To charge, or not to charge a fee ........

[Cage]

I've done another wedding, strangely on the recommendation of the first couple.

It was another 'in the park' ceremony, with the reception at my local watering hole, 95% candid, with just a few semi-formal shots.

A friend of the bride did the table settings and I was asked to take some shots of the tables all set-up, which I did, and included in the package I presented to the bride and groom.

The folk at the pub have now asked me for copies of the table set-up to use on their website to promote their business as a casual wedding reception venue.

My initial thought was to just give them the shots, gratis, as I know them well, and as I said, this is my watering hole. But then I thought they will be using my work to promote their business so perhaps I should treat this as a commercial request, bearing in mind that they don't provide me with free beer and food.

The shots aren't great, but it is also hard to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I'll be giving them three shots, all taken from very cramped positions requiring a wide angle and lots of lens correction in PP.

What would be a fair ask, $ wise, or should I just ask for a free feed and a couple of glasses of vino.

This is one of the shots.

Tables2E2 - CopyAP.jpg

[Gazza]

I'd charge them for sure...last time I got a free beer was when I reached over the counter and helped myself while they were busy counting all the money in the till...
Besides, just about everything I've done for nothing has always come back to bite me on the bum!

Cheers....

[ameerat42]

[I TEND TO THINK]
(NB: this is tend-to-thinkery, not advice) that you should get some payment.
You'll have no idea what benefit they'll reap, so I would not consider trying to factor that into "a" formula
to work it out. Think of something you'd be happy with - just an idea, but say a 2ple of 100 $.

Put that to them and see what they say. Also, ask that you be acknowledged for the photos on the site.
[/I TEND TO THINK]

Am.

[Warbler]

I doubt a wedding photographer would charge a cash price for providing a wedding venue with photos for use on their website or FB page. It would usually be a mutually beneficial arrangement whereby the venue also promotes the photographer. That happens throughout the wedding vendor community where I live. Referrals are important to wedding vendors who aren't rockstars like Yervant or Gionis.

The other thing to consider is that if you don't have a contract to the contrary, the couple own the copyright. You can't sell what you don't own.

[Cage]

Cheers Gazza, yep, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Am, I agree, if they are benefiting, then it is not unreasonable for me to expect some benefit too.

Warbler, you raise an interesting point re the ownership of the copyright. These shots were taken some time prior to the reception, and the pub could argue that as they were taken on their premises, with no reception in progress, they would be within their right to claim ownership of the copyright, even though they didn't commission the shots.

As I said initially, the bride asked me to do the shots for her bestie, who I think does the preps as a paying part-time gig, and wanted some shots for her website. Hell, I don't want to get involved in litigation over something so trivial. Even giving the shots to the pub for free could land me in the poo !

Perhaps the best way to go about this would be for me to ask the wedding couple if they minded if I provided the pub with the shots, and told them I was going to ask for some payment, probably in the form of a meal.

PS: I'll do a bit more on the shots, like cropping the bottom off the above shot and getting rid of some highlights.

[Cage]

I've tidied up the shot posted above, cropped and backed off the PP a bit.

Tables2E2Web2 - CopyAP.jpg

[Mark L]

Just go and take some other new photos of the place with their permission 'cause they want to use them.
Ask for a dinner as payment and referrals to you for anyone that asks about a photog for any function.
I'm no expert in any of this though.

[TeamGlenny]

I "think" you were under commission and direction to the Bride, therefore copyright resides with her.

I "think" that even without the bride's direction it doesn't matter if you shot photos on their premise they would not have any claim on copyright to the images - unless the images featured prominent trademarks and you tried to use the images commercially.

I "think" I agree with silk purses and sow's ears and you offer to go back and do a considered shoot in exchange for $100 of food and drink for you and a friend, and a blip on their website pointing to yours.

Just what I think...