I am writing this article because the photo industry is being diluted with amateurs and semi-pros who are sometimes giving their photos away just to get a photo credit. Even some pro’s are selling their images at a rate that is way below the market price. The new technology is making it much easier for people to take better images and the Internet is making it much easier for photo buyers to access and buy photos at cheaper than market prices. Unfortunately, this is what is making all of our photos worth less and is bringing the credibility of our market down. This is where you, as a photographer, have the responsibility to stand strong in negotiating and pricing your photos. If you are unwilling or unable to do so, then turn it over to a professional. There is a number of pricing software programs, such as Fotoquote, to give you the guidelines of what a photo is worth.

Every photo in your collection is worth something, as soon as someone asks to use it. Pricing a photo, particularly never giving it away for free, is a big issue for everyone involved in the nature photography business or any other business or industry that is selling a product. If you don’t adhere to a standard pricing schedule, a business will not survive. Some will say that "this is just a hobby" and that they are not really in the business of photography. But as soon as someone asks to use your photo and you agree to allow it to be used you are now in the photography business. You are forced to make a decision that will affect you and perhaps more importantly, all other photographers as to the value this industry has. You must take this seriously because it affects everyone involved in the photography business.

Think about this, how much money have you spent on equipment, film and travel in all the years you've been involved in photography? How much time do you spend in the field? How many rolls of film and time did it take to learn to create these images? These are crucial questions in gaining the confidence you need when selling your photos and negotiating prices. Evaluating your time and money spent on this so called "hobby" should make you aware that you should never give your photos away or sell them below their true market value. Whenever someone wants a photo, it automatically has some value – unless it is for your Mother!

The time spent in the field is where we deceive ourselves the most, because it doesn't feel like work. You probably work harder at photography than at your regular job. Just because we love to be out taking pictures, this should not discount the fact that this is not part of the cost of pricing your photos. Most of you have jobs other than photography. Take your hourly rate at your regular job and multiply it by the time you spend in and out of the field, including editing, filing, labeling, creating delivery memos and even working on this site. Then think about not only the money you have spent in the past on equipment, but also what you are constantly shelling out for travel, new equipment, accessories, film, flash cards etc. Just like any other business, equipment, time and travel are essential in allowing us to take new and better photos and to keep us up-to-date in the industry. Now evaluate how much your photos are worth!

Some of the basic questions you need to ask the buyer are; what is the photo to be used for? For example, is it for a brochure, magazine, calendar, advertisement in a magazine, a book, etc? What size will the image be used? Generally the following sizes apply, Quarter page, half page, full page, double page spread, cover or back cover . What is the print run? If you are dealing with an advertising agency, ask who their client is. If you are not sure what to charge, NEVER try to give them a price at that moment or allow them to force you into making that decision, tell them you will get back to them. This gives you the time to research what your photo is really worth. What medium will the image be used for (web, print, TV, etc); what duration is the license, what language and/or territories, one use or repeated use, exclusive, non-exclusive, etc etc. It isn’t only about getting the right price; it’s about getting the right price for the specific license granted.

How would you feel if you gave a photo away? Well, at first it feels good because someone has interest in publishing one of your images. You get excited because you can’t wait to see it published with your name on it. But then after you’ve done it, you think to yourself that you probably should have made some money on that photo. Then the credibility of the whole transaction is diminished because in your heart you know you should have been paid. So, why not think about this before hand and negotiate a fair price that really gives your photo the credibility it deserves and you can be proud of the entire transaction? After all most people would like to say, "I’m a professional wildlife photographer" well, you are not if you give your photos away or sell them below market value. The word professional to me is someone who is qualified and experienced to do a good job in their industry and can make a fair living from it. If there is a request for one or more of your photos then those images are of professional quality and should be treated as having some true value to sell. Even though you may not be considered a full time professional, you are at that moment and you must act like one. If a client has a need for your work you should sell it at a fair price for you and everyone involved in the industry.

Here’s just one of the many traps, in my experience, that I have fallen into years ago and that many photographers still fall for today. I get a call from a non-profit organization and they tell me how much they love my work and would like to use a photo or photos for their brochure or signage, but they have a very small budget. They don’t want to pay for the image but will give me a credit line. My first reaction is how nice it is to say they love my work and want to use it. This is where most people get soft and they go along with the stroking of their ego. Believe me it’s a sales pitch, and here is how I handle it. I say, "You must be paying for the printing, paper, binding and design for your brochure, I would like to get paid for my photo as well." My expenses for equipment, film, processing and travel are all part of my business and I must keep up my overhead, so, I must get paid for my work. Even if the photo use is for signage in a refuge, they will pay for a company to create and install it why shouldn’t we get paid for our image. NO MATTER WHAT THE USAGE OF YOUR PHOTO IS, IT SHOULD BE SOLD AT A FAIR MARKET PRICE AND SHOULD NEVER BE GIVEN AWAY FOR FREE. There’s only one exception to that rule – if it’s for your mother.

I have never given a photo away for free, (except to my mother) or where I felt it was warranted, (e.g.: working with biologists, someone allowing me on private property, etc.) However, I have been beaten down on price and went away with that sinking feeling that I should have held to a better price. I have turned down offers for lots of money based on the principle of ethics of what a photo should be worth in the industry. Believe me, it’s not easy to turn down lots of money, but I also know that this will undermine the future pricing for other photographers and will set a standard for lower prices, which this industry cannot afford.

Most of this discussion focuses on possible clients as well as photographers who are not aware of the value of their work involved in the transaction. Many photographers do not take their work seriously enough in a sales transaction.(when obviously they should.) Clients on the other hand might not know enough regarding the business of buying and selling photographs. They might not be aware of the value of the visual impact the photographs have as part of their production package. These are the people who need to be educated. I attempt to educate them in a nice way as to why my photos are worth buying.

On the other side of the fence, I have just finished a book project with National Geographic in which four or five photographers were involved. It was a pleasure dealing with them because they know the photographic industry well and how much they expect to pay for images. These are the clients I try to acquire but it doesn’t happen on a regular basis. Therefore educating the potential new client is essential.

Right now we are experiencing a bad economy and this is another area of consideration we need to address. Every business will push for lower prices in these times but these prices should not stay down forever. Once we get through these hard times we have to raise our prices accordingly. But still, you should not allow use of your photos without monetary compensation; there is NO excuse for that.

The only person that warrants a free photo is MOM with very few other exceptions. Hold onto your creativity and credibility as a nature photographer. Get what you deserve! After all you have dedicated a great deal of time, money and work to your craft. Your business actions will impact the future of the nature photography business for many years to come.

Tom Vezo is an award winning wildlife photographer who travels worldwide to capture his images in their natural environment. His work is widely published in the U.S. and Europe in many books, calendars, magazines and advertisements. His credits include: Audubon, Birder's World, Bird Watcher's Digest, Discovery, Ducks Unlimited, National Geographic, National Wildlife Federation, Nature Conservancy, Nature's Best, Natural History, Outdoor Photographer, Sierra Club, Travel and Leisure, Wildbird, Wildlife Conservation and many more.

His most recent awards are the winner of 1998 and 1999 Nature's Best Magazine's photo contest for "Wildlife" in the professional category and the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 1997 as an honorable mention. Six stock photography agents, four in the US, one England and one in Germany represent his work. He is one of the top bird photographers in the United States but he also photographs breathtaking landscapes, mammals, and other natural subjects which all add to his library of over 100,000 images.

He has led many photography tours throughout the United States and Canada teaching people the techniques of nature photography in the field. Wings in the Wild: Habits and Habitats of North American Birds is Tom's first coffee table book. It consists of 144 pages with 190 photos published by Stackpole Books. It is written by Paul Kerlinger, former director of the Cape May Bird Observatory and author of How Birds Migrate. Tom's most recent book is Birds of Prey in the American West published by Rio Nuevo Publishers in Tucson Arizona. Vezo's extraordinary photographs and Glinski's authoritative text depict and describe 34 species of eagles, hawks, falcons, vultures, and owls indigenous to the West. The book illustrates how these birds live what they eat and how they survive. They also share their personal experiences searching for these captivating birds in the wild The book consists of 128 pages with more than 100 photographs and is 9 x 9.75 inches. Visit Tom Vezo.Com to order your signed copy of Birds of Prey in the American West or Wings in the Wild: Habits and Habitats of North American Birds today.