Let’s talk about one of the most misunderstood — and most money-making — parts of commercial photography:

Licensing and usage.

If you’ve ever asked:

• “What does licensing actually mean?”
• “Do I have to charge for usage?”
• “Am I allowed to reuse my own photos?”
• “Wait… is the brand allowed to use my work in ads forever?”

This post is for you.

Because here’s the truth: if you’re not charging for licensing and usage, you’re leaving thousands on the table.

And I get it. Most of us weren’t taught this when we picked up a camera. I definitely wasn’t. I had to learn it the hard way — after realizing a beauty brand used my images in paid ads months after our agreement ended. And guess what? I didn’t charge for usage at all. That campaign probably made them six figures. I made $500. 😅

Let’s make sure that never happens to you.

What Is Licensing in Photography, Really?

Licensing = permission.

When you license your images to a client, you’re giving them permission to use your work under specific terms.

Think of it like this: you still own your images. You’re just renting out usage rights to the client, based on:

• Where the images will be used (Instagram? Billboard? Website?)
• How long they’ll use them (3 months? 1 year? Forever?)
• What kind of media they’ll appear in (Organic posts? Paid ads? Print?)
• Which territories they’ll be shown in (Local? National? Global?)

All of those factors affect how much you should charge.

What Is Usage in Photography?

Usage is the actual way your photos will be seen. For example:

Platform	Example Use
Social	Organic feed posts, reels, IG stories
Paid Ads	Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, display ads
Print	Magazines, product packaging, flyers
Digital	Email campaigns, websites, blog posts
Retail	In-store signage, window displays

If a brand wants to use your photos in multiple channels, across multiple regions, for multiple months or years — that’s a lot of value being extracted from your work.

And value = money.

So… Why Are So Many Photographers Undercharging for Licensing?

Because no one ever taught us how to do it.

Let me guess — you’ve probably done one (or all) of these:

• Included “all rights” by accident
• Forgot to ask how the images would be used
• Quoted a flat rate and hoped for the best
• Let imposter syndrome talk you out of adding a licensing fee

Friend, I’ve been there. And that’s exactly why I teach this inside The Sunroom School — because creative talent should be paid accordingly.

How to Start Charging for Usage & Licensing

1. Ask about usage during the inquiry call
2. Don’t skip this. Ask where the images will live, for how long, and whether they’ll be used in paid media.
3. Define licensing terms in your estimate
4. Be specific: “This quote includes 6-month organic social media usage, U.S. territory only.”
5. Charge a separate licensing fee
6. Your creative fee is for your time and skill. Licensing is about how much value the client will get from the final product.
7. Offer licensing upgrades
8. If they want to extend usage or upgrade from organic to paid, that’s an upsell — not a favor.

Real-World Licensing Example

Let’s say you shoot a lifestyle campaign for a skincare brand. They want to use 8 images on Instagram and email for 3 months.

Your licensing fee might be $1,000–$2,000.

Now let’s say they want to run those same images as paid Facebook ads for 12 months across the U.S. and Canada.

That usage fee might jump to $4,000–$6,000+ depending on their ad spend and the exclusivity of the content.

Same shoot. Same deliverables. Different value.

What If I’m Still Not Sure What to Charge?

You don’t have to figure this out alone — that’s why I created a tool specifically for commercial photographers and videographers:

The Rate Calculator GPT is your AI-powered pricing assistant that helps you build custom estimates based on deliverables, usage, client type, and more.

It’s like having a pricing coach in your pocket — without the guesswork or math headaches.

✅ Join the Waitlist for the Rate Calculator GPT

If you’ve ever wondered:

• “Am I charging too little?”
• “Is this a fair usage fee?”
• “What’s the industry standard?”

This tool is for you.

Join the waitlist below and get first dibs when it drops — plus a behind-the-scenes training on how to price like a pro.

Licensing = leverage.

And once you learn how to use it, you’ll stop undervaluing your work and start commanding what you’re really worth.

See you in class,

Kayla