Product photography pricing & rights

[Jim Bryant]

I understand that.

[acedrew]

What makes you so offensive? I don't get "You're more stupid than I thought" ??? Did I offend you somehow? You just said in your other post that you sell a 4x6 @ 72dpi, that's basically what I'm advocating. Mine are a little cheaper, maybe I'm not as good a photographer as you? I'm not sure why you feel threatened by my pricing? I'm just an advanced hobbyist that does well enough that some people would like to pay me for my work. If you want to charge more that's fine, all you have to do is make sure your work is good enough to justify your cost. Your insecurity has NOTHING to do with me, so quit attacking me personally! Thanks. I really think we agree here, and I don't think anyone else got that I was telling her to sell the image to the guy for $5, I think, if she really spent 2 weeks setting the shot up, it should be worth at least $500. However, I was pointing out that if I paid someone to take photos of my product, I would pay them to take the photos, and the photos would belong to me, no matter what the cost, I would not license the use of a photo of a product that I made. If the photographer didn't want to do it that way, I would find another photographer.

Best of luck,
Andrew Rodgers
Perfected Perspectives -- Photography by Andrew Rodgers | Andrew Rodgers (acedrew) on Twitter | Login | Facebook

[Jim Bryant]

Andrew, I'm at a far higher level than you are and I'm certainly not threatened by your photography or prices as my clients are the high end clients who want quality and are willing to pay for it. What I'm worried about is folks like you, are advanced hobbyists who don't take in account of your true costs of doing business, which hurts the photographic industry as a whole. I didn't mean to offend you, but you really need educate yourself on the photography business as a whole. Check out what your local competition charges and don't undercut them in hopes of attracting more clients. Make this easy on yourself, the more cheaply you charge, the more cheap clients you'll attract and the more harder you'll work at trying to make money. Ideally, you want to attract folks who are willing to pay good money for your services, then you won't have to work everyday. No you didn't offend me in anyway and yes, your prices are cheaper, maybe because you are just starting out and want to attract customers. But surely I'm not threaten because as I mentioned I'm already well established and clients pay me to produce quality, creative one of a kind work. Yes we do agree on a lot of points. You need to charge for every bit of service you do or you'll sell yourself short in the long run. You have to take in account of how much it would costs you to constantly upgrade your photographic equipment, software, computer hardware, scouting, traveling, setting up shots, taking pictures, downloading and time spent behind the computer editing and post-processing the images should be a built in factor when charging a client. As you well know the image taken (upon creation) belongs to the photographer and it's up to them to license the use of a photo however they seem fit. However, most folks don't know how to go about doing this and that's where educated professionals such as myself, who's been in the business for 40 years can help. There's plenty of professional organizations out there such as members of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) who are willing to help educate those in pricing and license issues. Didn't mean to offend ya, but I'm kind of like that at first. I sort of tell it like it is, even through it might offend some, but really I'd bend over backwards to help out an emerging, novice or whatever level photographer they are to the true cost of doing business. This learning process only helps a photographers in the long run as what other photographers charge for services in this crazy industry. Anyways, I'd be happy to help anyone in anyway possible.
Cheers!
Jim

[acedrew]

I will admit, this lesson was hard for me to learn, but learn it I did, and ironically not in the photography business, but in the IT Consulting business, I started when I was 14, and under priced myself for a long time! I have found the more you respect what you do, and what it's worth, the more others are willing to pay and the more they respect your work.

I understand your point, I even think that I have a good understanding, and I don't think I'm doing what you're accusing me of. My prices right now are not set, I'm trying to acquire a good portfolio, and make a little money on the side. Photography is my passion, I will be spending the money on it whether anyone wants my product or not. If and when I get to a point that I think I would like to do it full time, then my prices will reflect that. A lot of my photography work is with charities anyway, and what I am able to monetize, I give back to the community.

Did you take part in the Help Portrait project?

I appreciate your concern, but I actually work with a lot of local photographers, and I see the ones that under price and struggle...
Still don't think you had any cause to call anyone "more stupid" I don't think that was "telling it like it is" I think it was rude.
I may have responded in kind by calling you insecure, and I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, but that is really how your arguments came across. I still don't understand why you think that I was advocating selling a photo for $5, when I made it pretty clear what I was referring to.

Andrew Rodgers
Perfected Perspectives -- Photography by Andrew Rodgers | Andrew Rodgers (acedrew) on Twitter | Login | Facebook

[Jim Bryant]

Sorry for the stupid comment, but I get a bit heated, when folks sell their photos cheaply.
I wanted to get involved with the Help Portrait project for your troops, but I was scheduled for a week-long magazine shoot during that time frame, maybe next time they have one I'll apply. Besides, with all the military bases in our area of Western Washington, I would still be taking portraits