I don’t know how you feel when shopping for photography but I bet usually its a lot like Beau (pictured). Between the copyrights, prints, post processing and managed rights it can be hard to tell what it is exactly that you are purchasing, if anything. I certainly know it can be confusing, hell it even confuses me sometimes and I do this everyday. So I figured it was time for me to define a couple things for us and to make our lives a little easier.
It is my feeling that a lot of photographers who are still operating on the up sell method of business take advantage of their client’s ignorance. Most notably are the studios around town who offer discounted sitting fees to get you in the door and then nickle and dime you to death buying a bunch of things that don’t have any real value ie: prints, mattes, finishes etc.
You would think when you get to the commercial market things would change drastically. Commercially, you may deal with the management of rights, expiration, distribution limits, reproduction methods, permissions etc. But it all boils down to the same thing. Get you in the door as cheap as possible then make you pay by reducing the value of the photos. Really what is the value of an image you can’t use?
All of this amounts to a poor customer experience and a confusing market where the value of photography swings wildly around from trade for prints (free) to upwards of $75,000 a day.
Business of photography definitions:
The following are what I consider the most important words to understand when purchasing photography.
Image: The digital file, negative or print that is the deliverable product. This can be confusing because the same image of Beau (pictured) can be delivered in more than one way and each way counts as a separate photograph.
Copyright: AKA © That little symbol still carries a lot of power (although maybe a little misguided at the moment) and it is the greatest tool a photographer has to control the value of their product. A firm and clear understanding of what copyright means is a great asset to anyone who hopes to purchase or sell photography.
Grant of Rights: The means by which the photographer sells the images from a photo session. Defines the manner in which the images maybe used by the client.
Managed Rights: If you have ever purchased a portrait session or bought prints from a photographer you have already experienced rights management. It is most easily understood as the restriction on the clients ability to copy or distribute the photos. In the commercial world all aspects can be defined and include expiration of rights, limited geographic distribution and even number, type and size of reproduction. Sometimes the client may even be required to check in with the photographer so they can approve any reproduction before it goes to press.
Exclusive: Means the rights granted are specific to the entity that purchased them, they cannot be transferred and you cannot sell the images to others.
Watermark: Traditionally: A logo or text that is overlaid on the image to discourage unauthorized reproduction. (example: when I post to flickr) Now: I use it as a way to lower the entry level to my photography, and hope that it is a discreetly placed logo and byline. I get the continued advertising and you get an entry level price.
Byline: Is a phrase on the photograph or accompanying the photograph that states legibly: “image by tyson crosbie”. Amy Lamp has an excellent example of an accompanying byline.
Time Value
It has been my intention from the beginning to run an open and transparent photography business; to place value on my own abilities instead of on the products or tools that I sell and use. Personally I value my time as a photographer and that is what I intend to spend the majority of my time doing. I know this makes for a much better customer experience and is exactly why I have a single rate. I don’t up sell anything, I let my clients manage themselves and my contract is only one page long.
I hope to have turned the photo market a little bit on its head by not managing my clients rights to the extent that I become a policeman and by being up front about what I believe my time is worth. It is by directly respecting clients and also valuing their time and intelligence that I have built a loyal and valuable clientele.
Comments
I’d love to hear any thoughts about your past, present or future experiences with the business of photography. Did I miss anything? Is there more I can do to simplify the client experience?
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