Follow my renovations on Instagram.

What do you think: Should we be able to sell our Instagram photos?

2

A lovely blogger wrote to me yesterday who has an awesome Instagram account to ask what I thought about companies asking to use her Instagram photos on their website/catalogues/magazine…

So, for example, what if you were sent an item from a company, were happy to style it up in your home, take an awesome photo, then you put it on Instagram linking back to the company with hashtags… That would be a great plug for the company in return for the item…Then what if the company loved the photo and asked if they could use it elsewhere? They even ask for hi-res photos? Should we be able to charge a dollar amount to let them have the photo?

I was thinking about this all last night… it’s never happened to me and no one else seems to have written about this either, so today I thought I would ask you? What do you think? Will we soon be selling out Instagram photos back to companies? If we sell the photo back they won’t need to credit you – they can use the photo wherever they like. What should we charge?? Or should be just be happy we got something for free?

This is a good topic and I’d love to know your thoughts!

10 comments

  • Tatum Woodroffe

    I assume that IG doesn’t have any terms that prevent it so absolutely people should do it if approached.

  • Jennifer

    In the past I have seen the most wonderfully styled photo of something we sell online. I emailed the blogger and asked if I could pay her for photo and use it on our website. The blogger was more than happy to allow us to use the photo without payment, despite being repeatedly asked, we even offered goods!
    My two cents: take the money! We really wanted that photo and I know it would have cost us in excess of $200 to take the photo ourselves, let alone hiring a photographer to take it for us. If you don’t want money consider asking for something in lei of payment.

  • Ange Thistleton

    Of course. They’re her photos 🙂

  • Ali Gibbs

    Definitely ….. $’s or goods in lieu. The problem would be deciding on $ value.

  • Elise Kinnersley

    Yahoo approached my partner to use one of his photos – no financial royalties, only acknowledgment on the photo itself, on their app. He went ahead and agreed because the increased exposure to his work was worthwhile to him…. Norry Elder

  • Jill

    I agree that you should be able to sell your pics! Great topic!

  • Jewel Divas Style

    Of course you can sell your own photos because they’re yours. A lot of people are doing that through another area of Instagram where you can sell pics and make money.

    As for companies, they may send you something and you post a pic, that pic belongs to you, regardless of where you post it. If they want to use it, by law they should pay for the privilege because if they use it and don’t pay, it’s illegal and could get them a law suit.

    Way too many people are stealing other’s pics online these days and using them as their own. I read about a blogger who had a pic of an office space in a post (it wasn’t her office) but it was stolen by someone and used to enter a comp, she won, however, it wasn’t her pic or her office space.

  • claireyhewitt01

    Yes, they should take the payment, and also know that we all love great photos on instagram so we all like seeing it.

  • Tessa : Down that Little Lane

    Yes for sure, if you want to sell the image go for it.. coming from a place where my mug was bought for the same reason payment should depend on usage.

    The brand is relevant, are the a big brand.. then how long do they have the right to use it for.. 1 month or 1 year? Lastly where will they use it, just on line? in mags? using to print in leaflets that go worldwide?

    I used to sign a contract for x amount of time with x amount of usage and once that expired it could be re negotiated for a further use or time if they wanted.. any use caught outside the contract during the signed period could then be charged for.

    If they use put in a stock library they could be selling it for $250-1000 each time it is used and then you have no control where it goes..

    Lots to consider.. its not fair if people start to get ripped off..

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *