How do you Pros handle the sale of digital files?

02/05/2014 08:42:29 PM · #1

If you sell prints from events, do you also sell the digital downloads?

I don't want to because once I do then I have given up any further revenue from that client and I have lost control of how often and how large prints will be made from that file. However, I keep feeling the pressure to accept the 21st century reality that people keep their photo albums electronically on the computer and/or online and they want their photos to be electronic, not physically printed.

So, I would like to consider the options. What do you do? What would you suggest?

Here is the situation that has prompted me to create this post:

I had four photographers shoot a bicycle race recently for my photography business and I have since had several inquiries about purchasing digital files instead of prints. My reply to one of them included the following:

Originally posted by me:

I used to sell digital prints but I soon realized that people were using the sale of a single digital file to reproduce them as prints of any size and number. That practice severely limits my ability to compensate my staff. I had four photographers assigned to shoot the Tour de Cure and I have to compensate them for their time as well as earn an income for my business. If I were to be consider the possible loss of income due to people printing their own photos and offset that loss with a high price for the digital file, I would be concerned that someone who sincerely wants a digital file for reasons other than to reproduce them as prints at will would be offended by that price.

So I wonder, what should I do? My first thought is to determine exactly what you intend to do with a digital file of our photos and then decide on a price for that use. If it is to post to social media such as Facebook, then I have a solution. If it is to print them at will, well, that is what I am in business to do and I would not be willing to give that away for a price less than what most people would probably consider exorbitant.

Would you please explain what your intended use of our digital files will be and I will explore options for selling them for that use?

Maybe I was a bit too honest, informative, wordy, etc. with this customer, but I was at a loss. When I find myself in that position I tend to simply be honest and say it like it is.

As I mentioned to him, digital files for the purpose of posting to Facebook is easy. I used to sell them priced at about half the price of a print, sized at 5x7", 72dpi, and with my watermark listing my URL unobtrusively placed in a lower corner of the image. That way I still make something and people who view it know where to look for prints or their future photographer. For images from Fred Astaire Dance Studio photo shoots I often give that sized digital file to clients who purchase the same prints as a bonus. The client that I referred to above specifically stated that he did not want prints.

When he replies with his intended use I can then consider what I am willing to sell them for and license them as such. I still have no way of enforcing whatever that license ends up being. Besides, it seems that the time has come for me to formulate some options and prices for digital files. I would appreciate hearing from anybody who has experience with this and from anybody who has some suggestions.

Thanks!

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

02/05/2014 08:46:22 PM · #2

My customer already replied:

Originally posted by my customer:

Thank you Robert. I appreciate your honesty and thorough answer. I understand perfectly.

All I want is to have digital copies - yes to perhaps share on Social Media - but also to keep a digital record of my rides. That's all. I have no intention of making printed copies.

Best regards,

idnic

Canon EOS-60D

02/05/2014 08:53:32 PM · #3

I happily supply them with a few downsized digis - with my logo on them for social purposes. If they want full size digis with no logo - I charge my happy price and gladly let them go. Took me a few years to come around to this mindset... but I finally realized it was just for social that most of them wanted the digis. With my logo made them happy and my shots spread around to their friends, logo attached. Its good for us all.

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

02/05/2014 09:07:06 PM · #4

Originally posted by idnic:

Yep, that is the easy part and is what I have often done up to this point. But I have had several inquiries from this event but I haven't even mentioned a really bad experience recently that also makes me want to address this once and for all and have a system in place. I spent a day shooting at each of two dance studios (both of the same name and same owners) and afterwards I had hardly any print sales from them. I found out that their previous photographer simply put the unedited images on DVD's and sold them. That was good enough for the parents of the students but I am not about to release my work if it is not perfect. Anyway, they wanted digital copies, not the prints and the photo shoots ended up being a total waste of my time. So, I think that it is important that I determine what size digital files I want to permanently put on my price sheets and at what price.

By the way, Cindy, thanks for the suggestion about vintage wedding albums on Etsy a week or two ago! My client loved the options and ended up buying two. I ended up selling her 100 8x12's to fill that vintage album instead of sending the bulk of that income to a photo book company.

Message edited by author 2014-02-05 21:07:53.

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

02/05/2014 09:48:01 PM · #5

i gave up on the reprint business years ago and went digital-only. i will make prints for clients that want me to, but that's rare. sales skyrocketed. and the headaches associated with fulfillment pretty much went away. so much easier to just shoot and sell.

i also try to focus my business on clients who pay enough for event coverage that post-event sales are not necessary.

fwiw, nobody gets anything that's not appropriately processed or licensed.

good luck!

Message edited by author 2014-02-06 09:38:38.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

02/06/2014 07:29:56 AM · #6

I agree with Skip, i charge for a shoot and give up the files if that what the client wants. Its actually much easier than dealing with the proofs and prints and order, etc. I set a price that you would reasonably like to make on a session and prints and charge that.

i still offer prints, some folks don't like the hassle so i still offer both.

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

02/06/2014 02:49:36 PM · #7

Thanks Skip and Mike. After your posts I formulated something that I think that I can live with, at least for now. I'll see how it works out and adjust it as necessary.

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

02/06/2014 03:09:09 PM · #8

i divide my work into three categories: community photography (local, unpaid stuff that usually involves my kids or friends), event photography, and wedding/portrait photography. each has is owned tiered pricing. for retail use (personal use, prints, etc), i have three products: social media, high-res (good up to 8x12), and very-high-res (good up to wall size posters).

social media is sized to 640px, 72dpi, quality 55%, and watermarked. it's priced under $10.

the middle product is priced the same as what you would normally sell an 8x10/12 for. of course, someone savvy could figure out how to upsize the image and rip me off, but i don't have time to worry about that.

the big one goes for 2-5x the middle one, depending.

the trick is to be realistic about the amount of sales you expect from an event and then try to get a big chunk of that from whomever is paying you. one thing to avoid are shooting on spec without a guaranty of exclusivity.

commercial licensing prices are calculated based on stock price calculators and negotiation.

your mileage may vary.

02/06/2014 03:52:30 PM · #9

Yes Skip, after you posted last night I have been browsing your website...or should I say websites. Man, you are all over the place and it is all very impressive.

I like your categories and products as you have described them here and as I have been seeing them online. What you are telling me and what I am seeing is influencing the formulas that I have come up with and have already revised a couple of times.

The bulk of what I do is dance studio photography and the parents of the young students always want prints. So I don't want to stop providing the prints but to add the option of the digital download with the licensing agreements tailored to each type of download is sounding more appealing than it was when I started this thread. The adult students at another dance studio have asked for digital downloads from day one and I have given them a free "social media download" that has my small company logo on it with the purchase of the same image as a print.

It looks like I also might be doing a lot more of the smaller marathons, triathlons, adventure races, and bicycle races in which racers have bib numbers and I have multiple photographers stationed along the course. I identify bib numbers and participants get an email with a link to a gallery of just the pictures that they were identified in. Inquiries for downloads after last weeks race is what prompted this thread.

I think that what I am now putting on my price sheet that is based on your input might work for everything.

Thanks again!