I've been approached by a local band (that I've been shooting for the last year or so) to provide an album cover and a shot for the CD booklet. They want full rights to the images as it'll be used in the press kits, website, cd sales etc.
Now keep in mind they're a small band and I'm not a full fledged Pro but I dont want to get hosed on this deal.
Any advice?

Shawn

I would want a set amount of money and a small percentage (like .1%) if they ever make it big, and an agreement that you keep shooting their covers and booklets if they make more music!

I agree, but what amount is where Im stuck. They basically want:
- 2 images, the cover and one inside the booklet
- rights to use them on posters, the web, ad's, press kits, etc
- they have some idea's they want realized, I just need to make them happen


The kicker is they basically want full rights, but they dont..if that makes sense.

Ah, the eternal photography question, "How much is my work worth?"

I can't give you a specific dollar amount, but you should consider all angles. The number of shots and future value aren't nearly as important in my mind as how much your time is worth right now. Come up with an $XX/hour figure in your head, add up how many hours you will be setting up for and actually on the shoot, travel time there and back, all of the time processing the shots after, then add on for the number of years it's taken to learn photography to your current skill level, how much your expensive gear is worth, and the wear and tear on it.

Full rights to images command a lot more $$ than just digital display rights, and it sounds like they will be using these photos extensively.

Make sure you come up with a contract that is signed by all parties before any pictures are taken, and then provide a grant of usage rights with the photos when you are done.

If you're going to be doing more professional work it may be worth investing in this handy piece of software, http://www.fotoquote.com/ .

These websites may help too:
http://digitalphotographystandards.c...s/pricing.html
http://www.asmp.org/commerce/business_article_008.php
http://www.peterkrogh.com/Pages/Capabilities/digital.html

edit: for some reason the last one doesn't work, just go to the main page, then Capabilities, then Digital, therein is a pricing structure that he provides as a guideline to all photographers




Good luck!

thanks Ted, appreciate the help!

So I got the creative brief today
Paparazzi style shoots at 3-4 locations at night
9 images to be used (front cover, 7 images inside, rear cover)
some of these will also be used in their press kit
5 members of the band total (shot at each location solo)
2 group shots at their own location

I'll own the Copyrights to the images but will sell them usage rights. I did some digging around and plan on charge for each of the following categories:

$__ per shoot location to cover wear and tear, time, etc
$__ per hour to edit
$__ per mile for gas
$__ per image for useage
__% per sale of items my work appears on (Ie CD's, posters, etc) or should I add on more per image to cover this and make life far more simple.

am I missing something

looking through the links Ted posted I should maybe simplify to:

Capture fee per image with minimum charge
charge per finished file
charge per hour to edit
and with gas costs (damn 93 octane) a mileage fee for location driving

The band is only going to want to see one lump sum on a bill, I wouldn't break it down so extensively when you present them your offer. To come up with your fee, of course consider all those things and calculate them out on your end, but come up with one number to charge them for everything. Otherwise, they'll think they're getting nickle and dimed to death.

If you do break it down, charge one fee for everything involved in the shoot (including your gas, travel time, shooting time, processing time, etc) and one for the usage rights. But even then, I would suggest coming up with one single total.

ok thanks, how many hours should I guestimate on editing...most of what I shoot I aim to nail in camera and NOT have to edit later.

Originally Posted by Shawn M

ok thanks, how many hours should I guestimate on editing...most of what I shoot I aim to nail in camera and NOT have to edit later.

I usually take longer editing then I do shooting, but I go shot by shot in RAW. If I could figure out Lightroom, that amount of time would go down significantly, but I'm not sure I could pump out the same quality in shots.

Anyway, a good guesstimate is you'll spend an equal number of hours processing as you will actually shooting. It's not actual processing of the images that soaks up most of my time, it's the close scrutiny of every single shot and the weeding out of the not-so-perfect ones that does me in.

same here, plus I shoot like the world is ending

Originally Posted by Shawn M

same here, plus I shoot like the world is ending

As you should, it just might

well I submitted my quote, we'll see how it goes

Good luck Shawn, hope it works out for you!

well, that tanked real quick...
their hopes exceeded their budget by a loooong shot
Thanks for all the support and help gang, maybe next time it'll happen.

30's, not too young but old enough to know better when it comes to this sort of stuff

Originally Posted by Shawn M

30's, not too young but old enough to know better when it comes to this sort of stuff

Too bad. Most people seem to severely underestimate what art costs.

agreed, I realize Im not well known/famous and my fee reflected that...I basically wasn't charging for 1/2 the editing. But their budget wouldn't have covered the shoots themselves