Free use of a photograph

That's my point. These greedy parasites on humanity don't deserve a fair deal. They weren't expecting a fair deal by asking for it for free in the first place so I wouldn't offer them a fair deal in return.

It might be instructive to join an image library and find out what real rates are.

To save you the trouble of joining:

http://www.londonfreelance.org/feesguide/index.php?section=Photography

Simon

Very useful Simon, many thanks.

I'd give images to charities and educational causes but AMEX can cough up. The "we'd like to be able to use it for any purposes whatsoever" clause is a right cheek.

K.

I would be curious to know what (if anything) they would give you for free, and then repeat the freebie at intervals for an unspecified number of times into the future.

Shame on them for even considering that kind of deal

Bernard

I have just replied to them and quoted $500, which seems well below industry rates (thanks for the link, Simon!) No doubt, in the unlikely event they accept my offer, I'll be kicking myself for not asking for more!

I'll keep you all posted! It will be interesting to see if they even reply.

Charge them an additional handling fee of $25 extra if they accept

You're still not getting it.

The cheek of parasites like AMEX do not deserve real rates. That was the point of my suggestion of £5k.

I'd happily apply 'real' rates to anyone playing fair.

Looking at their website, there's a lot of pics on here that judging by the email they sent me, they porobably haven't paid for, so I will be very surprised if they even reply!

I get it, you can be sure, but why be silly and ask for something that's going to price us out of the market? It's merely a commercial arrangement, so we need to be in the right ball park or we won't get anything. Where's the profit in that?

It's all very well seeing it as some sort of capitalist conspiracy or horrendous cheek, but of no benefit for us to do so. It just raises the blood pressure. And the organisation in question won't even notice.

I agree with John completely here. You may not get a response, but if you do then you need to appear professional.

Not all requests from image sharing sites are of this nature so acting professional ,polite and asking a reasonable fee will be good practice.

I had a request for the use of a image of a lamb seen on my PBase site a few years ago from the Dean of a New Zealand University, he said it was better than any of the local lamb ones he had looked at (go figure) for a magazine advertisement for the coming years courses.

Not knowing anything about rates I suggested a fee of £100 for a one off use of the image to which he was amicable. I may have undersold it but I gained and he was happy which is how it should be.

Not sure how much weight to put on that site: the design of it looks dated and it certainly isn't compatible with any web standard written this century.

It's pretty simple. If you are desperate to see your work in print, let them use it for nothing. If you are not so desperate, decide what YOU want and ask that.

Market value is what someone will pay, not some notional 'fair' value. If you pitch too low and they jump at it, you may have lost a few quid that you never had. So what?

The best bit of advice on charging is this: if you are not prepared to walk away from the deal, you are simply testing how far backwards you will bend, it does not matter what anyone else thinks. Ask what you want. Negotiate as YOU think fit. That way, whatever happens, you have done it your way and learned from it.

Ask for an offer. If it seems OK, take it. If not, ask a bit more. There are no rules. If you are really prepared to walk away, you are in the strongest position, you have nothing to lose.

As John says, it's not a conspiracy, it's just a matter of being in the same ball park or if not, how far backwards will you bend?

No you're not getting it.

For a proper commercial arrangement then I would be as happy to ask a reasonable fee like anyone else.

My response to a cheeky request from a corporate like that is that I realy don't want them using my image at all. so my response would be to put somethign to them that is just as extreme as what they put to me ( i.e free use )

It's not pricing anyone out of the market at all. Normal and reasonable commercial arrangements won't be affected by an extreme request being responded to by an extreme response.

I don't see it as a conspiracy, just an individual organisation or individual withing that organisation trying it on.

You use the word 'us' a lot. I usually speak for myself. If someone offers me a respectful deal I usually respond respectfully. If someone takes the mickey I respond accordingly.