Like many photographers, you may be passionate about taking photos, but not sure how to take your passion to the next level as far as making money. The internet has opened up a whole new world for selling your photos, but it’s important to learn about image licensing first.
Many people are interested in licensing their own images but don’t know where to begin. They think it will be a difficult process, or maybe they simply never get around to it. Licensing your own images is probably a lot easier than you think, and it’s a great source of extra income.
If your work is on the internet, it’s important to make sure you are being properly compensated if your work is used. This is where image licensing comes in. This type of agreement will determine how your image is capable of being used by clients, and also for how long.
Exclusivity is an important factor when it comes to image licensing. If you’ve taken photos for a specific client for a specific project, granting an exclusive license is a no-brainer. However, you may be taking more generic photos that have the potential to be used by other clients on other projects. This means you need to weigh asking extra for an exclusive license versus the possible long term benefits of reselling the photo. A good compromise can be to give a client “first rights,” which means it can be resold after a certain period of time.
Are you interested in turning your photos into passive income? Stock photography is a great way to do so. The types of licenses for this use can vary greatly, so it’s important to check the site you are thinking of working with and learn about how to fairly price your photos.
Something important to remember is that if you have a portfolio online, it’s important to include a terms and conditions section on your website. This protects you in case anyone tries to download one of your images and use it elsewhere, which unfortunately is more common than you might think.
Including the phrase “all other rights are reserved” as part of your license is always a good idea. This is because copyright licenses are intended to only include what the user has the right to do with your photo specifically. If a client uses your photo in a way that’s not explicitly mentioned as part of the license, they’re in violation of it.