A hotel want's to use my photo's
Thread Starter
A hotel want's to use my photo's
A hotel has contacted me as they wish to use some of my images on their website.
It's a hotel of repute (I know 'cos they charge £4.80 for a pint of lager!), and as far as I know, are not part of a chain.
My question is this, should I be happy to receive a credit, or should I charge? An if so, how much ?
mods, if this is seen as a commercial issue and breaches your rules please feel free to remove.
It's a hotel of repute (I know 'cos they charge £4.80 for a pint of lager!), and as far as I know, are not part of a chain.
My question is this, should I be happy to receive a credit, or should I charge? An if so, how much ?
mods, if this is seen as a commercial issue and breaches your rules please feel free to remove.
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Unless you absolutely know you will be going back to that hotel on a future trip, I would take financial payment rather than any credit / voucher etc. (making sure you get payment before releasing the images obviously !)
How many images are they after ? What sort of resolution do you have them in ? Do they really only want them for the website ?
If they're really only after them for the website and nothing else (i.e won't be wanting to use them in a printed brochure further down the line), then they'll only need 72dpi low-res images (make sure you save them as such before sending !) and so you won't be able to ask that much for them..... somewhere between £25 - £50 an image depending on quantity required and quality of the image, they'd have to be something really special to go above £50 for a low-res website image (assuming they're not asking for an exclusive use license).
Remember, you can always negotiate down, but never up....
(don't make it clear you're willing to negotiate, but if they start to umm and ahh.. then you could make a concession and drop a little).
How many images are they after ? What sort of resolution do you have them in ? Do they really only want them for the website ?
If they're really only after them for the website and nothing else (i.e won't be wanting to use them in a printed brochure further down the line), then they'll only need 72dpi low-res images (make sure you save them as such before sending !) and so you won't be able to ask that much for them..... somewhere between £25 - £50 an image depending on quantity required and quality of the image, they'd have to be something really special to go above £50 for a low-res website image (assuming they're not asking for an exclusive use license).
Remember, you can always negotiate down, but never up....
(don't make it clear you're willing to negotiate, but if they start to umm and ahh.. then you could make a concession and drop a little).
Last edited by mixture; 3rd Jan 2013 at 12:32.
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Why not offer them free use of your photos. On the proviso that in return, they give you free use of their hotel.
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Why not offer them free use of your photos. On the proviso that in return, they give you free use of their hotel.
Businesses tend to prefer definable transactions with an audit trail.
"free use of the hotel" would be a "handshake" style agreement that could easily be denied by members of staff other than the one who granted you the original handshake (and who may no longer be in employment there in the future).
Sure they could offer him a voucher or credit note.... but as I said, its only of use if he's sure going to be going back there within the validity term of said voucher. Otherwise its not worth anything, they might as well give him a blank piece of A4 paper.
Last edited by mixture; 3rd Jan 2013 at 12:49.
Thread Starter
Thanks for the advice, I haven't actually stayed at the hotel, only drank ale there.(Southern fizzy stuff!) They've come across my images on "Redbubble," I think.
The images are taken with a Nikon D60 which is I think, about 10mp, but I've "dialed up" the film speed to iso1600 on some of the images though, to avoid camera shake when hand holding. This has resulted in some graininess, but actually adds to the effect. Some are cropped, but not dramatically
Staying at the hotel would be great, but actually my surfing 'van is just up the road, and has more home comforts. It sounds like fifty quid an image is a good starting point. (I'd be happy with that.)
I'm assuming the copyright remains with me?
The images are taken with a Nikon D60 which is I think, about 10mp, but I've "dialed up" the film speed to iso1600 on some of the images though, to avoid camera shake when hand holding. This has resulted in some graininess, but actually adds to the effect. Some are cropped, but not dramatically
Staying at the hotel would be great, but actually my surfing 'van is just up the road, and has more home comforts. It sounds like fifty quid an image is a good starting point. (I'd be happy with that.)
I'm assuming the copyright remains with me?
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I'm assuming the copyright remains with me?
When you licence the use of your images it is probably best to try set out the limits of use as well as what they can use them for. There are numerous stories of images which started out on a web site and ended up in print and other media.
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I'm assuming the copyright remains with me?
Its a complex area, but you're probably after offering them something along the lines of granting them a "perpetual, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable and royalty-free, worldwide right to display the images and derivitive works based on the images on their websites at a maximum resolution of 72dpi".
Basically they get what they want (pay you once for unlimited use forever on their websites with no need to advertise your name) but you retain the rights.
(Disclaimer that I'm not a lawyer applies ;-)
Last edited by mixture; 3rd Jan 2013 at 15:02.
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May I suggest using an agent? He will have experience of the correct prices and contractual conditions.
Myself, I simply wouldn't get involved. I always make things freely available on a not-for-profit basis.
Myself, I simply wouldn't get involved. I always make things freely available on a not-for-profit basis.
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May I suggest using an agent? He will have experience of the correct prices and contractual conditions.
(a) the agent will want to take commission (won't be any less than 10-15%), and for a small low-value transaction such as this (low resolution website images don't go for much), it will only eat into the small amount of money.
(b) unless gingernut is thinking of getting into photography as a regular little something on the side, I don't think an agent will be interested in what is potentially a "one-off".
Yes, there is the option of the "bottomfeeder" stock photography sites that anyone can post their images on.... but their rates are artificially low, so not really a good guidepost.
Rather than give them away for free, I would take the fact the hotel has approached him as a good sign that they are willing to engage in a discussion, and that I would not want to loose out on the opportunity for a little bit of petrol money,a little cash towards some camera accessories or whatever.
Last edited by mixture; 3rd Jan 2013 at 15:24.
Thread Starter
Thanks for the guidance, it really is only for beer and kebab money, I'm not actually too bothered what they do with the image, I'm more concerned about continuing to flog (my own) ware's at Artisan Market's/craft fairs etc.
When advertising your wares, be advised that the incorrect employment of an apostrophe can make one look foolish, if not actually ignorant.
The plural does not require an apostrophe.
FBW
The plural does not require an apostrophe.
FBW
My wife takes care of the anal stuff, I can't be bovvered.
Copyright -definitely yours.
My dad was the High St photographer, and this came up many times. He would put portraits in the shop window but strictly speaking the copyright belonged to the customer - 'cos he had paid, and dad was in breach in putting a copy on public display, but most customers were chuffed at having been chosen as an example and none ever complained, in fact many asked to buy the enlargement when it was no longer needed -and were usually given it.
Occasionally dad would ask to photograph the new Mayor, in all his regalia, which he also used a shop window display, and in that case he owned the copyright because it had been a 'free' sitting, just as if he had stood at the side of the road and photographed the mayor walking by. ( at least, that was his story ! )
Sometimes paying customers would demand the negative of their image, from which prints were made. This dad refused,because although the copyright belonged to the customer, the negative belonged to him, and his profits were from the number of re-prints the customer ordered to give to his family and friends ( as one did in the days before digital cameras and the Internet )
As has been said, negotiate, but at the very least demand an acknowledgment - " photographs by .... " otherwise you could sue them for what they refused to negotiate with you !!! ( and best of luck with that !! )
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It sounds like fifty quid an image is a good starting point. (I'd be happy with that.)
(One way of working out the price is to find out how much you'd get if they used them without permission and you then sued - the court would essentially award you the going rate. But finding out the going rate would involve talking to an agent, and if they weren't a mate of yours they'd want paying more than it was worth for their advice ...)
If you ask for too much, of course, they'll simply pay someone else less to take the photos they want.
Last edited by Gertrude the Wombat; 3rd Jan 2013 at 18:37.
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I once offered a photo to a magazine, they wrote back saying they wanted it and enclosed a copyright form for one-off use of photograph for me to sign and return with the photo. This was MANY years ago, they paid me twenty-five quid, which I though very fair. But there is a standard procedure to be used in such cases. No need to go thru an agent, it will only cost you.
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this should give some idea of freelance professional rates
Of course in this case the whole point is to undercut this, so the hotel saves money, while gingernut gets a few beer tokens
Freelance Fees Guide: Photography / Online use of photos
As to the copyright issue - the photographer always retains the copyright of the photo, unless a contract exists to state otherwise. However in the case of a portrait the subject also retains copyright to his / her own image, meaning the photo can't be used without both photographer and subject agreeing. i.e. two copyrights exist - one for the photo, one for the sitters image
So the subject is protected against misuse of her image (unless a contractual release has been signed), while he/she cannot exploit the photographers work without agreement
Of course in this case the whole point is to undercut this, so the hotel saves money, while gingernut gets a few beer tokens
Freelance Fees Guide: Photography / Online use of photos
As to the copyright issue - the photographer always retains the copyright of the photo, unless a contract exists to state otherwise. However in the case of a portrait the subject also retains copyright to his / her own image, meaning the photo can't be used without both photographer and subject agreeing. i.e. two copyrights exist - one for the photo, one for the sitters image
So the subject is protected against misuse of her image (unless a contractual release has been signed), while he/she cannot exploit the photographers work without agreement
Last edited by Milo Minderbinder; 3rd Jan 2013 at 19:28.
When advertising your wares, be advised that the incorrect employment of an apostrophe can make one look foolish, if not actually ignorant.
Last edited by Evanelpus; 4th Jan 2013 at 14:29.