Posted by Erin Rideout on December 1, 2008 at 11:34 AM
If a company asks me to sell a photo to them (for stock uses) or requests one from me, how should I present it to them? I'm assuming I'd put it on a disc and mail it to them but I'm not really sure. Also I'm confused as to which type of file would be better to give them, a JPEG or a RAW. I've not really a clue about what would be reasonable to charge them either. I'm totally new to stock photography (I prefer to sell prints) and a few pointers would be much appreciated.
Hi there, you could give this a go as a guideline for pricing - http://www.photographersindex.com/stockprice.htm
I think a client may state what type of file they are after but make sure you retain all rights to your photos!
Posted by Mark Windom on December 2, 2008 at 12:30 AM
If you are serious about getting into the stock business I would recommend Fotoquote by Cradoc as a pricing guideline. Nothing is written in stone, ultimately the price you set is up to you, but Fotoquote is a good starting point.
Your client will dictate the type of file they want based on their needs. I find most want Tiffs.
It's best to develop a niche for yourself...specialize in a particular field whether it is lifestyles, business and industry, travel, etc and accumulate a large library of technically outstanding images that contain subject matter an editor would want....something that is unique to you and will encourage an end user to dial your number rather than that of your neighbor.
Educate yourself as to the various "categories" of stock....rights managed, royalty free, and microstock. Each have their pros and cons. You'll also have to develop a marketing strategy which will enable you to reach prospective clients....the phone usually doesn't ring unless you make it do so.
You may want to consider stock agencies as a way of marketing your work. They take a sizeable cut of the sale but reach customers you would never be able to. You might want to go online to Getty, Corbis, Photolibrary, etc. and check out the images they find suitable for stock.
A good source for those of us who sell our images is Photographer's Market...it's updated every year.
Best of luck....it can be a very rewarding experience but to be successful requires alot of work and even more luck.
Posted by Toni Lankerd on December 2, 2008 at 9:35 AM
Erin...if in doubt about how to present an image to stock clients..don't be afraid to ask the client. I'm sure each company is different in that respect. As for Jpeg or RAW....most want an edited Jpeg.
To learn more about the stock photography business itself. I would recommend reading Dan Heller's site.
Toni's experience reflects our own. When dealing with clients, ALWAYS ask about (and meet) submission guidelines. We're running about 90% jpegs on deliveries these days. Even if we do original capture in tiff or RAW, the last step before delivery is conversion to jpeg.
Discussion
4 repliesI think a client may state what type of file they are after but make sure you retain all rights to your photos!
Your client will dictate the type of file they want based on their needs. I find most want Tiffs.
It's best to develop a niche for yourself...specialize in a particular field whether it is lifestyles, business and industry, travel, etc and accumulate a large library of technically outstanding images that contain subject matter an editor would want....something that is unique to you and will encourage an end user to dial your number rather than that of your neighbor.
Educate yourself as to the various "categories" of stock....rights managed, royalty free, and microstock. Each have their pros and cons. You'll also have to develop a marketing strategy which will enable you to reach prospective clients....the phone usually doesn't ring unless you make it do so.
You may want to consider stock agencies as a way of marketing your work. They take a sizeable cut of the sale but reach customers you would never be able to. You might want to go online to Getty, Corbis, Photolibrary, etc. and check out the images they find suitable for stock.
A good source for those of us who sell our images is Photographer's Market...it's updated every year.
Best of luck....it can be a very rewarding experience but to be successful requires alot of work and even more luck.
To learn more about the stock photography business itself. I would recommend reading Dan Heller's site.