Selling a CD of images...Question?

Candid Arts

So here is the deal. I shot some family shots for my friends (husband, wife, daughter) for free. Just cause I wanted to do some shooting. They want to buy a CD of the images. When you sell a CD of images to a client, do you usually put your signature watermark on the photo? EX: bottom left, name, year in some fancy font... Or do you just leave it as is?

I'm thinking, signature for the low res files (internet stuff only), and if they buy a high res, or full res disc, leave the signature off.

What say you?

nipprdog

I shot some family shots for my friends (husband, wife, daughter) for free. Just cause I wanted to do some shooting.

They want to buy a CD of the images.

I thought it was family, for free?

Candid Arts

nipprdog wrote:

I thought it was family, for free?

Shooting everything was for free. But they want to purchase a CD, some prints, and maybe a book. And it was friends of mine, they were a family.

nipprdog

Candid Arts wrote:

Shooting everything was for free. But they want to purchase a CD, some prints, and maybe a book. And it was friends of mine, they were a family.

You've put yourself between a rock, and a hard place... friends/clients.

Good luck. You'll need it.


Psssssssssssst, if you shoot for free.................they will expect free.

Candid Arts

nipprdog wrote:

You've put yourself between a rock, and a hard place... friends/clients.

Good luck. You'll need it.


Psssssssssssst, if you shoot for free.................they will expect free.

What are you talking about? This discussion is not about selling the photos. They asked how much to buy a cd. I didn't expect to make money. But I'm going to as they want to pay for the photos. This thread is about watermarking photos when one sells a cd of images...

Toshido

Done for friends as a friendly gesture, give it to them....

If they are no longer friends, or if you do not want them to be friends anymore then charge them.

Candid Arts

Toshido wrote:

Done for friends as a friendly gesture, give it to them....

If they are no longer friends, or if you do not want them to be friends anymore then charge them.

Wow, ok. Again. This thread is not about charging them. They want to purchase the photos!

This thread is about, once again, putting a watermark on digital photos when a photographer sells a cd. This will be the third time I've said this, in four posts.

ChatKat

Friends and family
I learned the hard way that I will not sell images to my friends or family. If I shoot them, they can have a CD of images for free because when you start charging for images it's almost a guarantee that there will be something that comes out.

That said, I do not put anything on the front of images on CD I sell because I think it's tacky. I do sign with a pen a print - very small as an artist.

Art Scott

watermark the low rez files...real watermark....I use my web address in nice large colorful fonts.....thru the middle......

Large rez files for printing get signature.....I use a waccom tablet to make siggy....Arthur Scott '09 .....this is not a copyright...it is an artist signature....I do this in gold or silver....it is put approx 1.5 -2 inches from bottom and right side.......

Copyright notices...are put on the disk label in very bold letters: ©2009 Arthur Scott (actually I use ARIAL BLACK + BOLD....that is like double bold).....I make it large enuff it cannot be missed for any reason......
I place a text file.....labeled "COPYRIGHT NOTICE" as the 1st file a person when opening the disk.......also the images a place into files with same copy right notice file with them....so they go to the file named images and clik on that...it opens to show a text file and another file named images....this one actually contains the images and 2 copyright text files: first and last with images between...it is like a copyright sandwich with the images as the meat............
I have had client question why,,,,,as they expected to pop the disk into their computer and have it automatically showing the images......
I simply explain that it is to keep the PROCESSOR HONEST......because if the processor does not call me to verify the permission given to client by me to have prints made then I call the DA or have lawyer friend give a call to find out why they are printing when the copyright notices plainly state that verbal permission must be give to the processor by me to print any images take by me........so far I have only had to slap the hand of one processor .... all others call.......and seem very happy to do so.....also listed is a largest size limit to what I will allow to be printed...........by file size.

SUMGUY

I do a small watermark up in the top right of the low res copies on a cd, but if you want a high res copy with no watermark...well that will cost you a lot more.

Cheers
scott

bendruckerphoto

I never watermark files unless I'm putting them online. I don't make money off the CD. I make money off shooting. As everyone's said, you've put yourself in a difficult position. Yes, they want to buy a CD, but I doubt they want to buy a CD full of watermarked photos. You'll have to give them at least medium-res photos, no watermark, for cheap.