Help pricing use of photo

[lesged]

A gentleman from England received one of my 10 Florentine postcard from a friend. It's the one titled "Eyes Left" in my Flickr website:
 
http://flickr.com/photos/lesged/66281081/in/set-72157594433862983/
 
The Englishman asked for a price of a digital copy (file?) that would be greatly enlarged onto a photo-sensitive canvas, which would be hung on the wall of his living room.

At first, he debated whether it should be poster size on paper or on a canvas surface --framed in either case-- but settled on the latter. I have no idea how to price the photo knowing what he plans to do with it. I told him I'd consider doing it, but explained any multiple copies or commercial use of the photo would have to be negotiated separately with a secondary cost.

I'd appreciate hearing from someone that has had a similar request or from anyone. I'm guessing a photographer, who lives off of his work, would probably not enter into this arrangement, instead would insist on presenting the final product to the customer.

I'd appreciate advice or opinions from anyone who'd be kind enough to offer either.

Thanks in advance,

Les Gediman

[Kin Lau]

I would suggest that you do _not_ send him an electronic copy. While you may trust him, once it's out there on someone else's system, you've lost control.

Offer instead to upload it to a reputable service that he can order a print from instead. That or do the print yourself (or have it done), and ship it to him.

[cenelson]

Agreed with Kin on the use of a service. If he needs a file large enough to print to a big canvas, he'll have then a file of such quality as to do whatever he wishes.

I'd send nothing without a contract and money in hand. Your work is too damned good. If he's legit, he'll play by the book with you as you lay it out for him.

You got a lawyer friend to talk to?

[mdcarma]

That's a wonderful piece of art. Museum quality.
You should print it, sign it, and charge accordingly.

[josphy]

I definitely would not hand over a high resolution file of that to anyone unless you want to see someone making $ off of posters and so forth of your shot.

Perhaps you could find out what lab he intends to print it at and then upload a high rez file with a release for one print at whatever size for him to have it printed himself.  Would save the hassle and expense of doing it yourself and shipping it.

Incidentally, the canvas prints are fairly costly to have produced.  Not sure what size he has in mind, but I figured somewhere in the ballpark of 20"x? so probably cost close to $150 to have printed on canvas and stretched at a good shop.  I wouldn't hesitate to charge a pretty hefty price -- you have an iconic image there.

[lesged]

Thank you Kin, Craig, mdcarma and josphy for your comments and advice.

I wasn't sure which way to approach the request from the man in the UK. My sense was that a hi-rez file was not the way to go and I was concerned about losing control over the use of "Eyes left."

I did agree to a limited use of " Fun at the Fountain." another one of my 10 Florentine postcards which have been circulating in Florence since 2001.

http://flickr.com/photos/lesged/58551901/in/set-72157594433862983/

It was a similar situation where a third party passed on a postcard to the one who wanted to use it. In that case, it was the assistant to the art director/manager of a Dutch company that sponsors 4 seasonal Children's Fairs. She vacationed in Florence saw my postcards on display and showed it to her woman boss suggesting that they use it for the invitation for their summer or fall's fair.

We came to an agreement  and they sent a letter, not a contract, stating its sole purpose was for a one time use. They paid a very fair price, enough to buy the the same camera I took all the photos in the "Italian Period 1958-1959," i.e. Leica IIIf w/ coated 2/50 Summitar in top shape with original case and a Leitz multi-finder. It also included in the double kit was a beauty of a Bessa-R with 2.5/28 CV Skopar. Mike Elek made an affordable package price for both cameras and I was pleased as punch to make that deal which the Dutch company's payment covered.

BTW, the boy in "Fun at the Fountain" is our elder son  Marc, whose  photo with Claudia taken in Copenhagen in 1955, was shown last week in the Classical Camera forum thread "Found 1955 negative of fave photo"

Thanks again for all your responses.