THE ONE QUESTION I AM ASKED MOST OFTEN IS HOW MUCH DO I GET PAID WHEN A CELEB PHOTO IS IN A GLOSSY, or anywhere really

It’s true you want to know. Whether I am at my regular grocery store, at a family function, with friends or at my day job, people want to know – “They pay you right?” “How much do you get for a picture” Everyone always thinks it’s thousands of dollars, not even close. I always tell them the days of celebrities without their underwear are over. Now those shots you can retire on.

This week a photo I took of Rihanna is in Star Magazine. Rihanna is so beautiful I didn’t even realize she didn’t have any makeup on, but I guess when my photo agency saw the photo that tagged it as such and this week it’s in Star Magazine. Star used to be a tawdry mess with half truths, somewhere along the line it’s become more like People Magazine; many young people don’t realize the stigma Star had as it’s gone to mostly a photo driven magazine
I on the other still cringe when my photos appear in it, but when the check comes I get over it as Star does pay much better than the other magazines. Believe it or not people always ask me what I make from a photo that’s published. I usually tell them because they are under the misconception that it’s thousands of dollars. Basically a page is valued at $800. So there’s three pictures on the page, but one is the full page; the photo on the right gets $400. My photo is worth $200 then my agency gets half and I get $100. To get this photo I waited about 2 hrs. During this time I also photographed Chris Brown and NeYo. Neither of them sold, but had Chris Brown been with Rihanna _JACKPOT!!
But this photo has longevity and will be sold over over and over again, so in it’s lifetime I could make a thousand dollars. Although websites are probably read more than magazines, and the photos stay there indefinitely, you make less about $25.

Unless it’s a foreign market, for this shot that I took in Philly in May of the Marley & Me movie I made $55
Us Magazine Online $50
Us Magazine hard copy
Amy Smart (middle) $133.33 after the split with my agency. $10. But it’s ok, I love seeing my shots get picked up, especially in Elle Magazine even if it’s only online. The publicity for an event in little ‘ol Philadelphia is priceless. My reward is doing a good deed by promoting an event I believe in, it really is. Philly is happening and the word needs to get out.
or when I can tell a story about a celebrity that others may not know. Like how Terrence Howard signs his autographs upside down and backwards. (Click on pix to see it larger)