selling photos

**dezertzebra** · 03-09-2020, 06:35 PM

got a question- the city wants to buy one of my photos. What should i charge? i would put the image on a flash drive and they would enlarge and print as they wish.
never sold one before.

thanks

**ramseybuckeye** · 03-09-2020, 09:45 PM - **1 Like**

I guess it's tough because the city may not buy a lot of photos and don't have normal prices, you don't want to out-price yourself, nor undercut yourself. But whatever you get for a photo not taken for the purpose of selling is a plus. In my limited experiences customers pay more if they commission the photos and less if they find them online, many print publishers have set rates. I sold a couple of photos to an agricultural website which is probably pretty low traffic for $10 each, they saw them on Flickr and contacted me. That may seem pretty cheap, but I did not intend to sell them. And it is a higher rate than selling as stock, which I could not sell without a release anyway due to identifying marks in the photos. I guess in this instance you may look at the size of the city, what types of budgets do they have, and the purpose of your photo. Is it tourism, or some type of promotional use, or is it a report of presentation? I live in a town where they cut trees down to redo a street and never replanted any trees. Other cities plant millions of dollars in street side trees and flowers every year.

biz-engineer · 03-09-2020, 11:05 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by dezertzebra

What should i charge?

From a K50, flawless image (sharp lens), I'd charge $185
From a Pentax K1, I'd charge $389
From a 645z (or GFX or X1D), I'd charge around $578
It's somehow based on stock photo prices. Price can vary greatly depending on image content and file quality. For example , if the image was taken with an iPhone, the image content must be really really unique and compelling to charge any money for it, because everyone's got an iphone these days so there is more than abundance of iPhone images, price goes down to zero in that case. Anyway, I prefer to sell prints already made, because I can optimize the final output directly from raw files and avoid losing control over image reproduction down the line.

**StiffLegged** · 03-10-2020, 12:30 AM - **1 Like**

Biz was talking some sense until the last bit about iPhone photos - it doesn’t matter if a photo was made on an iPhone, if they want it, you charge them money. Robert Capa shot with a 35mm rangefinder while Ansel used an 8x10, but whose photos were worth more because of the camera?

biz-engineer · 03-10-2020, 12:51 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by StiffLegged

Biz was talking some sense until the last bit about iPhone photos - it doesn’t matter if a photo was made on an iPhone, if they want it, you charge them money.

Sure, they see the image on a tablet, however if they enlarge to print, limited file quality will become a concern, having an significant impact on acceptable pricing. Market prices of photographs generally goes up with size. Wall size prints sell for several thousands euros (special purpose), can also be more than 10K for a custom print depending where it's being used and who buys it. The exact same image on A2 sells for $180. So the size really allow higher prices. Big size is less common than small size prints, there is something unique about it with immersive effect, an iphone image will look like very poor quality in those conditions, no one will buy it whatever the price.

**StiffLegged** · 03-10-2020, 03:00 AM - **1 Like**

They want to buy his photo. He wants an idea of what to charge. Size and image quality hasn’t been mentioned.

Ask a hundred dollars.

brewmaster15 · 03-10-2020, 03:02 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by dezertzebra

got a question- the city wants to buy one of my photos. What should i charge? i would put the image on a flash drive and they would enlarge and print as they wish.
never sold one before.

thanks

If its Municipality they may have a budget for the image..

It may be worth asking what the image is to be used for and take that into account. Is it possible that it will lead to more work?.. take that into account.

If the town I lived in wanted to use one of my images in a way that benefited the town I honestly would give them the image as I believe in supporting my community. If, for instance it was to be used to promote economic development.. that in turn attracts businesses and lowers my tax rate.

Of course, I am not a professional that makes a living from photography so take that with a grain of salt.

AL

TaoMaas · 03-10-2020, 04:46 AM - **2 Likes**

How they plan to use the image also makes a difference in what you should charge. If it's just a one-time use, like for a brochure, magazine, or something, that's one price...but if they're wanting to use the image in muliple ways, then the price should be higher. It's limited use vs unlimited use.

**dezertzebra** · 03-10-2020, 05:09 AM

thanks for the info. , they want take my photo from flash drive and enlarge it (size unknown) to display in city office. I asked for $75 and see if they accept it. I take photos for fun and would be my first to sell.

brewmaster15 · 03-10-2020, 06:01 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by dezertzebra

thanks for the info. , they want take my photo from flash drive and enlarge it (size unknown) to display in city office. I asked for $75 and see if they accept it. I take photos for fun and would be my first to sell.

That would be a great accomplishment then! I hope your first sale goes well!!

al

**Alex645** · 03-10-2020, 10:42 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by dezertzebra

got a question- the city wants to buy one of my photos. What should i charge? i would put the image on a flash drive and they would enlarge and print as they wish.
never sold one before.

There are many factors in a rubric to determine a fair price that include:

a) the buyer: is "the city" Beverly Hills or Bakersfield?
b) quantity: are they allowed to make only one print or are you giving them unlimited usage?
c) usage: is the city going to hang this in the superintendent's office, use it for bus stops, part of a public service announcement, etc?
d) time: is there a time limit to their usage of the image or can they use it indefinitely?
e) distribution: is this to be used in a commercial shared with millions or for a presentation at handful of community meetings?
f) the photographer: the price is based on perceived value and so a student photographer, a hobbyist, a government employee, a rookie freelancer, and seasoned nationally recognized pro would all have different expectations and prices.
g) the photograph: how easy would it be for someone else to shoot this same image or how difficult or impossible for someone else to produce it?

Because you are giving them the digital file and carte blanche usage, the price should be much higher than if you were selling a single print in a mahogany frame.
If you still have no idea what to charge, ask the city what would be a fair price for them OR what was a comparable price they paid in the past OR if they were to hire you to take that photo, how much would you charge for your time and expenses?

Here's an old school resource that can give you a ballpark on fair price practices:
Photographer's Market 2018: Noel Rivera: 0035313669668: amazon.com: Books?tag=pentaxforums-20&

**c.a.m** · 03-10-2020, 11:07 AM - **2 Likes**

I would like to offer another perspective.

If the City of Ottawa -- in which I have lived for 40 years -- asked for one of my images to hang in a city office, I would ask a nominal charge, say $10. I'd be proud to have one of my pictures displayed in such a manner, because I feel that I'm part of the community here. As a hobbyist photographer, this type of unsolicited request would be a pleasant surprise for me.

I guess that $75 is not unreasonable in the OP's situation.

@dezertzebra, congrats on the recognition!

- Craig

**Apet-Sure** · 03-10-2020, 06:04 PM - **1 Like**

Asking $75 is certainly not outrageously too much IMO. They might jump at it, or ask you to negotiate. If they jump at it, you may feel you didn't ask enough. But hey, 75 bucks is 75 bucks you didn't have before. You might want to ask them if they will attribute the image to you with a small plaque or label. That way you might drum up some business. Not a deal breaker if they won't, but I think it's reasonable to ask.

Back in the '80s I had two 16x20 prints of mine hanging in a bank. If I remember correctly I think the manager gave me something for them, but I was just proud to see them every time I walked in.

**dezertzebra** · 03-10-2020, 07:34 PM - **1 Like**

The person has to submit it and get an ok for the funds. They contacted me after seeing my "picture of the week" for local on line new feed. She asked if i would sell it , they would enlarge it and give me credit. If and when they accept my offer i will take my small photo book to see if they are interested in any others. thanks for all the comments and suggestions. this would be my first sale. - Lori

**aslyfox** · 03-10-2020, 08:01 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by c.a.m

I would like to offer another perspective.

If the City of Ottawa -- in which I have lived for 40 years -- asked for one of my images to hang in a city office, I would ask a nominal charge, say $10. I'd be proud to have one of my pictures displayed in such a manner, because I feel that I'm part of the community here. As a hobbyist photographer, this type of unsolicited request would be a pleasant surprise for me.

I guess that $75 is not unreasonable in the OP's situation.

@dezertzebra, congrats on the recognition!

- Craig

as an amateur

I would be happy if I could get them to acknowledge that it is my picture any time it is used

" photographed by _________ "

of course if they " insisted " on paying me as well, I wouldn't say no

good luck

03-09-2020, 06:35 PM	#1
dezertzebra Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: So. CA. Posts: 180	selling photos got a question- the city wants to buy one of my photos. What should i charge? i would put the image on a flash drive and they would enlarge and print as they wish. never sold one before. thanks

03-09-2020, 11:05 PM - 2 Likes	#3
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,232	Originally posted by dezertzebra What should i charge? From a K50, flawless image (sharp lens), I'd charge $185 From a Pentax K1, I'd charge $389 From a 645z (or GFX or X1D), I'd charge around $578 It's somehow based on stock photo prices. Price can vary greatly depending on image content and file quality. For example , if the image was taken with an iPhone, the image content must be really really unique and compelling to charge any money for it, because everyone's got an iphone these days so there is more than abundance of iPhone images, price goes down to zero in that case. Anyway, I prefer to sell prints already made, because I can optimize the final output directly from raw files and avoid losing control over image reproduction down the line. Last edited by biz-engineer; 03-09-2020 at 11:10 PM.

03-10-2020, 12:51 AM - 1 Like	#5
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,232	Originally posted by StiffLegged Biz was talking some sense until the last bit about iPhone photos - it doesn’t matter if a photo was made on an iPhone, if they want it, you charge them money. Sure, they see the image on a tablet, however if they enlarge to print, limited file quality will become a concern, having an significant impact on acceptable pricing. Market prices of photographs generally goes up with size. Wall size prints sell for several thousands euros (special purpose), can also be more than 10K for a custom print depending where it's being used and who buys it. The exact same image on A2 sells for $180. So the size really allow higher prices. Big size is less common than small size prints, there is something unique about it with immersive effect, an iphone image will look like very poor quality in those conditions, no one will buy it whatever the price. Last edited by biz-engineer; 03-10-2020 at 12:59 AM.

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03-09-2020, 09:45 PM - 1 Like	#2
ramseybuckeye Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Hampstead, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 17,292	I guess it's tough because the city may not buy a lot of photos and don't have normal prices, you don't want to out-price yourself, nor undercut yourself. But whatever you get for a photo not taken for the purpose of selling is a plus. In my limited experiences customers pay more if they commission the photos and less if they find them online, many print publishers have set rates. I sold a couple of photos to an agricultural website which is probably pretty low traffic for $10 each, they saw them on Flickr and contacted me. That may seem pretty cheap, but I did not intend to sell them. And it is a higher rate than selling as stock, which I could not sell without a release anyway due to identifying marks in the photos. I guess in this instance you may look at the size of the city, what types of budgets do they have, and the purpose of your photo. Is it tourism, or some type of promotional use, or is it a report of presentation? I live in a town where they cut trees down to redo a street and never replanted any trees. Other cities plant millions of dollars in street side trees and flowers every year.

03-10-2020, 12:30 AM - 1 Like	#4
StiffLegged Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2018 Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,619	Biz was talking some sense until the last bit about iPhone photos - it doesn’t matter if a photo was made on an iPhone, if they want it, you charge them money. Robert Capa shot with a 35mm rangefinder while Ansel used an 8x10, but whose photos were worth more because of the camera?

03-10-2020, 03:00 AM - 1 Like	#6
StiffLegged Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2018 Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,619	They want to buy his photo. He wants an idea of what to charge. Size and image quality hasn’t been mentioned. Ask a hundred dollars.

03-10-2020, 03:02 AM - 1 Like	#7
brewmaster15 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: CT Posts: 1,860	Originally posted by dezertzebra got a question- the city wants to buy one of my photos. What should i charge? i would put the image on a flash drive and they would enlarge and print as they wish. never sold one before. thanks If its Municipality they may have a budget for the image.. It may be worth asking what the image is to be used for and take that into account. Is it possible that it will lead to more work?.. take that into account. If the town I lived in wanted to use one of my images in a way that benefited the town I honestly would give them the image as I believe in supporting my community. If, for instance it was to be used to promote economic development.. that in turn attracts businesses and lowers my tax rate. Of course, I am not a professional that makes a living from photography so take that with a grain of salt. AL

03-10-2020, 04:46 AM - 2 Likes	#8
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	How they plan to use the image also makes a difference in what you should charge. If it's just a one-time use, like for a brochure, magazine, or something, that's one price...but if they're wanting to use the image in muliple ways, then the price should be higher. It's limited use vs unlimited use.

03-10-2020, 05:09 AM	#9
dezertzebra Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: So. CA. Posts: 180 Original Poster	thanks for the info. , they want take my photo from flash drive and enlarge it (size unknown) to display in city office. I asked for $75 and see if they accept it. I take photos for fun and would be my first to sell.

03-10-2020, 06:01 AM - 1 Like	#10
brewmaster15 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: CT Posts: 1,860	Originally posted by dezertzebra thanks for the info. , they want take my photo from flash drive and enlarge it (size unknown) to display in city office. I asked for $75 and see if they accept it. I take photos for fun and would be my first to sell. That would be a great accomplishment then! I hope your first sale goes well!! al

03-10-2020, 10:42 AM - 2 Likes	#11
Alex645 Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Kaneohe, HI Photos: Albums Posts: 3,526	Originally posted by dezertzebra got a question- the city wants to buy one of my photos. What should i charge? i would put the image on a flash drive and they would enlarge and print as they wish. never sold one before. There are many factors in a rubric to determine a fair price that include: a) the buyer: is "the city" Beverly Hills or Bakersfield? b) quantity: are they allowed to make only one print or are you giving them unlimited usage? c) usage: is the city going to hang this in the superintendent's office, use it for bus stops, part of a public service announcement, etc? d) time: is there a time limit to their usage of the image or can they use it indefinitely? e) distribution: is this to be used in a commercial shared with millions or for a presentation at handful of community meetings? f) the photographer: the price is based on perceived value and so a student photographer, a hobbyist, a government employee, a rookie freelancer, and seasoned nationally recognized pro would all have different expectations and prices. g) the photograph: how easy would it be for someone else to shoot this same image or how difficult or impossible for someone else to produce it? Because you are giving them the digital file and carte blanche usage, the price should be much higher than if you were selling a single print in a mahogany frame. If you still have no idea what to charge, ask the city what would be a fair price for them OR what was a comparable price they paid in the past OR if they were to hire you to take that photo, how much would you charge for your time and expenses? Here's an old school resource that can give you a ballpark on fair price practices: Photographer's Market 2018: Noel Rivera: 0035313669668: amazon.com: Books?tag=pentaxforums-20&

03-10-2020, 11:07 AM - 2 Likes	#12
c.a.m Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Ottawa, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,189	I would like to offer another perspective. If the City of Ottawa -- in which I have lived for 40 years -- asked for one of my images to hang in a city office, I would ask a nominal charge, say $10. I'd be proud to have one of my pictures displayed in such a manner, because I feel that I'm part of the community here. As a hobbyist photographer, this type of unsolicited request would be a pleasant surprise for me. I guess that $75 is not unreasonable in the OP's situation. @dezertzebra, congrats on the recognition! - Craig

03-10-2020, 06:04 PM - 1 Like	#13
Apet-Sure Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Goldsboro North Carolina Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,861	Asking $75 is certainly not outrageously too much IMO. They might jump at it, or ask you to negotiate. If they jump at it, you may feel you didn't ask enough. But hey, 75 bucks is 75 bucks you didn't have before. You might want to ask them if they will attribute the image to you with a small plaque or label. That way you might drum up some business. Not a deal breaker if they won't, but I think it's reasonable to ask. Back in the '80s I had two 16x20 prints of mine hanging in a bank. If I remember correctly I think the manager gave me something for them, but I was just proud to see them every time I walked in.

03-10-2020, 07:34 PM - 1 Like	#14
dezertzebra Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: So. CA. Posts: 180 Original Poster	The person has to submit it and get an ok for the funds. They contacted me after seeing my "picture of the week" for local on line new feed. She asked if i would sell it , they would enlarge it and give me credit. If and when they accept my offer i will take my small photo book to see if they are interested in any others. thanks for all the comments and suggestions. this would be my first sale. - Lori

03-10-2020, 08:01 PM - 1 Like	#15
aslyfox Seeker of Knowledge Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Topeka, Kansas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 24,581	Originally posted by c.a.m I would like to offer another perspective. If the City of Ottawa -- in which I have lived for 40 years -- asked for one of my images to hang in a city office, I would ask a nominal charge, say $10. I'd be proud to have one of my pictures displayed in such a manner, because I feel that I'm part of the community here. As a hobbyist photographer, this type of unsolicited request would be a pleasant surprise for me. I guess that $75 is not unreasonable in the OP's situation. @dezertzebra, congrats on the recognition! - Craig as an amateur I would be happy if I could get them to acknowledge that it is my picture any time it is used " photographed by _________ " of course if they " insisted " on paying me as well, I wouldn't say no good luck