# Professional Photographer Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-photographer-question/68622>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 13, 2001, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-photographer-question/68622 "2001-06-13T03:54:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2001, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-photographer-question/68622/1 "2001-06-13T03:54:32Z")

</div>

So, I’ve started working for this brand new local arts and entertainment paper. And they get one time usage and I get the negatives.

And given that this is a small, new paper, of course they aren’t paying me shit, so my editor suggested I sell prints to some of my subjects (the mayor has already expressed interest in a shot I took of him).

I haven’t sold photos this way before. How much more do I charge for a print, given that labour hasn’t been charged for previously (like for headshots or weddings or whatever)?

What about one time usage or restricted usage vs. unlimited usage? What about keeping my name one it?

And shouldn’t I charge the mayor a lot more than the bands I usually shoot 😃 ?

Any advice at all would be appreciated.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![barking\_frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@barking\_frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barking_frog)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2001, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-photographer-question/68622/2 "2001-06-13T05:20:55Z")

</div>

Not really anything to add here, but you might want to head over to [http://www.photo.net](http://www.photo.net) and ask the folks there.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![schief2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@schief2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schief2)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2001, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-photographer-question/68622/3 "2001-06-13T05:29:17Z")

</div>

Check out the [Estimator](http://www.editorialphoto.com/contracts/estimator.html) over at the Editorial Photographers web site, though admittedly it’s geared more towards pricing for magazines and such.

Or if you’re fairly serious, you could look into buying the program [FotoQuote](http://www.fotoquote.com). I’ve never used it, but I gather it’s much more extensive than the utility above.

Be very reluctant to sell someone unlimited usage unless they’re willing to pay a substantial premium for it. Trust me.