NEW TO THE CONCEPT OF COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY?

 

 

If you're a small business owner or representative, there's a good chance you're wading into unfamiliar territory, and that's ok! The Photography Industry is a bit of a grey area - even for those of us in it - so I'll try to help clear things up.

Unlike family shoots where images are displayed in a living room or shared with friends online, the images created in a commercial shoot will be used to help sell something; products, services, etc. They will be in front of hundreds, thousands or millions (🤞) of eyeballs so a different fee structure is required to ensure a photographer is compensated accordingly. Think of it this way...Nike wants to use my image on a 10 story billboard in Dundas Square. Should they be charged the same rate as someone looking for photos to hang on their fridge? Large scale example, but you get the idea. There are a lot of different ways for a business to use images (social media, websites, print ads, brochures...), and many different scales of use (local, national, international distribution) so pricing can get rather complicated.

Here's how we do it at Jess McShane Photography; On top of the shoot fee listed here, I will sell you the right to use the image(s) produced for commercial purposes in the form of a Licence. There are several options that each reflect how you can use the image, how many times you can use the image, for how long you can use the image and exclusivity of that use.

Licenses are not to be confused with copyright (common misconception), which is ownership of an image. Canadian photographers are now, by default, the first owners of the copyright of the images they produce and are permitted to use their work as they wish. It's not often that photographers will give up copyright.

If I've only complicated matters, feel free to pick up the phone and give me a call. I'd love to chat!

 

​