Is this a good offer to take? - DPChallenge Forums

02/06/2005 03:54:45 AM · #1

I got this email from a stock photography site after sending in my portfolio and exchanging a couple emails. Are these good prices? Should I make a counter offer? New to the whole business aspect. Here's the email.

Hi Chris,

Â

Thank you for providing this information.Â As far as the resolution that you stated below, this is within our needs.Â Specifically, we will need each photo delivered in four sizes, which are listed below:

Â

1. 30008x2000 (300+ DPI)

2. 2400x1800 (300+ DPI)

3. 1800x1200 (300+ DPI)

4. 800x600 (300+ DPI)

Â

Our current delivery schedule for the majority of our photographers consists of 250 â�� 500 photos per set, which are delivered either monthly or bi-monthly. Having said this, though you have indicated your volume of delivery would be a bit lower than this, we have provided a comparable pricing schedule breakdown below:

Â

People Photo Sets (Characterized as having full identifiable people as the subject matter, accompanied by model releases)

Â

Rates:

Â

100 Photos Per Month: $500.00

150 Photos Per Month: $750.00

Â

Object Sets (Characterized as inanimate objects, nature, animals, and people whose identities are not identifiable, as well as all other subject matter other than identifiable people w/releases)

Â

Rates:

Â

100 Photos Per Month: $300.00

150 Photos Per Month: $450.00

Â

Additionally, we require all photos delivered to us be provided exclusively to us.Â Furthermore, once all particulars have been worked out for our agreement, we will provide general themes of photos we would like shot based on the particular areas of expertise you believe you are best suited for you.Â Please let us know how you would like to move forward based on the above, as well as if you have any questions for us.

Â

"___"
Creative Director

Message edited by author 2005-02-06 04:41:11.

02/06/2005 03:58:27 AM · #2

Is there any residual on top of that, or is that all they pay you? 3 bucks a photo, and you have to PS 'em to 4 sizes for them?

Robt.

02/06/2005 04:04:54 AM · #3

They havent mentioned anything about residuals. Should I ask them about that as well? What should I ask more specifically?

Thanks for your help,

Chris

02/06/2005 04:17:12 AM · #4

I honestly don't know. In a "normal" stock agency, in the film days, you got a usage fee every time someone bought your image; the agency took a cut for doing the scut-work and showing your pictures, basically. Now on the internet there's apparently a whole other business model operating.

They require that "all photos be provided exclusively to us"... This is not the same as saying "we are buying hte photos from you", is why I am wondering. If what's happening is they put you "on staff" for this much a month per image provided, and then you get a piece of sales revenue, that seems doable. If what they are doing is paying you this much and pocketing all revenue from your images, that's not a very high return on your time invested; even assuming you do only batch post-processing, you got to figure what, 10 mins an image for downloading and prepping generically? That's 6 images an hour, meaning you get paid a max of 18 dollars an hour to mass-produce images for them, not even counting the time and expense you incur actually TAKING the pictures.

It seems like a decent enough return compared to i-stock or someplace like that (2o cents per download) but at least there theyhave no upper limit on your earnings, Personally, I wouldn't touch it without a revenue-sharing arrangement, a share of the residual rights, but then I'm an already-retired professional photographer and I don't work in this world anymore.

But, hell; when I was working, back in the 70's and 80's say, we used to get a MINIMUM of 150 dollars (worth a LOT more in those days) for an image that appeared in print, so....

I really don't know. By all means ask them about residuals. How long do they have an exclusive on these images? If there are no residuals, why don't they just SAY they are buying them outright? This is what I'd be asking.

Robt.

02/06/2005 04:29:50 AM · #5

Rob,

THANKS so much for your help. You are so active on this forum and you really do help people out. I appreciate it and am drafting a letter to them now....I'll let you know what happens. I'm going to ask about residuals and find out more details before commiting.

Thanks so much.

Chris

02/06/2005 04:30:41 AM · #6

Rob...

Whats a fair residual sharing price/percent?

Chris

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

02/06/2005 05:16:47 AM · #7

I have no clue, sorry. My main concern right now would be, do they even HAVE one? How are they selling these images? Do they charge per image, like a "real" stock agency, based on usage, or do they allow unlimited downloads for a fixed price like, apparently, shutterstock and i-photo do?

If they are using a business model where a magazine pays a sliding fee for images based on circulation, or an ad agency pays for images based on the size of the market they are placing the ad in and the size of the image in the ad, then you damned well better have a stake in the action. If they are a web-based stock agency, with those ridiculously low prices, then that sort of thing presumably is not gonna happen for you.

Robt.

deapee

Kodak V803

02/06/2005 09:44:39 AM · #8

Originally posted by Montereykiddo:

1. 30008x2000 (300+ DPI)

That's a typo, right? Because that's like 15:1 and a little over 60 megapixels???

Prof_Fate

02/06/2005 10:30:41 AM · #9

Originally posted by deapee:

Originally posted by Montereykiddo:

1. 30008x2000 (300+ DPI)

That's a typo, right? Because that's like 15:1 and a little over 60 megapixels???

You don't have the 'hack' installed on your rebel do you? that's in teh menus somehere...LOL

nsbca7

Mattel Barbie Photo Designer Digital Camera

02/06/2005 10:37:31 AM · #10

Did you read the contract? Most stock agencies do not pay money up front. This sounds more like an outright purchase of the images with copyright. If this is the case this would be a bad move on your part unless you really don't like any of the pictures you produce and just want to get rid of them fast and cheap. I don't think you want to do that, do you?

What is the name of the agency?

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

02/06/2005 11:22:38 AM · #11

The name of the company is Stockedphoto.com

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

02/06/2005 11:36:08 AM · #12

this sounds like a BAD DEAL. with a residual, it might be easier to swallow, but consider:

* what happens if you don't meet your quota? do they terminate your contract? does that cut off any possible residuals?

* who owns the images if you terminate the contract?

* how much time you are going to have to invest to produce a minimum of 100 quality images - 10 hours a month, 20 hours a month, 30 hours a month, 40 hours a month? if you look at how much time a ribbon winner at dpc invests in producing ONE image, and consider how much time you put into producing a single entry, think about how much time it is going to take to produce a large quantity of quality entries? (and i'm not saying that ribbon-winners and dpc-challenges are stock material--i'm simply referring to the quality of the images.)

* the best people shots involve hired models--people who can show up and know what is expected, and then be able to deliver. are you prepared to make that investment, or are you going to wing it with whomever you can get to pose? or, are you going to have to settle for the lower paying type images...

just my two cents...

deapee

Kodak V803

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

02/06/2005 12:05:32 PM · #13

I agree with skiprow. It would make more sense if you were say shooting 4 different models a month and your job was to go photograph stuff and you only sent in your throw-aways from all the shoots.

02/06/2005 01:05:13 PM · #14

Wnet to the stockedphoto.com website. They sell subscriptions for unlimited downloads. The following is a quote:

With thousands of stock photos, all available for download for just one low fee, free yourself from high per image fees and rights managed restrictions.StockedPhotos.com offers unlimited downloads and all original, exclusive, royalty free photography.

Note the misleading usae of the word "exclusive"... The buyers may think they are getting exclusive rights to the image, when in fact (per the photographer contract) the agency has got the photographer to agree the image will only be available on this site.

Forget residuals, they aren't going to have any. They are offering you a contract for 3 bucks an image per 100 images uploaded to them. Up to you to decide if it's worth your time. If you shoot a lot of decent pictures each month for the hell of it, and can upload 450 of them a month, in 3 months you can buyt some Big Glass on the income from your work, I guess...

Robt.