Hey, guys!
I've been following up on the discussion happening in The What's Needed in Stock Images for Photographers Thread, started by Melody Simmons (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,253093.0.html), and it got me thinking about something.
As a photographer and cover designer, I've been forced many times to take my own images for covers due to the lack of good images in the regular stock sites. This is the exact thing we've been discussing in Melody's thread. However, the problem with doing this is that setting a studio, hiring models and buying/renting all the costumes and props is way too expensive for a one-time shoot. A proper fantasy shoot with historically accurate setting, props and costumes lands you in the vicinity of $500.00 expense, without counting studio, equipment cost and time of the photographer's that goes into taking and editing the images to make them cover-ready.
So my question is this, has anyone thought about crowdfunding the images they need?
From Melody's thread, it seems to me that many different authors have overlapping needs, so I wonder, what do you think of an option that lets several authors pitch in and crowdfund a custom photo shoot for a photographer, in exchange for getting first choice at the resulting images?
Let's discuss a hypothetical case:
A group of romance authors want to have more images of bi-racial couples. They contact a photographer and pitch in a set amount (let's say $50.00, times 10 authors = $500.00), and agree with the photographer to fund the project, including hiring the models ($500.00 would hire you two couples for a couple of hours, enough to get some 50-100 images per couple), and paying the photographer's expenses. Once the shoot is done, the authors in the group can get complete access to the resulting images and take as many as they need, in a first choice basis, before the photographer releases them into the regular stock sites.
Advantages of this method:
FOR AUTHORS:
Authors could get the images they want, exactly the way they want.
For their contribution they have access to as many images as they need (and only pay a flat fee at the beginning).
FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS:
The photo shoot fees are taken over by someone else, but he gets to keep the images and add them to his portfolio.
After the pitching authors have taken their pick, the photographer can publish the image in stock sites and make money from them.
Does that sound like something you would be in for?
I've been following up on the discussion happening in The What's Needed in Stock Images for Photographers Thread, started by Melody Simmons (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,253093.0.html), and it got me thinking about something.
As a photographer and cover designer, I've been forced many times to take my own images for covers due to the lack of good images in the regular stock sites. This is the exact thing we've been discussing in Melody's thread. However, the problem with doing this is that setting a studio, hiring models and buying/renting all the costumes and props is way too expensive for a one-time shoot. A proper fantasy shoot with historically accurate setting, props and costumes lands you in the vicinity of $500.00 expense, without counting studio, equipment cost and time of the photographer's that goes into taking and editing the images to make them cover-ready.
So my question is this, has anyone thought about crowdfunding the images they need?
From Melody's thread, it seems to me that many different authors have overlapping needs, so I wonder, what do you think of an option that lets several authors pitch in and crowdfund a custom photo shoot for a photographer, in exchange for getting first choice at the resulting images?
Let's discuss a hypothetical case:
A group of romance authors want to have more images of bi-racial couples. They contact a photographer and pitch in a set amount (let's say $50.00, times 10 authors = $500.00), and agree with the photographer to fund the project, including hiring the models ($500.00 would hire you two couples for a couple of hours, enough to get some 50-100 images per couple), and paying the photographer's expenses. Once the shoot is done, the authors in the group can get complete access to the resulting images and take as many as they need, in a first choice basis, before the photographer releases them into the regular stock sites.
Advantages of this method:
FOR AUTHORS:
Authors could get the images they want, exactly the way they want.
For their contribution they have access to as many images as they need (and only pay a flat fee at the beginning).
FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS:
The photo shoot fees are taken over by someone else, but he gets to keep the images and add them to his portfolio.
After the pitching authors have taken their pick, the photographer can publish the image in stock sites and make money from them.
Does that sound like something you would be in for?