Reply for image/footage request for free

Ok, I'm just curious. [emoji12]

How do you normally response for free request of your work?

Ignore? Polite reply?

http://ejlabs.net

If they are just low browing (organizations who can pay but will try not to!), I just send them the price list, and they sometimes will buy. If they are really nice and new at it (students), I'm nice back. If they are giving me BS like credit is best etc, I ignore.

Tony Wu wrote this excellent response a while ago: https://photoprofessionals.wordpress.com

I tend to just send them the link...

If they lead with "there's no budget but..." I go polite reply. They might come back one day for another request with budget.

The ones who dance around and don't mention payment get a very short "happy to discuss pricing for your request, let me know exactly which pictures you are interested in".

If they come back after that with a rate card or similar then all good. If I get a sob story from a commercial provider or comments that imply they are getting paid for their bit but I shouldn't want money for mine (hobby journalists)...at that point I tend to send one blunt email and then ignore. Journo's working freelance normally have a fair bit of sympathy for the no pay no photo position, although they can be pushy when desperate.

What I have learned is that there's no point pricing stuff until I've worked out if there is a budget. I wasted a lot of time searching for the appropriate image and working out how much to charge. No more! Acceptance of usage fees (that they exist, not exactly how much) first, spending a lot of time on their request second.

That's a good point about checking first if they are prepared to pay the appropriate dues. On request for image, usually via Flickr, I state

that the image desired is available for licensing and ask for the print run/usage details. I also state they can deal direct or I can upload to

where I have my humble collection of stock images; Alamy. If they want to deal direct I'll crunch the usage parameters through the Alamy

pricing system for a similar image and round the price to what the image is valued to me. For example I had a recent image request for an

old, low quality image and rounded down the price accordingly. They accepted and paid promptly and also agreed to send a copy of book

once printed.

Cheers,

Jim.

For broadcast, when asked if my footage is available, I always reply 'Yes, of course I license it for broadcast' then give them a rough idea of my rates and ask them what purpose they need it for.

If it is purely non-commercial or educational (Uni asking for use in a lecture), I usually am happy to give it for free. For anything else, if they tell me they cannot pay or pay me in the form of a credit (!!!!!!!! Yes, that helps feed me, please listen Daily Planet, Discovery), I politely tell them that if they, as the researcher, and their editor and their technicians are all getting paid, then I, as the content provider, also need paying.