship with a client that wants to pay $15 per photo?

After re-reading your original post and rethinking the situation, I'd stick my original quote of $3000. There's already a cheapening of the profession with microstock, $500 weddings, and $3.00 8x10 portrait prints. The whole thing makes my head explode if I think about it too much. LOL

[klynam]

I'm sticking to my guns. Take the $1500. Build the relationship.

How much TIME do you really have in that assignment? You've already been paid for the shoot. Did you spend another $3K in post processing? $1500? $500? $0???

The only other value in those photos is: a) experience (which you probably don't need); b) self-promotion (which you may not need); and c) what someone is willing to pay for them.

To anyone who's doing well enough to turn down $1500 free money just out of "principle"...please send your clients my direction.