Pricing
Commercial photography primarily services advertising clients. Therefore, pricing standards follow a format widely accepted and used in the advertising community.
Typically, a ‘creative fee’ provides the base structure of commercial photography pricing. From there, expenses such as studio fees, travel, specialized equipment rental, models, etc. are added. Together, creative fee and expenses cover the production costs associated with conducting the actual shoot.
In addition to the production cost, ‘usage fees’ are applied based on the client’s use of the photograph(s) produced. Magazine covers, billboards, website display, product packaging all have their own pricing based on a number of input factors. In order to provide accurate estimates all factors are required up front. Additionally, individual photographs that require specialized processing (Photoshop, composites, etc.) to create a unique or desired look affect price as well.
An example may include a photograph for a client wishing to publish it within a nationally-circulated magazine with a 500,000+ readership, displayed in full page for a duration of 12 months (these factors are required to determine an exact usage fee cost).
The photograph is licensed exclusively (there is also non-exclusive licensing) to the client for that specific use and duration of time. Under contract, with exclusive licensing, the photograph cannot be licensed to another client during the 12 month period.
At the end of the 12 months the client will relinquish usage rights of the photograph, and the photographer is permitted to re-issue usage rights of the photograph to another client under a separate contract agreement. NOTE: There are ‘buy-out’ options that prevent further re-issue of the photograph to other clients.
Copyright of all photographs produced is held by Sam Perry Photography LLC. The usage, based on licensing, of the photograph(s) is granted to the client based on the client’s specific needs. In other words, during the contract period the photographer still ‘owns’ the original copyright but is licensing the usage of the photograph.
You can see this model is less about ‘selling a picture’ and more about licensing the usage of work produced.
I offer this information as a service to potential clients as well as anyone working to educate themselves on how commercial photography is priced. This is general information and each client/contract is different. Please contact us to discuss your specific needs and how we can work together and produce incredible images to promote your business.