Quote Help

[erincarter]

Wondering if anyone can provide some help with quoting this.

Bus line in town wants some pictures taken of some of their vehicles. There are 3 different vehicles and they want pictures of each as well as some of all 3 of them together.

They then want some post production stuff done to them to make them look kind of "artsy" as they are going to then hang them on the walls in their offices. I've shown them some I've done before kind of like that and they like the look I have.

I won't be printing the pictures or framing them, they will be doing that themselves. I will just be taking the pictures and handing them over on a disk.

They want me to be creative (not sure how creative you can get taking pictures of a bus...lol) and they want about 30 edited pictures when I'm all done

Anyone have any suggestions as to what you might quote?

Thanks

[BigFuzzy]

Are they only going to hang them on the walls? No other use?

If so, why not make the prints yourself and charge them accordingly because unless you have some way of checking, what's the keep them from using the files for commercial use or some other thing you should make money from?

Do you have a contract stipulating how the files are to be used? If not, why not?

[erincarter]

funny you should ask...

I just asked the same question and this was the answer I just received...

"I want them for Websites, Wall Art, Advertising. Everything"

[BigFuzzy]

Though I'm not well placed to suggest what to quote.. this info is very relevant to those members here who have better knowledge to help you with.

This info changes everything.

[Rentham]

You can search and crowd source an answer over at Shakodo: A Question and Answer site focused on practical pricing for photography

Originally Posted by BigFuzzy

Though I'm not well placed to suggest what to quote.. this info is very relevant to those members here who have better knowledge to help you with.

This info changes everything.

I've never quite understood how use is relevant in these types of jobs. It's one thing if you already have a photo that they want to use, then I think use comes into the equation.

However, this is a contracted job, and should be treated as such:

Hourly Rate (whatever you think you're worth) x Hours to complete job + misc expenses (like gas or props)

I've been getting quotes for the last couple weeks on re-tiling my shower. Each contractor comes in with their own thoughts and ideas, and each gives me a quote for labor and materials...not one is charging me a "usage fee". Not sure why photographers feel they can.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Photoboothguy

I've never quite understood how use is relevant in these types of jobs. It's one thing if you already have a photo that they want to use, then I think use comes into the equation.

However, this is a contracted job, and should be treated as such:

Hourly Rate (whatever you think you're worth) x Hours to complete job + misc expenses (like gas or props)

I've been getting quotes for the last couple weeks on re-tiling my shower. Each contractor comes in with their own thoughts and ideas, and each gives me a quote for labor and materials...not one is charging me a "usage fee". Not sure why photographers feel they can.

You're missing the point.

Your contractors are coming in to do one job. You only have ONE bathroom for them to retile: its not like you have any other use for the tiles once their installed. A photographer on the other hand sells an image which can be re-used over and over. Photos are not tiles.

In such cases, the use is completely relevant as the number of times an image is used decreases the "cost" to the client based on the same financial outlay. For example: they pay you $100 for an image. They use that image according to the contract once: that image cost them $100. You dont specify usage and they use it ten times: that image cost them $10 per use. If they use it 100 times? $1 per. That's thousands you, as a photographer, have missed out on.

In this case, using the image for a few prints around the office (where a per-print spec pricing would be beneficial) is completely different from using an image in their office, promotional pieces, website, etc.

Your contractor analogy would work for the per-print spec pricing model. The contractor comes in, installs tiles once, and thats it. Or, the photographer takes some photos, has them printed, and thats it.

Where it all falls apart is in the next step: your contractor wont try to charge you based on usage because he cant: he's charging for the materials (tiles, grout, etc) and time (installation) because the nature of his work is that it's a one-time deal. With a photographer that isnt the case: a photograph can be reproduced and redistributed (Your shower cant).

[Pinellas Guy]

I just had an estimate done on my car from a car wreck. The first thing the shop asked me is "who is paying for it." Meaning if the insurer, a business, was paying, he would quote more for the same repair job. Is this insurance fraud - I dont think so. I bet with the tile job quote - if its was a tile quote for a hotel - the quote would be higher.

This is the same thing with photography, and with many things in life. You walk into a store all dressed up, the store might charge you more if they think you can afford it.

Why should you charge a business, who is there to make a profit, the same price as some consumer. Let's say it's a business fleet of repair trucks and Joe's pickup/car collection. In photography its all about use. The business wants photos of their fleet to promote their business so they can make a profit. This image will appear on their website, in print, and quite possibilty on tv commercials. Joe wants photos so he can hang on his wall.
Your image of the bus could be seen thousands of times and they might have just made thounsands on their image. Charge more.

Make sure you ask them how long they want to use your image for, take a look at their website.