The Digital Download Thread (Tips, Questions)

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  • CammoCammo Registered Users Posts: 177 Major grins
    edited August 21, 2006
    I think there needs to be a slight change possibly to the wording of the "personal use" digital download.

    At the moment it is not clearly stated that the person buying the licence can't simply email the pic to a friend for them to use as well. I realise it says it may not be "relicensed, or sub-licensed" however I don't really think this is clear enough - I think it should say that it can't be distributed or used by anyone other than the original purchaser of the personal use icence.

    Thoughts?
  • photogmommaphotogmomma Registered Users Posts: 1,644 Major grins
    edited August 29, 2006
    wetsands wrote:
    ^ that would be very helpful.. instead of the digital download options being limited to only "1 MP" & "4MP" sizes, to also include common web sizes at 72ppi like 400x 266, 600 x400, 800x 532 as well as screen saver size..what ever that maybe...

    Just a second to that request.... I absolutely LOVE this option, but would love to just offer a web sized image without having to have two copies of every image I want to offer. Gets confusing for me AND my customer!

    Thanks!
  • CammoCammo Registered Users Posts: 177 Major grins
    edited August 30, 2006
    Cammo wrote:
    I think there needs to be a slight change possibly to the wording of the "personal use" digital download.

    At the moment it is not clearly stated that the person buying the licence can't simply email the pic to a friend for them to use as well. I realise it says it may not be "relicensed, or sub-licensed" however I don't really think this is clear enough - I think it should say that it can't be distributed or used by anyone other than the original purchaser of the personal use icence.

    Thoughts?

    Bump
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited September 1, 2006
    Cammo wrote:
    I think there needs to be a slight change possibly to the wording of the "personal use" digital download.

    At the moment it is not clearly stated that the person buying the licence can't simply email the pic to a friend for them to use as well. I realise it says it may not be "relicensed, or sub-licensed" however I don't really think this is clear enough - I think it should say that it can't be distributed or used by anyone other than the original purchaser of the personal use icence.

    Thoughts?

    Thanks Cammo, we're considering it.
  • photogmommaphotogmomma Registered Users Posts: 1,644 Major grins
    edited September 4, 2006
    Just a few quick questions:
    • If I make a file available for download, can I set the price to $0.00 so that they can grab it for free? (Yes, I know I can make it available by clicking Save Original or whatever)... which leads me to the next question:
    • When someone purchases more than one photo, how can they get downloded? Are they grouped together so that multiple images can be downloaded at once? Or are they downloaded one at a time?
    Thanks! I have a customer that is going to get 50 images and I'd like to make it as easy as possible for them - and as easy as possible for me. (I made this promise before changing many of my policies.)
  • pat.kanepat.kane Registered Users Posts: 332 Major grins
    edited September 4, 2006
    If I make a file available for download, can I set the price to $0.00 so that they can grab it for free? (Yes, I know I can make it available by clicking Save Original or whatever)...

    No. If you zero out the price, the digital download won't be available. Your only option would be to allow Originals from within Customize Gallery.
  • photogmommaphotogmomma Registered Users Posts: 1,644 Major grins
    edited September 5, 2006
    pat.kane wrote:
    No. If you zero out the price, the digital download won't be available. Your only option would be to allow Originals from within Customize Gallery.

    Duh. I know that. I think I meant "blank" rather than zero....

    But anyway, sounds like I can't.... Thanks!
  • savannahgasavannahga Registered Users Posts: 225 Major grins
    edited September 27, 2006
    Is this a bug or is it me?
    I created a gallery called "Download Small files" with 400x266 pixel files ,
    I priced them $10 (P), $25 (C) & restricted the price to just this gallery. But when I go do a practice purchase download the prices are shown as my "original file" prices in my other galleries. $75 (P), $150 (C).

    What gives?
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited September 27, 2006
    savannahga wrote:
    I created a gallery called "Download Small files" with 400x266 pixel files ,
    I priced them $10 (P), $25 (C) & restricted the price to just this gallery. But when I go do a practice purchase download the prices are shown as my "original file" prices in my other galleries. $75 (P), $150 (C).

    What gives?
    Hi Jeff,

    At that size, they can only be sold as "original" size. Our sizes at 1mpix, 4mpix, and original, you get to determine "original"

    http://www.smugmug.com/prints/digital-downloads

    So, you can price Originals for this gallery only, in pro pricing tools. OK?
  • savannahgasavannahga Registered Users Posts: 225 Major grins
    edited September 27, 2006
    Thanks Andy for the reply. thumb.gif
  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited October 7, 2006
    Ok, I didn't see an answer to this in any previous threads. What kind of print could someone make from a 1MP download?
    Thanks,
    Richard
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited October 7, 2006
    Ok, I didn't see an answer to this in any previous threads. What kind of print could someone make from a 1MP download?
    Thanks,
    Richard
    Depends on the image, Richard, and also on the viewer's tolerance for detail, sharpness, quality.
  • photogmommaphotogmomma Registered Users Posts: 1,644 Major grins
    edited October 9, 2006
    Ok, I didn't see an answer to this in any previous threads. What kind of print could someone make from a 1MP download?
    Thanks,
    Richard

    I wanted to figure out the exact same thing so I just looked up the minimum size requirements on SmugMug and this is what i've come up with - quite unscientifically! And I believe, like Andy, that this will depend on the person, but in my eyes, a 1mp image can be printed to about 8x10 and still look acceptable. That doesn't mean that someone won't try to print something gigantic, though.... But maybe setting guidelines for your customers for your downloads might help you alleviate any problems. "We dont' recommend printing larger than 5x7" or whatever...

    That's what I'm going to do anyway! ne_nau.gif
  • scottkwestscottkwest Registered Users Posts: 71 Big grins
    edited October 27, 2006
    me too
    Just want to add my voice to wanting a web-only sized download without the second gallery of web images.

    There is a (potential) large MySpace market to be tapped... and while the customers are among the least concerned with copyright issues, MySpace and such sites are responsive, from what I hear. (And no teenager wants to have their MySpace page shut down - that's far worse than grounding!)

    One more request is to have a special watermark that IS included on the web-sized download. This can be done now with the 2nd gallery option, but again that's confusing and tedious. I would like to put a small www.scottwestphotography.com in the corner to provide advertisement on those MySpace images.

    Scott
    scottkwest
    www.scottwestphotogrpahy.com
  • jscrawleyjscrawley Registered Users Posts: 30 Big grins
    edited December 2, 2006
    Another Question
    If I choose to sell the digital file and I also have the proof-delayed option turned on, will I still have the "x" days to retouch the digital file before it is downloaded by the customer?
    Jason

    http://proofs.jasoncrawley.com/Proofs/

    "One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, 'What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?'"
    --Rachel Carson
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited December 2, 2006
    jscrawley wrote:
    If I choose to sell the digital file and I also have the proof-delayed option turned on, will I still have the "x" days to retouch the digital file before it is downloaded by the customer?
    No, digital downloads are instant, proof delay does not apply to them.
  • jh4wvujh4wvu Registered Users Posts: 169 Major grins
    edited December 7, 2006
    Web-Size download
    I would also like a web-size only image that people can use whether it is MySpace or Facebook, say 320 x 230. I am the photographer for the WVU Marching Band and I have kids posting pics all over Facebook. I do have a copyright on the lower left corner but they post it anyway. Some are going as far as to crop off the copyright.

    I just recently added a larger copyright in the center and of course now everyone is chatting about how they can't steal the pictures. I did notice that some of them are even being posted.

    Just my two cents.

    Chris


    scottkwest wrote:
    Just want to add my voice to wanting a web-only sized download without the second gallery of web images.

    There is a (potential) large MySpace market to be tapped... and while the customers are among the least concerned with copyright issues, MySpace and such sites are responsive, from what I hear. (And no teenager wants to have their MySpace page shut down - that's far worse than grounding!)

    One more request is to have a special watermark that IS included on the web-sized download. This can be done now with the 2nd gallery option, but again that's confusing and tedious. I would like to put a small www.scottwestphotography.com in the corner to provide advertisement on those MySpace images.

    Scott
    scottkwest
    www.scottwestphotogrpahy.com
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited December 7, 2006
    jh4wvu wrote:
    I would also like a web-size only image that people can use whether it is MySpace or Facebook, say 320 x 230. I am the photographer for the WVU Marching Band and I have kids posting pics all over Facebook. I do have a copyright on the lower left corner but they post it anyway. Some are going as far as to crop off the copyright.

    I just recently added a larger copyright in the center and of course now everyone is chatting about how they can't steal the pictures. I did notice that some of them are even being posted.

    Just my two cents.

    Chris
    Good for you, changing the watermark.

    Question: would these kids purchase the small 320px file?

    One way to do it now, is to create a special gallery of small originals. Price it special, too. In photoshop, it would take just a few minutes to batch resize and then upload them to a new gallery.

    I hope this helps!
  • dogwooddogwood Registered Users Posts: 2,572 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2007
    Cindy wrote:
    I agree completly. Please smugmug make this easy for us... perdy please. I'm not at all interested in the 1 m, 4m downloads.
    - I'd like to offer just 2 sizes: A web based 600 or 800 (longest side) by whatever and the origanal. Other sizes are just icing on the cake.
    - I'm also very confident that most if not all event shooters will agree with me that an option to price per image &/or bulk per gallery (event) for downloads would be super fab :-)

    Adding my perdy please to this thread too!

    Portland, Oregon Photographer Pete Springer
    website blog instagram facebook g+

  • warrenwarren Registered Users Posts: 22 Big grins
    edited February 28, 2007
    commercial licence
    Any news regarding changing the commercial licence, or better yet, allowing users to enter their own terms? Ideally, I'd like to use my own licences - editorial and maybe personal.

    No offence, but the existing commercial licence is actually very bad for any photographer but absolutely fantastic for any photo buyer. This licence allows for a perpetual, worldwide licence for any and all commercial uses for one price! That's worth many thousands of dollars and more. Also, the licence leaves the photographer open to liability for any unreleased photo. It may also leave Smugmug open to some liability as the author of this default and mandatory contract.

    Perhaps an option to contact the photographer for any commercial use. This would allow the photographer to properly negotiate, price and control their work.

    In any case, how about letting each person choose between their own licences and the default licences?

    Cheers,
    Warren

    P.S. I've just started fiddling with my site, and it's quite impressive how well thought-out Smugmug is!
    Smugmug page is at Toronto photographer
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited March 2, 2007
    warren wrote:
    Any news regarding changing the commercial licence, or better yet, allowing users to enter their own terms? Ideally, I'd like to use my own licences - editorial and maybe personal.

    No offence, but the existing commercial licence is actually very bad for any photographer but absolutely fantastic for any photo buyer. This licence allows for a perpetual, worldwide licence for any and all commercial uses for one price! That's worth many thousands of dollars and more. Also, the licence leaves the photographer open to liability for any unreleased photo. It may also leave Smugmug open to some liability as the author of this default and mandatory contract.

    Perhaps an option to contact the photographer for any commercial use. This would allow the photographer to properly negotiate, price and control their work.

    In any case, how about letting each person choose between their own licences and the default licences?

    Cheers,
    Warren

    P.S. I've just started fiddling with my site, and it's quite impressive how well thought-out Smugmug is!
    we'd like to do this... we'll see what can be done!
  • CindyCindy Registered Users Posts: 542 Major grins
    edited March 2, 2007
    Andy wrote:
    we'd like to do this... we'll see what can be done!

    My happy, happy please do it bump for editorial. Local paper wanted some images of our high schools battle of the bands concert last week. It would be so much simpler if they could just go to the website, pick and buy... as it is I havn't even uploaded them yet. Did it through e-mail and what a pain...
    Cindy Colbert (Utterback) • Wishing You Co-Bear Love, Hugs & Laughter!!!
  • jfriendjfriend Registered Users Posts: 8,097 Major grins
    edited March 2, 2007
    Cindy wrote:
    My happy, happy please do it bump for editorial. Local paper wanted some images of our high schools battle of the bands concert last week. It would be so much simpler if they could just go to the website, pick and buy... as it is I havn't even uploaded them yet. Did it through e-mail and what a pain...

    Would this work as a temporary work-around for a situation like this?
    • Upload your original with a watermark set on it to a public gallery. Put some identifying mark in the image caption (filename or image number) so they can easily tell you which ones they want. Do not enable digital downloads of any kind and don't allow download of originals.
    • If you know what you want to charge and want them to see that when browsing, you could either put the digital price in the caption or in the gallery description (if it's the same for all). Or you could just tell them via a separate communication what each original will cost for their intended license and use.
    • This lets your client easily look at the images and decide what they want at their leisure.
    • Then, the client decides what they want and you close the deal with them (including license terms) in person, on phone or in email.
    • You then agree with them on how they want to pay (outside of the Smugmug payment system) and they remit payment or you bill them.
    • You then upload the sizes that they bought to a password protected gallery with originals enabled. You send them the password and the gallery link so they can download the images and tell them they will be available there for a few days.
    In this case, you are using Smugmug for display while the customer is shopping and for fullfillment when they want to download the digital images they bought, but not using them for license terms or money collection. Not ideal obviously, but maybe a work-around until Smugmug gets to where you want them.
    --John
    HomepagePopular
    JFriend's javascript customizationsSecrets for getting fast answers on Dgrin
    Always include a link to your site when posting a question
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited March 2, 2007
    jfriend wrote:
    Would this work as a temporary work-around for a situation like this?
    • Upload your original with a watermark set on it to a public gallery. Put some identifying mark in the image caption (filename or image number) so they can easily tell you which ones they want. Do not enable digital downloads of any kind and don't allow download of originals.
    • If you know what you want to charge and want them to see that when browsing, you could either put the digital price in the caption or in the gallery description (if it's the same for all). Or you could just tell them via a separate communication what each original will cost for their intended license and use.
    • This lets your client easily look at the images and decide what they want at their leisure.
    • Then, the client decides what they want and you close the deal with them (including license terms) in person, on phone or in email.
    • You then agree with them on how they want to pay (outside of the Smugmug payment system) and they remit payment or you bill them.
    • You then upload the sizes that they bought to a password protected gallery with originals enabled. You send them the password and the gallery link so they can download the images and tell them they will be available there for a few days.
    In this case, you are using Smugmug for display while the customer is shopping and for fullfillment when they want to download the digital images they bought, but not using them for license terms or money collection. Not ideal obviously, but maybe a work-around until Smugmug gets to where you want them.
    John - this is essentially how I've done 90% of my commercial license deals. clap.gif
  • CindyCindy Registered Users Posts: 542 Major grins
    edited March 2, 2007
    jfriend wrote:
    Would this work as a temporary work-around for a situation like this?
    • Upload your original with a watermark set on it to a public gallery. Put some identifying mark in the image caption (filename or image number) so they can easily tell you which ones they want. Do not enable digital downloads of any kind and don't allow download of originals.
    • If you know what you want to charge and want them to see that when browsing, you could either put the digital price in the caption or in the gallery description (if it's the same for all). Or you could just tell them via a separate communication what each original will cost for their intended license and use.
    • This lets your client easily look at the images and decide what they want at their leisure.
    • Then, the client decides what they want and you close the deal with them (including license terms) in person, on phone or in email.
    • You then agree with them on how they want to pay (outside of the Smugmug payment system) and they remit payment or you bill them.
    • You then upload the sizes that they bought to a password protected gallery with originals enabled. You send them the password and the gallery link so they can download the images and tell them they will be available there for a few days.
    In this case, you are using Smugmug for display while the customer is shopping and for fullfillment when they want to download the digital images they bought, but not using them for license terms or money collection. Not ideal obviously, but maybe a work-around until Smugmug gets to where you want them.

    Yes normally that would be the easiest but I'm on dial up so I just picked a few favs and sent to them. If I didn't trust these guys I couldn't wouldn't but around here with most people their word is still good enough :o) Course I've been caught more than once being too niave and trusting. Idealy I hope they can enable editorial DD, and once they do I'll be sending the gallery links to all the area papers for interesting events I got but for whatever reason or another their papers didn't cover. Hopefully will pick up some pocket change anyway... but I know how little local papers want to pay also... not much.
    Cindy Colbert (Utterback) • Wishing You Co-Bear Love, Hugs & Laughter!!!
  • jchinjchin Registered Users Posts: 713 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2007
    Just wanted to say ... I'd like to see a web-sized digital download option, say something like 0.5mpixels or smaller. Also it would be great to have an option to "always watermark this image" so that even small images are watermarked when sold digitally.

    BTW, is there a place we can see if there are guidelines for commercial license fees for digital images? I'd like to start using SmugMug to sell digital images but don't know where to start pricing them.

    Thanks.
    Johnny J. Chin ~ J. Chin Photography
    FacebookFlickrSmugMug
    SmugMug referral coupon code: ix3uDyfBU6xXs
    (use this for a discount off your SmugMug subscription)
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2007
    jchin wrote:
    Just wanted to say ... I'd like to see a web-sized digital download option, say something like 0.5mpixels or smaller. Also it would be great to have an option to "always watermark this image" so that even small images are watermarked when sold digitally.

    BTW, is there a place we can see if there are guidelines for commercial license fees for digital images? I'd like to start using SmugMug to sell digital images but don't know where to start pricing them.

    Thanks.
    Thansk for the FR.

    Ask your peer pros, start a thread in this forum, for pricing suggestions/help thumb.gif
  • Kory LidstromKory Lidstrom Registered Users Posts: 251 Major grins
    edited April 28, 2007
    I also wanted to cast my vote for web-sized downloads. That's really the only digital download size I want to do. I don't want to have to download them twice to use the "oringinal" workaround.
    I see the world through a 3:2 rectangle.

    My site:Fine Image Photography
  • snapapplesnapapple Registered Users Posts: 2,093 Major grins
    edited May 15, 2007
    jfriend wrote:
    Would this work as a temporary work-around for a situation like this?
    • Upload your original with a watermark set on it to a public gallery. Put some identifying mark in the image caption (filename or image number) so they can easily tell you which ones they want. Do not enable digital downloads of any kind and don't allow download of originals.
    • If you know what you want to charge and want them to see that when browsing, you could either put the digital price in the caption or in the gallery description (if it's the same for all). Or you could just tell them via a separate communication what each original will cost for their intended license and use.
    • This lets your client easily look at the images and decide what they want at their leisure.
    • Then, the client decides what they want and you close the deal with them (including license terms) in person, on phone or in email.
    • You then agree with them on how they want to pay (outside of the Smugmug payment system) and they remit payment or you bill them.
    • You then upload the sizes that they bought to a password protected gallery with originals enabled. You send them the password and the gallery link so they can download the images and tell them they will be available there for a few days.
    In this case, you are using Smugmug for display while the customer is shopping and for fullfillment when they want to download the digital images they bought, but not using them for license terms or money collection. Not ideal obviously, but maybe a work-around until Smugmug gets to where you want them.

    I recently did this. I did a bunch of shots for a real estate agent to use on her website. We negotiated the price and license terms by email. We attached signed agreements in PDF format. I put all of the images in a private, passworded gallery and made them "right-clickable". I only enabled small size images. She could then download a small image for use on her website. I still retain ownership of the images and can sell them as I chose. I have them in another gallery available for print sales.

    I have not watermarked my images in the past, but I am not seeing any sales even though I see lots of views on my stats. I guess I'm going to have to watermark my images. All of my galleries are right-click protected.

    Andy, I don't see watermarks on your images. Do you have any thoughts on the watermark issue. Do you think people could be lifting the images for small prints?

    You can see my images on her site at: www.ranchosandiegolifestyle.com
    "A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds." - Francis Bacon
    Susan Appel Photography My Blog
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2007
    snapapple wrote:

    Andy, I don't see watermarks on your images. Do you have any thoughts on the watermark issue. Do you think people could be lifting the images for small prints?
    Look here http://www.moonriverphotography.com/gallery/2144279#111435189 I watermark all my event stuff. I do not watermark my other photos.
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