[amber waters]

Sorry if this is not the correct subforum.

I'll start out by saying I'm very much an amateur photographer. Up until this year my hobby has yielded me $0. I enjoy landscape photography, but due to kids most of my time is spent taking pics of them and random-chance scenes I stumble upon.

For the first time, this year someone contacted me about some images they had seen on my Flickr feed. Not knowing much I uploaded the desired photos to 500px and they purchased the appropriate license from there (which in this case were physical prints), netting me 70% of the total sale. Worked great.

Today I was contacted by another person inquiring about more photos from my Flickr feed. This time the entity has access to a high quality printer and frame shop, and hence only wants the high-res files of each photo. These photos, I'm told, will be placed in a hospital for decorative purposes only, and therefore they are looking for a single use license. From my limited knowledge of/about the licenses offered on 500px, I don't think they are a good fit for what this customer is asking.

I'm curious how to best go about this. I do want to retain the overall rights to the photos. I also don't have a very good gauge of how to price these images. Can anyone offer some guidance?

[btnapa]

Sorry if this is not the correct subforum.

I'll start out by saying I'm very much an amateur photographer. Up until this year my hobby has yielded me $0. I enjoy landscape photography, but due to kids most of my time is spent taking pics of them and random-chance scenes I stumble upon.

For the first time, this year someone contacted me about some images they had seen on my Flickr feed. Not knowing much I uploaded the desired photos to 500px and they purchased the appropriate license from there (which in this case were physical prints), netting me 70% of the total sale. Worked great.

Today I was contacted by another person inquiring about more photos from my Flickr feed. This time the entity has access to a high quality printer and frame shop, and hence only wants the high-res files of each photo. These photos, I'm told, will be placed in a hospital for decorative purposes only, and therefore they are looking for a single use license. From my limited knowledge of/about the licenses offered on 500px, I don't think they are a good fit for what this customer is asking.

I'm curious how to best go about this. I do want to retain the overall rights to the photos. I also don't have a very good gauge of how to price these images. Can anyone offer some guidance?

How unique are the photos? I grade my photos from 1-star to 5-star. Nobody ever gets an electronic version of my 4 and 5-star images, ever.

Why, because once they get it, you have no control over what happens to them after that. In my case, I offer to print it for them and supply them the print. They do their own framing.

If you decide to let them use the images, charge $100 per image at the minimum. Remember, hospitals have deep pockets and this person is going to charge them a lot for your images.

If a hospital approached me, I will have no mercy. These are the same hospitals who charged me $7k for a 45 minute outpatient stay to check out a headache!

[Murfy]

I too have had someone representing a hospital approach me, the difference is that I would be marketed as a "show" and therefore I was in control of printing and framing and all my work was for sale. I could list it as a show on my resume, and I could charge the prices I wanted. Maybe some will sell, maybe not, but like the other poster suggested, I would price mine at $100 or above for each print, depending on size and framing costs. The local hospital has gallery shows in one office location and then the hospital themselves will ask artists in the area (or they can apply) to put up rotating work that is for sale. A percentage of the sale does go back to the hospital as a donation or something like that, I can't remember the wording offhand.

Personally if it was me, I would do the printing and framing myself, not give the the files to print, give them hanging ready format, like in a gallery. Price all the pieces and have signage for them for title, your name and price. Maybe include a bio and contact information. someone can buy it off the wall as is. I'd personally feel more comfortable going that route than a hospital buying and printing and framing your piece themselves.

I do know someone who sold a bunch of work to a local bank, to decorate the lobby. Again she sold them all as framed final pieces. I feel really uncomfortable with someone else printing my art work and framing it for display.

oops: I wanted to add, if you do the printing and framing yourself, you have the ability to sign the work, which I think in that setting would be very important If they printed it, you could possibly get no credit. One time my dentist had photos in his office that were signed and I looked up the artist online, so I think in that public of a place, it would be nice to have your name attached to it.

[btnapa]

I too have had someone representing a hospital approach me, the difference is that I would be marketed as a "show" and therefore I was in control of printing and framing and all my work was for sale. I could list it as a show on my resume, and I could charge the prices I wanted. Maybe some will sell, maybe not, but like the other poster suggested, I would price mine at $100 or above for each print, depending on size and framing costs. The local hospital has gallery shows in one office location and then the hospital themselves will ask artists in the area (or they can apply) to put up rotating work that is for sale. A percentage of the sale does go back to the hospital as a donation or something like that, I can't remember the wording offhand.

Personally if it was me, I would do the printing and framing myself, not give the the files to print, give them hanging ready format, like in a gallery. Price all the pieces and have signage for them for title, your name and price. Maybe include a bio and contact information. someone can buy it off the wall as is. I'd personally feel more comfortable going that route than a hospital buying and printing and framing your piece themselves.

I do know someone who sold a bunch of work to a local bank, to decorate the lobby. Again she sold them all as framed final pieces. I feel really uncomfortable with someone else printing my art work and framing it for display.

oops: I wanted to add, if you do the printing and framing yourself, you have the ability to sign the work, which I think in that setting would be very important If they printed it, you could possibly get no credit. One time my dentist had photos in his office that were signed and I looked up the artist online, so I think in that public of a place, it would be nice to have your name attached to it.

Just a follow up. I have seen lots of artwork including photos in hospitals. My estimate is that they have paid hundreds if not thousands for each of the pieces. The people approaching the OP for her work want to do the printings and the framing themselves for maximum profits for themselves. My guess is that they want to pay her as little as possible. But then again it is a guess.

One way to see what is on their minds is to ask for picture credit and a tag next to each hanging piece so that the artist gets credit. If they refuse, I would walk away from the deal. The refusal tells me that they are treating my art as commodity for maximum profit for THEM.

Again, $100 for the right to reproduce EACH piece would be the minimum I would ask. They are gonna charge the hospitals hundreds more for YOUR image.

[Murfy]

Just a follow up. I have seen lots of artwork including photos in hospitals. My estimate is that they have paid hundreds if not thousands for each of the pieces. The people approaching the OP for her work want to do the printings and the framing themselves for maximum profits for themselves. My guess is that they want to pay her as little as possible. But then again it is a guess.

One way to see what is on their minds is to ask for picture credit and a tag next to each hanging piece so that the artist gets credit. If they refuse, I would walk away from the deal. The refusal tells me that they are treating my art as commodity for maximum profit for THEM.

Again, $100 for the right to reproduce EACH piece would be the minimum I would ask. They are gonna charge the hospitals hundreds more for YOUR image.

okay I did not read the OP original post fully "This time the entity has access to a high quality printer and frame shop, and hence only wants the high-res files of each photo. These photos, I'm told, will be placed in a hospital for decorative purposes only, and therefore they are looking for a single use license. "

I thought the hospital contacted the OP directly. I don't really like this deal. I would ask what hospital it is, and make the deal with the hospital directly if they need artwork. Offer to host a show, or ask a few other people to join you. Last juried show our hospital did, artist sold 6 paintings! I think that would be better for the hospital and yourself.

For an example, This is the blurb when you provide artwork to our local hospital juried art shows (they are juried by some one at the hospital, they pretty much take everyone) "'hospital' requests that upon the sale of the Artwork, thirty percent (30%) of the sales price of the Artwork be donated to the "xxx (womens fund for the hospital)" A receipt for this donation will be provided for tax purposes." Also "The Artwork shall at all times remain the property of the Artist, and nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to transfer or assign any rights in the Artwork to 'hospital'.

[amber waters]

Thanks for your replies everyone.

To clarify, the actual solicitation is from an art curator that the hospital is apparently using. The images they're interested in IMHO are nothing special.

I like the idea of ensuring credit is maintained on the photos. And the thought of providing the printed image for them (thereby ensuring it's single use) to frame is a great idea.

I can see I need to seek clarification on few points yet.

Again, thank you all for your insight. I'll let you all know what, if anything, transpires.

[btnapa]

Thanks for your replies everyone.

To clarify, the actual solicitation is from an art curator that the hospital is apparently using. The images they're interested in IMHO are nothing special.

I like the idea of ensuring credit is maintained on the photos. And the thought of providing the printed image for them (thereby ensuring it's single use) to frame is a great idea.

I can see I need to seek clarification on few points yet.

Again, thank you all for your insight. I'll let you all know what, if anything, transpires.

Don't sell yourself short. An image which is nothing special to you might be a star in someone else's eyes. If this is an art buyer, then they have seen a lot and your stuff must be special in some way. Now, I am curious to see a sampling of the images.