LTD Editions and other uses

Just wondering your thoughts on using a limited edition photo for something like a calendar. I'm not too interested in the discussion of limited vs open editions. I decided to make my landscapes all editions of 100 ever, whether on canvas or paper. This was mainly for the art show circuit. So would you consider that unethical to make a calendar of them, or even for magazine usage? I'm thinking if Outdoor Photo published one, it could only help but I don't want anything coming back to bite me down the line.

Thanks,
Paul

For me the bottom line is that a Limited Edition is a promise to your clients. Do anything else with the image, and some of them are going to feel you broke your promise. No matter the fine print beforehand or spin afterwards, your rep will suffer accordingly. You stand to make your own Limited Editions seem like nothing more than a marketing ploy.

I'm not doing limited editions, and therfore don't have a horse in the race. But as a customer, if I bought a limited edition of anything, then saw it appear elsewhere in other forms, the artist had better stay well clear of me and my crotchety nature.

I'll second exactly what Hank said. No doubt a limited edition is just that. Ron

I'll third what Hank says. If you say something is a limited edition and then continue to use it, you run the risk of losing your credibility. That would not be a good thing.

-P

So you guys are saying no even on sending in to Outdoor Photographer or using them to accompany an article I write? I'm guessing the calendar is definitely out of the question. What about entering contests. If so I'm already in trouble, as I have sold my shot several times that won Outdoor Photographer's Magical Adventures.

It's between you and your clients. If they understand that you define limited as continuing uses in other venues there shouldn't be any problem. If you have led your clients to believe they had an exclusive, I'd use the peep hole in your door before opening it to a knock.

It's between you and your clients. If they understand that you define limited as continuing uses in other venues there shouldn't be any problem. If you have led your clients to believe they had an exclusive, I'd use the peep hole in your door before opening it to a knock.

I think it depends on whether the chicken comes before the egg. If you use a photo in an article or a magazine publishes it as a cover and then you later offer it as a limited edition print then I could see that, especially if you make the prior publication clear to your buyers. On the other hand I have seen many lithos sold as signed and numbered limited editions while at the same time mass prodcued poster prints were being mass marketed--Larry

Ok, upon reading up some it seems limited edition can be whatever that photographer makes it out to be. I had known of "limited editions" of one size, while other sizes were open edition, etc. I think I will stick to entering contests and be clear to my buyers that I do that. Besides, who wouldn't like to say say, "I have an award winning photo on my wall." I previously sold my winning shot for double on the sole fact that it won. I definitely won't be making calendars of them though. Thanks for the input guys,

Paul

I offer "original prints" of my photographs as limited editions. By this I mean that its the prints that are being limited in number, not the image itself. While I don't plan on ever producing cards, posters or calenders from the same images, I don't see any problem with having some of them published in books, magazines and web-sites. Of course, all of this is explained to my clients so they know what they are getting into. For the record nobody has objected to this so far (this includes both private and corporate collectors) and I have never lost a sale on account of it.

I am currently in the process on producing folios - a collection of related prints from a project/series. I will not be explicitly limiting the number of folios from a particular project. However, since the actual prints inside the folios will continue to be part of their respective limited editions (I consider each print in a folio to be an original print) the total number of folios that I can produce is inherently limited.

Thanks Anil, that seems like the way to go. It makes sense, and I am always up front with my clients, whether it be in materials used for framing or ps work. So to be up front and go that route seems to fit into what I want.