Mention the word copyright amongst photographers and you open a can of worms. Well, before I mention THE word :) I just need to make sure you understand the reason for this blog post.
I love it when my photos are featured or published (who doesn’t??). I love it when people link to my blog. But what I love most of all is when people have manners. When people have the courtesy to ask my permission to use my photos, it makes me smile. When they use my photos without asking it makes me sad. And sometimes really really mad!
Let me put it this way, if you go into someone’s kitchen and you see a jar of yummy cookies, do you just open it, stick in your hand and help yourself? And then compliment them on the delicious taste afterwards?
I don’t know how your mother taught you, but for that I would have probably gotten the evil eye and a massive hiding! YOU ASK FIRST!
99.9 % of the time, I will never say: “no you can’t have one!” (except if they were specially prepared for someone else, in this case e.g. promised exclusively to another blog/magazine) but most of the time I’d always say: “SURE! Help yourself, I’d just appreciate it if you tell your friends I was the baker” :)
So always credit, link back and spread the yummy love, but when you help yourself without asking…that’s just rude!
And sure, sometimes we make a mistake, but then you say sorry and know, next time I’ll ask. We forgive and move on.
So pretty, pretty please, if you’re a blogger, coordinator or business owner looking for pretty stock images or just a mom wanting to make pretty thank you cards for your friends, please just ask.
1. It gives the photographer a smile to know you like his/her work.
2. It gives the photographer the opportunity to first ask his/her clients if they mind being featured/published.
3. It makes the world a better place when you ask.
And then off course there is the word COPYRIGHT… :)
Just to make it clear, this blog post is not written about a specific person/company, but more about different incidents I’ve experienced over the pst 5 years.
ps If you’re a photographer/blogger I’d love to hear your opinion on this?
Wow! Perfect timing Christine. I was just going to email you about using some of your work, so I’ll shoot you a direct email about that. So thank you for posting this! I’m a wedding blogger and like Kate have used 1 or 2 pics for inspiration boards w/o contacting the photographer but certainly see the value in doing so. Besides for my real wedding features I actually like to get a short commentary from the bride/couple and photographer anyway since it usually makes the content more valuable for other brides and usually the photographer is the one to connect the bride and I. Thanks again for the great info! I’ll definitely play my part in setting an example in the world of bloggers! =)
I totally agree! Being published or linked it is awesome when you know it’s happening, but suddenly stumbling across a page with YOUR work on it makes you feel like you have been robbed – even though the work may have been used with all the same good intentions as if they had asked – but it doesn’t feel good when you the photographer, creator of teh images, doesn’t even know it happened.
If anybody asks me I will in most cases say yes – I just like to be asked. And as you have mentioned – in some cases certain images require exclusivety and can not be used for whatevet reason – even just a privavcy request of a client. I never blog without the permission of my client…and I OWN the pictures.
So yes: ask and ye shall receive (whenever possible and sometimes at a price)
If you wanna get serious, then YES – COPYRIGHT is still out there! :)