I’ve thought about doing a post about this topic many times, because I think as a small business owner and a photographer, it’s my job to educate my clients on what is acceptable, ok, and legal to do with your photos.  Most of my clients purchase the copyrights to their photos. Along with the CD comes a release form. That release form states:

I (clients name) understand that these photographs will be used only for the personal enjoyment
of my clients and will not be used for other commercial purposes other than the
listed above without my personal consent.

These clients are free to print photos, books, calendars, burn an additional disc to give to a friend, basically anything under the sun–they can do. They already PAID for the release. The only thing I would like to be asked about, is if a photo I took is going to be used for a commercial purpose.  

If a client of mine chooses not to purchase the copyrights to the photos, but rather purchases prints or does not place an order and then chooses to take a photo from my blog or facebook page and print it… Well that is against the law.  I know in a digital world, it may not seem like a big deal, but trust me,  to the person who it’s being stolen from – it is a big deal.

If you have printed a photo I took and have not paid for it, please throw it away and contact me about ordering it.

What you can do with your photos that are shared on facebook & the blog –

Share them on Facebook.  Make them your profile photo. Tag yourself. Email the link to your friends. As long as they stay in the digital world and are not made into hard copy, I’m pretty much ok with anything!

My clients are all wonderful people. If they have printed a photo illegally, I am willing to bet, it’s just because they did not know it wasn’t OK.  This post is not meant to worry or offend anyone. It’s simply meant to educate the do’s and don’ts of professional photography in the digital world.

Because no post is complete without a photo – my girls enjoying the fruit of our apple tree : )