Selling Photos to Attorney?

[Guest]

Firepixers,

 

I rec'd the email below from an attorney in regards to photos I took of a house fire (See http://firepix1075.zenfolio.com/p187329211)

 

 

In follow up to my voice mail message to you a minute ago, could you please give me a call regarding purchasing photos that you took regarding the house fire in Garrison, Maryland on January 12, 2013.  We would like to purchase all 22 pictures, 4x6 copies, along with all of the information attached to the photos, i.e., date stamp, time stamp, etc.  If they could be sent digitally versus prints, that would be most appreciated. 

 

Looking for some advice re. the $ figure I should quote to the firm.  Thanks.

[ff168577]

I quoted an attorney $30 dollars a picture plus $100 for time, labor and cd for an accident I photographed. I never received a telephone call back. If you really want to sell them you can quote whatever you want. If you want to get rid of them, quote high, they will leave you alone if they are to high for there liking. If they really want them, they will pay whatever you want for them. You hold the cards.

[YeOldeEnjine]

When I freelanced back in the 1980's to early 2000, my per photo fee to Attorneys or Insurance Companies was a flat rate of $ 50.00 per photo. They either paid the price or they didn't get the photos. ... Very few chose not to pay.

[John Kenealy]

Email me at cnyfiretrucks@yahoo.com.  I just sold some photos like this.  

 

Tried to inbox you here, but you were not able to receive messages. 

[hank]

What is the reason for wanting photos?  The lawyer is going to bill the client or the insurance company.  Do you have any

competition?  Get what the traffice will bare.  You time and effort is worth monies.  When I was chasing auto accidents in

Boston in the late fifties and early sixties, before no fault insurance, I would charge $50. for three 8 x 10's in black and

white and if it was a fatal I would get $100.  That was a lot of money back then and there was very little competition and

very few people had cameras.    Fifty dollars back then would supply gas for at least two months.

 

Go get them!

 

tHANKs

[Guest]

Update ... so this is where having a website may not be so great I suppose.  An order came in today for a bunch of 8x10's from this incident.  The person wishing to buy the images is different than the attorney who first contacted me, but she has an email address for an insurance company, so it's obviously connected.  The net to me would only be $60 for these enlargements. After quoting much more in the email for a CD of all images, I guess I have no choice but to deny / reject the sale.

[e290l103]

here's where it will get tricky. I see a subpeona in the future.

[Guest]

Yes that's what I have thought also.  I am currently in the process of researching if photographers can be compelled via subpeona to produce their work product.

[Roto-Ray]

Yes that's what I have thought also.  I am currently in the process of researching if photographers can be compelled via subpeona to produce their work product.

 

Speaking from experience, yes.

[YeOldeEnjine]

Yes that's what I have thought also.  I am currently in the process of researching if photographers can be compelled via subpeona to produce their work product.

 

 

Yes, you willl ......17 subpeonas and counting......

[1958 F.W.D.]

But if the Photographer is not attached to any of the responding agencies in any way shape or form, and he/she takes the photos for profit or for their profession, can't the court order that he/she be reimbursed fair market value for the photos including time/labor and materials???

[Guest]

Yes, you willl ......17 subpeonas and counting......

 Well I guess if they want to subpeona the photos, then that's fine and I will send them a CD.  After the attorney didn't respond to my quoted price, they had someone from the insurance company place an order via my website.  But I rejected the order.

[Jamie]

I personally become suspicious when someone approaches me claiming to be a lawyer. Recently someone messaged me regarding some fire videos I had posted on YouTube. He said he was an attorney and wanted to use my videos to investigate the fires and the firefighters who responded to them.

 

Unless I'm mistaken attorneys should be able to get that kind of information without my videos so I chose not to respond to his request.

[Richard_L_Dean_07405]

Keep in mind that if the photos are used in a court case, the photographer could be subphoened to testify even if only to the fact that he/she actually took the picx.  And that subphoena could place you on stand by for a period of time whether if be days, weeks or months, just awaiting a phone call that they will be ready for you the next week, next day or in a few hours from that time.

[southwheatland514]

Any update?