Selling digital files

<p>I have been selling prints of crystals in polarized light, images captured via the microscope with an attached digital camera (see my website mycrystalscapes.com). I was contacted by a major biosciences company with international connections to photograph some of their chemical substrates, which was done after some effort since not all chemicals exhibit birefringence and not all grow nice photogenic crystals. My image files are 32 MP, 90MB files TIFF. The company now wants to purchase the files and not the prints which I was offering. I have no idea what to sell a 90 MB high-resolution file for. Any ideas ?<br>

Carl</p>

<p>The first question I would ask is "what will the pictures be used for?"</p>

<p>Usage usually determines licensing fees, with a full page shot used for advertising in national magazines being highest and a small illustration used in a text book being lowest.</p>

<p>Some licensing sites: http://www.cradocfotosoftware.com/fotoQuote-Pro/demo.html<br>

http://www.d-65.com/photographerresource/pricing.html<br>

http://www.photographersindex.com/stockprice.htm</p>

<p>These all assume you have been paid for the shoot itself, or that the photos already exist in your library.</p>

<p><Chas></p>

<p>Thanks Charles for your response. The company wants to use the files for their own publications, brochures, wall-sized prints to represent their products, etc., all to attract business on an international scale...in fact, one of their branches in Sweden and a few others across the globe have expressed a desire to own a number of image files. There was no mention of a commission, when I was contacted by the local branch since I was unsure if I would be able to come up with a product and preferred (perhaps by error) to wait and see if I could be successful; I didnt really want to charge a commission fee and come up with nothing. Yet I was able to get nice colorful image captures which are currently saved on hard drives. So, I have not been paid yet.<br>

Thanks, Carl</p>

<p>Then you should consider a "broad rights" package, perhaps for an extended period of time. If your images will be used that often in that many different ways, you need to be paid accordingly.</p>

<p>I would start my negotiations in the five figure neighborhood, especially if they want exclusivity.</p>

<p>But, it's a negotiation, and you're going to have to either 1) put a figure out there that might scare them off, or 2) ask what their budget is, and possibly have to negotiate up from a ridiculously low starting point. It's best if you can walk away if they don't want to pay what the photos are worth.</p>

<p><Chas><br /><br /><br /></p>

<p>Looking at this from a different perspective...</p>

<p>The images probably aren't worth anything to you, you are unlikely to sell these images to anyone else. I sounds like your other crystal shots are more photogenic.</p>

<p>Since the customer owns the subject matter, a measure of the value is what it would cost them to pay someone else to take the pictures again, with a prior agreement that the customer has complete rights (work for hire).</p>

<p>So, the value lies in your unusual skill to create beautiful images of this subject. How many other pro photographers could do what you did? It sounds like less than 1% from your description. If this is true, then your images are valuable and you can ask for a lot. However, if you are too greedy, you may lose future opportunities.</p>

<p>Most valuable responses ! I thank you both. The images I derived from the company substrates are quite beautiful, it seems the company does not want exclusivity and would not object if I upload the images to my website. So, with the great advice you have provided, I am currently negotiating a price for each copy of the desired files and it seems as company projects evolve, there should be more requests for images...that remains to be seen.<br>

I have yet to find other photographers on the net doing exactly what I do, however, there is a site on <a href="http://fab.com" target="_blank">fab.com</a> that presents with something similar utilizing fruit juices or something of that nature, the images are nice.<br>

I truly apreciate all reponses. I am learning the trade, but have a ways to go. Thanks, Carl</p>