[jim truscott]

I have been designing a layout for a simple website. I asked a local website designer for some help.. I had the idea of letting anyone copy as many pictures from my website as they liked.
They would be suitable viewed on a phone, tablet, computer screen also on facebook but not printable.
They also show a watermark plus your website address showing partly through the middle of the pic. Still ok they're recognisable if you aren't that fussy.

Far as i know a lot of people using facebook etc won't be buying your hi-res pictures
or buy 16x20" prints of your favourite shots. My thoughts were that someone copying your pics and giving them to the world, is in fact advertising your website for you. Remember your website info etc is embedded in the middle of the pic.

So i asked my friend if any of the photographers his company has helped produce
websites, (thats over 1,000) actually allow pics to be freely copied from their sites..
Answer...NOT ONE
So are your 'print' and 'hi-resolution sales' going to suffer... or is it a free plug for your website everywhere those pics wind up?
It will certainly bring browsing people to your site and i think, maybe potential customers.
So am i the only person in this country out of step?
Allow copies.. or not.. that is the question i'm asking.
You must have an opinion. Any takers?

[Barbara G.]

Hello Jim,

It sounds like you have found a unique direction to take your advertising. I see both pros and cons on this. One, yes you can get the word out with your site address being on your photos. You are providing a service per se to many people.

The down side is that you are not making any money from your photos. Some people may come back again to your site and tell others, while some may not.

Do you have a usage policy on your photo? Just curious. Do you ask for donations on your site, or are you trying to make money through another avenue?

Feel free to let us know more info and we can continue discussing this option for photographers!

[jim truscott]

Hello Jim,

It sounds like you have found a unique direction to take your advertising. I see both pros and cons on this. One, yes you can get the word out with your site address being on your photos. You are providing a service per se to many people.

The down side is that you are not making any money from your photos. Some people may come back again to your site and tell others, while some may not.

Do you have a usage policy on your photo? Just curious. Do you ask for donations on your site, or are you trying to make money through another avenue?

Feel free to let us know more info and we can continue discussing this option for photographers!

No plans at present to ask for donations or charge any usage fees for lo-res copies.

I don't expect those taking free copies were ever going to be customers anyway, although some might be eventually. The thing that matters most to me is having lots of people browsing my site. A small lo-res picture with your add across it isn't much of a giveaway.
My example analogy of a great freebee, was when microsoft freely gave away its ms dos operating system for anyone to use on their computer for aprox 10 years.

Eventually 90% of people on the planet were using their system. Then when all the fish were hooked, they charged and arm and a leg for their windows system.
They then became one of the richest non freebee companies around, having closed down most of their opposition.
Well maybe that analogy isn't exactly the same, but proves that sometimes 'free' can sometimes be good business policy.

[plugsnpixels]

Sounds like the Google or Facebook plan for world domination! ;-)

[PhotoPlay]

Very interesting topic Jim. But as usual per se is that it has pros and cons. I really like to explore more of this freebies you're saying. It's like are all your photos in low resolution images are free? or not? Do you categorized each photo based on its beauty/usefulness? Or are these all stock photo that has little value on market or high value? How many years have you been doing this jim? Did it help?

[jim truscott]

Very interesting topic Jim. But as usual per se is that it has pros and cons. I really like to explore more of this freebies you're saying. It's like are all your photos in low resolution images are free? or not? Do you categorized each photo based on its beauty/usefulness? Or are these all stock photo that has little value on market or high value? How many years have you been doing this jim? Did it help?

Website isn't completed yet. I have delays with the 'non paypal' payment structure of the site. I completely dislike paypal but that one's a fact of life that must be provided.
All the web pictures are lo-resolution. Ordered on site and then hi-res dispatched after payments received.

I price files on my perception of worth. I used to use contracts with buyers depending on use of file. eg distribution coverage of a magazine or book, display size, placement in magazine etc. negotiated prior to sale.
Some files were sold using sales royalty, but that is difficult to police.
Some royalties extended for excess of 15 years (while items soldl)

I intend keeping a small percentage of better quality pics on a public gallery.
Other pics of private functions accessible by user id./password may or may not be all that great. Prices of those hi-res pics vary a lot.
My current trips and more personal pics only accessible via user id and password.

I have been in photography since 1980 mostly part time, when i produced my first commercial poster for Australian tourism industry. After that produced for various specialized books mostly to do with niche market of tropical exotic fruits.
There were times when photography was quite profitable but unfortunately not so lately. Been travelling a few years and have become complacent. But hoping to rectify that. Jim Truscott

[PhotoPlay]

Oh I see. Would you able to track those photos once you sell it? Has there any incident happen like some company did over use any photo? It's been almost 5 years I'm into photography industry and still many more years to come and need to experience but it never have come to think that selling some of my photos would benefit or do add my extra income. I mean I really don't have any idea how. I have seen sites who do it but can't figure it out how will I able to track it down or even say they're doing it fair selling some of my photos.

[jim truscott]

Oh I see. Would you able to track those photos once you sell it? Has there any incident happen like some company did over use any photo? It's been almost 5 years I'm into photography industry and still many more years to come and need to experience but it never have come to think that selling some of my photos would benefit or do add my extra income. I mean I really don't have any idea how. I have seen sites who do it but can't figure it out how will I able to track it down or even say they're doing it fair selling some of my photos.

Selling photos is definitely harder than taking them. I havn't used photo libraries so cant advise on that, but have sold to publishing companies. They take liberties with your pics. I had a contract for postcard pictures with a company, who later decided to publish a tourism book with same pics in it. Due to legal costs, didn't follow up.
Had teaspoons from china with my mini pics on handle, also a case of nz gov department hi jacking particular pics

You could investigate photo libraries to sell your work (if enough good stuff) and don't mind limitations they impose . Commercial photographers i know sell by word of mouth accompanied by their website.