Photographs of your church - fundraising and publicity

Thank you for visiting Overshoot Photos You are here as a result of following the link from a leaflet or email. Here you will find answers to questions that you may have. If you have any that are not answered, then do feel free to email or call me directly.

Churches are very photogenic and modern technology means that images of your church can be printed onto all sorts of materials. You can then sell these within your parish - at fêtes, through your Parish magazine and, of course, word of mouth.

Parishioners that have flown the nest can still be updated and can buy online should they wish to support the Parish from afar.

If you would like to go ahead then, then do get in touch and we can set it all up for you and you will be up and running.

How does it work?

We take a number of photographs of your church and grounds. We pick days that are sunny and clear. We will also endeavour to make return visits so that we can get a wide range of looks - from frosty and snowy scenes to spring daffodils, summer flowers and autumnal gold. We will take ground-based and also aerial photographs from different angles.

There is no charge for the above, but you agree to purchase at least two prints at wholesale prices for resale in your gift shop (or equivalent - Parish magazine, for instance). We can do this for no charge as we shoot when we are in the area or have an empty diary for that day. I would rather shoot a church / cathedral than kick my heels.

You also get the digital images for free on CD-ROM that you can use to produce all sorts of merchandise for resale such as mugs, tea towels, mouse mats etc - all sorts of items can be printed on nowadays. You can print these off and sell to raise funds for whatever you wish. You can arrange it yourself (there are plenty of online websites such as Vistaprint). Alternatively, Overshoot is happy to manage this for you although there will be a mark-up to cover our costs and a small profit margin. Note that we will need to charge VAT, so if you are not VAT registered, then you will probably be better off doing it yourself.

The only items that we retain Reproduction Rights to are Prints (framed and unframed). We retain the exclusive Rights to producing Prints although you will always be able to purchase them from Overshoot at Wholesale Rates for resale. We will also sell the Prints direct through this website. You will receive a 10% commission on all sales made this way.

With your permission, we will also negotiate reproduction prices for printed and online media such as magazines and newspapers which often need images for articles and news items. Again, you will receive a 10% Royalty for any fees generated. Digital Masters of Photographs sold to magazines for publication and reproduction will be subject to a separate Reproduction Rights Agreement, which will be at a higher rate depending upon the scope of the publication (National, International, Printed, online etc). You will still receive your 10%, but of a higher figure.

Who will you sell the images to?

In general, we sell the images to anyone that asks. You are more than welcome to limit sales to specific categories of purchaser or to vet each request, but this will mean extra effort as we will need to refer to you for an answer each time and sometimes this delay will result in a lost sale. Realistically, anyone purchasing images of your church/cathedral are unlikely to be doing it for nefarious purposes!

How else can I boost sales?

Anyone celebrating a Birth or Marriage at your church will, undoubtedly, be taking (or have professionally taken) some photographs. You can let them know about Overshoot Photos and they can buy previously shot aerial prints of the church / cathedral to complement those taken on the day. There is a move towards filming funerals as well, nowadays so if you are in agreement, then we can also shoot these.

Alternatively, for weddings, the couple can book Overshoot Photos to take shots in person on the actual day. We will work with the professional Photographer, filling in with aerial shots. Please note that we do not offer Wedding photography services on our own, we will only work with a third party lead photographer.

When do I get paid?

As soon as you reach £50 of commission in any one month, we will notify you and you will be paid by the end of the following month. If you have not earned £50 or more, it will be rolled over to the next month.

When do you take the photographs?

Once we have signed Agreements we will add your church to our list of churches to photograph. We will pick days with appropriate weather conditions when we are in the area. Therefore, once we have the go-ahead, we suggest that you advise anyone likely to be working in the Grounds that we may be present. Our Photographer will be carrying a copy of our Agreement for identification and if anyone is in any doubt, they can call the main number 0560 255 0806 for verification. With churches being prime targets for lead thieves, your staff should be alert to anyone acting suspiciously within the grounds anyway. Our Photographers will never hesitate to produce identification if challenged.

If the church is busy when we arrive (e.g. wedding Service, funeral, Mother's Day et al) we will, of course, depart to return another time. We do not wish to interfere with someone else's event and, also, we have safety considerations. We will not fly (and indeed are not allowed to fly) if a Risk Assessment deems that there is an unacceptable risk to beings or to property. We are fully licenced by the Civil Aviation Authority and fully insured - but only if we fly safely.

Consequently, we will tend to be around when quiet - first thing in the morning, late afternoon and probably avoiding Sundays.

You mention lead thieves. Can you check the roof for us?

Sure. If it is part of our normal visit, then we have no problem in looking at specific areas of the building for damage or theft.and there will be no charge. You will need someone to be there to guide us and to know what they are looking for / at. If, one day, you suspect there has been damage or theft, or masonry is falling from somewhere, we do offer a Callout Service. However, this is a Commercial, Professional Service and is chargeable. However, we can inspect roofs a lot faster and closer than other platforms so can be a very cost-effective way of ensuring that the building is / is not safe. Again, if you have an urgent need, call us on our main number 0560 255 0806 7 days a week.

How do I terminate the Agreement?

If you wish to terminate, just let us know in writing and we will arrange a final payment of any outstanding commission. We will cease selling the images and any promotional material with your images on from that point and will return to you any promotional material that we are carrying as stock on your behalf. Your licence to reproduce the images will also cease at that point.

Who owns the photographs?

As is the case with all photographs and all photographers, the copyright of all photographs taken are owned by the photographer. The image(s) are licenced to you and the cost of this is included in the price of the prints and of any promotional Goods supplied to you by Overshoot Photos. You are granted an exclusive Royalty-Free licence (excepting print reproduction). If you wish to use the digital images to reproduce the photographs elsewhere as prints, then speak to us regarding additional licensing.

Do you charge VAT?

Yes, we are VAT registered and will charge VAT on any purchases that you or third parties make. If you are VAT registered, you will be able to claim this VAT back, but will then need to charge VAT on any sales that you make.

If you would like to go ahead then, then do get in touch and we can set it all up for you and you will be up and running very quickly.