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09/02/2011 08:19:25 PM · #1 |
Hello everyone... This is my first post here and just to let you know, I am not a photographer. My business is in creative graphics and web design. In many cases I have used stock photos in the past for projects and really did not blink an eye at the single use costs associated with that material when I needed it.
However, I've been recently given a project that has given me a different view. In researching our particular use case for stock images and after speaking to several stock photograph agencies it seems that the only solutions being offered by these companies are prohibitively expensive for us.
I am creating a website for a schoolteacher who is a subject matter expert particularly in the field of working with underprivileged and special needs children. He has devoted his spare time over the course of his career developing materials for school administrators, government, parents and teachers that focuses on how to teach through techniques he has used and developed in his 35 years as an educator.
One of these material projects that we are developing on the web site includes motivational posters for children. The posters are specific to career choices and the idea behind them is that the student/teacher or parent/child work together to first choose a career of interest to the child and then upload a digital picture of that child into the poster along with a pledge that includes the child's name written within it. The background of the poster includes 10 photographs of diverse people and imagery related to the same career as the one chosen by the child(that's where you come in). There is additional material and more to the philosophy behind the posters that really make it effective.
What we would like to do is create a "poster on demand" service through an interface exposed to anyone that goes to the site and wishes to configure one. Once purchased it then gets sent to the printing company via email. This will allow an unlimited amount of designs, careers and language translations. So as you have probably concluded this would be extremely expensive through current license structures. If I have 200 careers and each has say 30 to 50 photograph choices multiplied by the cost(one quote was 240.00)for each license, forgetaboutit! Did I mention this was for a schoolteacher? I am taking a hit on this myself because he is a neighbor, a good friend and I really think he has created some very useful and needed information with his life's work.
What would be great in this case is a system where the photographer is given a reasonable percentage of each poster on which his/her image(s) is used. Could that be a realistic option? If so How?
I am not trying to devalue what you all do. It just seems that there should be a way to do this! Please give me any possibilities or suggestions on how we might be able to make this happen.
Regards,
David |
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09/02/2011 08:33:19 PM · #2 |
| Apply for a government grant. That's about your only option - I recommend seeking out a good grant writer. |
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09/02/2011 08:37:53 PM · #3 |
| Just out of curiosity, may I ask which stock agencies you checked with? |
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09/03/2011 10:43:02 AM · #4 |
Your proposal seems charitable, so your route may be to find funding to pay for the photos.
Why do you think the photographers should be the donors? I know why. Because they're just licenses and electronic files, not a bulky, tangible item. The printers will be paid for their materials, no?
That's why I'm quitting photography to take up chainsaw wood carving.
Message edited by author 2011-09-03 12:12:25.
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09/03/2011 11:52:24 AM · #5 |
| would an option be to hire a photographer or a few two take photos for you? then you could use them as many times as you want, assuming the agreement was structured properly, as often as you want. |
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09/03/2011 01:55:47 PM · #6 |
| Perphaps one or even two of these children is a budding photographer? It would be cool to help that kid to take the photos you need. |
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09/03/2011 03:46:03 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by Strikeslip:
That's why I'm quitting photography to take up chainsaw wood carving. |
You should join my new website: chainsawchallenge.com - there will occasionally be woodcarving challenges, too.
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I don't see a problem with setting up the website to accept image submissions for a specific career(s) in exchange for a percentage of poster sales. Photographers can either decide to do it or not. The concept doesn't sound any different than most other stock photo sites except for the specific-use part.
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09/04/2011 03:26:03 AM · #8 |
There were some things today that prevented me from getting back to this post until now but thank you all for the great suggestions so far.
Art: I'm going to dig a little more into the thought of using submitted work, thanks! The idea of setting up a site to invite submissions sounds promising.
Does anyone have insight on how we might make the best go of a site like this if we decide to implement it? What do other sites do wrong or right?
BaldurT: I spoke with people at Getty, IStock, Shutterstock and Alamy. I was going to try Veer and then some of the microstock companies I learned about through searching on this forum.
Strikeslip: My apologies if I gave you the impression that I wanted something for nothing. I understand the problem of people not wanting to pay for creativity and electronic files I am in the graphics business. I have a deep appreciation for what you all do and never meant to suggest otherwise. It seemed to me that a pay per use scenario directly through us instead of through an agency would put more in your pocket. Assuming sales of course :)
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