Selling Photo/Image to Hotel

[aggiechristine]

I received the following email from a interior designer regarding a photo posted on flickr, "We're working on a hotel in Dallas and while looking for photos to use for artwork in the conference suites...I'd love to use your image - if you agree, the consultant will work out how to output it, etc."

I've searched everywhere (including this forum) for pricing guidelines for a similar commercial sale without success and it doesn't seem this is covered in stock photographing pricing lists either. I know a casual photographer in my area sells 16 x 20 prints for $50. Would $50 be an appropriate price for a license to produce one image? Or should I license it for multiple prints while retaining copyright? Someone suggested on another thread that it is a good idea to ask what their budget is, which I thought was a great idea, but I want to be ready in case they do not give me a number.

Any help would be much appreciated. I just want to charge a fair price.

thanks so much! Christine

[RubenZamora]

If they recognize you as the photographer and this is your first time selling a photo I'd go a little cheap. Just to get the exposure. What size do they plan to print it in?

[jeffkohn]

You need to find out more about what they have in mind, ie what print size, are they going to want produce mutliple prints, etc. There's no reason to sell copyright or exclusive reproduction rights if they just want decorative/fine-art prints.

Fine art prints vary wildly in price, I've seen everything from $25 dollars on the low end for a 16x20 print to 10-20 times that on the higher end, or even more for a limited edition from an established artist.

You should probably keep in mind that if they were willing to pay art-gallery prices they'd be dealing with a gallery/dealer. If buyers are looking on hobbyist sites such as flickr or pbase there's a good chance it because they're hoping to save money. The exception to that might be if they're looking for something really specific and hard to find.

[CaptainTom]

sign the print, let them frame it, and charge $500.

[drgibson]

$50? I sell race photos for more then that.

You pick the frame, sign it, and have a small plaque put on the frame with your information. And don't go less then $500.

[ShaneKislack]

Tom is in the ballpark. Normally on prints, the mark up is 3-500% of your cost. So if it costs you $100 to print and frame...there's your $500 (You're not Ansel Adams are you?). You are not licensing the image at all...they aren't planning on reproducing it, just hanging it. And as far as exposure? No one is going to go into a conference room and see a photograph and just HAVE TO hire that photog. Very unlikely. Don't ever discount for 'exposure'. I've made the mistake and so has just about everyone else. And congrats.

[ShaneKislack]

BTW, asking their budget is normal for comissioned gigs. Not for fine art prints. The idea is that if they can't meet your cost you can trim in areas such as no makeup artist, or limited usage, or less shooting days. The only leverage you have for a single print is offering them a smaller print if they can't meet your price. Don't ever just lower your price without taking back some consession. Otherwise it kinda says I could have charged you less all along.

[L Stegall]

I agree that you need to find out what they are going to do with it, what size they want, etc. before you come up with a price, but $50 (particularly for a 16x20) is way under what you should charge.

[aggiechristine]

Thanks for all the great feedback. I took RubenZamora, jeffkohn, and L. Stegall's advice and I emailed her to ask what size and how many prints. Her reply was, "It would be one image for conference suite artwork. We haven't worked on sizing artwork yet, but it would be at least 30". " Knowing this, I agree that $50 is way too low! She said the art consultant would be contacting me about output and details.

I imagine that they will have a consistent "look" and will want to frame it themselves to match other artwork. Would $500 be an appropriate amount for something this size, unframed? What if they want to print it themselves also? I would definitely not send them the image without a contract that limits their use. And the sticky about contracts has some great examples I can use.

~ Christine