Can I have the photos from the wedding?
Recently I have found a few of my photos being used without permission, taken and used with a credit (thinking that’s sufficient) or images have been gained from the client without my knowledge. In all cases, not one person asked for my permission to use my photos.
Big deal? Well, yea it is actually. I’m about to explain as best as I can (and based on my research, understanding and experience) about the use of images as a wedding supplier, wedding blogger, small or large UK business. If you’re a couple getting married and want to know how you can use your images, well I’ll touch on that a little, but, more around that can be found in your booking agreement and may have been discussed in our consultation. Rest assured, your request for privacy is of the utmost importance and overrides anybody else’s request when it comes to using images for marketing.
Creative conception: Lunita Workshops, Venue: Pentney Abbey Estate, Florst: The Country Garden Florist, Furniture/Props & Styling: Anothology Vintage Hire, Fabric Installation & Styling: Maisylviaa, Tableware: Banqueting Hire
What is photography Copyright?
The Intellectual Property Office is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property rights including patents, designs, trademarks and copyright. This information can be found in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and you can read it here. This law protects the creative sector and creatives themselves - the same law that protects photographers, protects authors, artists, the film & radio industry, music, computer software creators and so on.
For photographers, copyright protects their work and prevents use without permission. It prevents people from copying their work, distributing copies of it (either for free of charge or for sale), renting or lending their work, showing their work in public, adapting their work and putting it on the internet. Copyright protection is automatically given as soon as a photographer clicks the button on the camera and takes a photo - we don’t have to apply or pay a fee to have our work protected. It's not like a product patent. The 'author' of the photo owns the copyright to the photo, simple. A professional photographer would also ensure the copyright information is embedded into the metadata (file information) of the photo. It will be attached to the photo and there will be little need for a watermark.
So what does that mean for those who hire a photographer?
When you hire a self-employed/freelance photographer, the photos taken belong to the photographer. They own the photographs unless they give the copyright to you. Now, it is rare for a photographer to just give you the copyright. If they choose to give you the copyright they wouldn’t have the right to copy the photos, use them on their websites, use them in their advertising or share them on their social media channels without an agreement being made between you. In most instances, if you want a professional photographer to give up the copyright, you’ll more than likely be purchasing that copyright IF they want to sell it to you and it won’t come cheap!
When you hire a professional photographer, as you do on your wedding day, in most cases (like in mine!) you are purchasing a licence. A licence for use of the photos or as I call it, a print release. What I do is STANDARD copyright practice. All my peers operate in the same way, in fact, I have yet to meet a professional wedding photographer who has sold their copyright or let the client have more than a print release. When booking your wedding photographer, do read your terms and conditions thoroughly before booking and ask the right questions. But rest assured, a print release is all you need. It’s all I got from my wedding photographer too.
It’s up to your wedding photographer as to what they allow in their licence (print release). For my clients, their licence/print release means: I’m happy for my clients to print the photos, make albums, make memorabilia, copy them, email them and share them on social media platforms. That's all we really want to do with our memories right? So, you're covered. Many professional photographers I know have identical licences. My information is explicit on my pricing page (you can see that I list you get a print licence), and it’s in my terms and conditions (which you get to read before you book - they’re even on my website). It’s all transparent and I have nothing to hide. It’s all standard practice. My job and my love is to tell your wedding day story and provide you with photographs. Nothing more, no unreasonable restrictions.
What does this mean for wedding suppliers who want photos from the wedding day?
When a couple hires a professional photographer like me, that means they get the photos to enjoy them for their personal use (like the examples listed above). That’s all they are allowed to do with images, and in 99% of cases, that’s all they want to do with them! What a client cannot do is use their personal use licence images for commercial use. This means the images, in most cases, that the photographer has provided the client can not be sold for any purpose or used to sell services. That's the copyright law protecting the creative industry.
So if a wedding supplier wants photos from the wedding day, they need to gain permission from the PHOTOGRAPHER as well as the couple. It is the photographer who provides a wedding supplier with the image - not the wedding couple. They do not have the authority to provide a wedding supplier with images for their commercial use. Say for example I’ve taken a photo of the flowers and the florist gets in touch with the couple to ask if they can use it on their website to advertise their wedding services. The couple wouldn’t have the right to authorise this and would need to refer the florist to me so that we can discuss the terms of a licence for them.
It is happening far too often where wedding suppliers are contacting the married couple and asking for photos for THEIR commercial use. Unfortunately, folks, it’s not cool and often, it’s not allowed.
I make it very clear to my couples to not provide images to wedding suppliers - hold on a minute, I am not being mean! I inform them to tell the wedding supplier to come to ME to ask. And guess what, I’ll happily provide if you follow some of the tips I’ll outline below! To those of you who have worked with me, you’ll know I always deliver. I even add you to my blog and your website links. Heck, I’ll even recommend you. But quite simply, if you’re rude about it, underhand, and don’t reciprocate, you won’t get the images. It’s a huge bugbear in the wedding photography industry and sometimes the messages we receive are downright rude and expectant. You can read some of the gripes mentioned in this article here: Dear Wedding Vendors: Photographers Don’t Owe You Images and yes, it’s an international problem!
The copyright law is there to protect me and my work. I need to know where my images are and how they are being used. One needs the photographer’s permission if you do not have a licence to use the images. It’s just like a styled shoot - who would you contact for the photos? The photographer.
How I feel about wedding supplier image use and etiquette to obtain and keep images
As I touched on it earlier, I am happy to supply images to wedding suppliers. In fact, I love it. I am all for supporting and empowering the wedding industry. I know you worked just as hard as me on that day to make it a blinder of a day for the couple. Please note, niceness goes a hella long way and above all so does respect for the product, skill and business. And yes, of course, this works both ways. Please remember, my photos are not just pretty pictures. They are my livelihood. If a photographer wants to charge you for the use of photos, respect that.
Please ask the couple for permission to USE the images
It’s their day. And no doubt they’ll happily agree - they loved your work, they want to show it off. When I asked in a recent Instagram poll about the use of images, most clients said they would be happy for them to be used but that the photographer should be paid and credited. Yes, paid! My clients understand the value of my photos and I love them for it.
Please ask the photographer to HAVE & USE the images
Simple. Nothing more to say here really. I covered why when I spoke about copyright above.
Be nice
“Can I have the pics from xxx wedding?” pinging into my inbox 24 hours after a wedding is not nice. In fact, it gets my back up. The photos I took were for the couple, not as an advert for your business. I do up to a 14 hour shift on a wedding day. I then bust a gut to get home and have a handful of images beautifully edited for them to enjoy the moment they wake up. This is part of my ‘above and beyond’ for my couple. This is for them and to bring a smile to their face. It’s their day, their friends and family and it’s their love they want to share and scream from the mountain tops (mostly). I don’t do this so a wedding supplier has an image to sell a product or service the next day or so I can get cushty with a wedding venue, for example.
It’s really important to build a relationship. I often know who the majority of the wedding suppliers are going to be ahead of the wedding day because I ask the couple. I then give all of them a follow on social media long before the day. I tend to do a lot of local weddings, so for me, I am often working with the same suppliers repeatedly and would have no doubt met you at a wedding fayre or even for a coffee (as we do!). I make a lot of effort to build my business relationships, I think they are invaluable and they are a two-way street. I am much more willing to take time out of my schedule to answer messages and requests if they have been asked politely and an absolute bonus if there is an offer in return. Providing a wedding supplier with photos often is of little benefit to me in terms of gaining more clients. So if all you can offer is some exposure, it may be worth thinking again, especially if you want to foster a mutually beneficial relationship with a professional photographer and have access to professional images. Wedding photographers tend to be the second/third supplier booked when a couple get married (the first being the venue). More often than not I am the one providing recommendations to my clients for florists, Hair and MUA, cake etc. This is not me being arrogant, this is my actual experience. I only know of three venues, one florist, one baker and one wedding dress supplier who have consistently sent me clients and I have always reciprocated the favour, sending recommendations their way too. They’re good and they’re good to me - I would happily recommend them to my clients.
“Can I have the pics from xxx wedding?”
vs
“The photos from the xxx wedding were stunning! Would you mind if we listed you on our website as a preferred supplier and used a few pictures on our website and social media? How can we credit you?"
I mean, which request would you be inclined to use? Don’t forget to say ‘Thank you’ when provided with images and if you wanted to send me a chocolate bar or buy me coffee as an extra gesture, I certainly wouldn’t say no.
Be patient with the photographer
Just like you, professional wedding photographers have an enormous amount of work to do not only before and on the wedding day but AFTER a wedding too. This on top of running businesses in an extremely competitive industry. Personally, I don't share any photos with suppliers until I have shared them with the client. In peak season, it can be up to 12weeks before a client receives their photos. They get to enjoy them first.
Be clear with what you want to use the images for
Remember that copyright law - it is highly unlikely that you’ll be able to use the images to make money, for free. If you want to enter the image into a magazine, flyers, want to make a huge poster then please make this clear. If it’s solely for a post on Instagram, then say this too. It’s important for the photographer to know so they are in control of their image, ensure no misuse, as well as provide a supplier with the correct sized image.
Avoid editing the supplied image in any way
It is never okay to edit a professional photographers images. That includes putting an Instagram filter on it, making an image black and white or cropping it to within an inch of its life so a particular detail is seen. The photo supplied represents a photographers brand. A photographer wouldn’t change the colour of the venues carpets & curtains to suit them or re-arrange a bouquet, so out of respect, avoid editing the images.
Credit appropriately
If you are given permission to use an image (especially for free) it’s polite and professional to use the credits they have supplied you with. Ensure it is spelt correctly and nothing is missed off. Where applicable, include a credit in the caption as well as a tag in the actual image. I know if I am simply credited in the caption on Instagram, I am not notified. If I am tagged in the image, I am. And if I get tagged, I will share you and your post in my stories and help promote. It's that two-way street again!
Tag and credit at the time of posting. Tag and credit the photographer whenever you post their image - even if it’s two years down the line. The copyright stays with the photographer 70 years after their death…so…
And heck, don’t forget the other suppliers who may be in the photo! Tag and credit them all, it really will go a long way. If you want to know who they are, ask.
Keep in touch
Again, not much else to say here. Stay social on the socials!
When a photographer says no…
It can happen and for a number of reasons. No doubt, a photographer will be able to tell you why. If they do, please respect their reasons and understand sometimes it can be completely out of their control. The couple may have requested privacy, the couple may have split up, the couple may have removed all their make-up and reapplied it so doesn't want anyone to know, guests may be in witness protection, the children may be looked after, maybe someone had to pull a sicky from work to be at the wedding, maybe the wedding is meant to be a huge surprise and no one is allowed to know yet (that’s what happened at my wedding! I eloped and we didn’t tell a soul until we got back to the UK. No images were shared until we announced in our special way to friends and family.) There can be a whole host of reasons why images may not be allowed to be passed on to you.
And bear in mind, taking a screenshot of an image and using it anyway is crappy and breaks copyright law….so illegal, innit.
Privacy, the thing that overrides all of the above, in my humble opinion.
The couple has a right to keep their wedding private. It is their day, their moment and they have the choice as to whether they want their day in the public domain or not. This is something I talk about with my clients during the consultation and their decision is respected. I also have a form whereby the client indicates the permitted use of images. Some couples want to show the world, some don’t. It’s just how it is. Regardless of the decision, many of my clients understand the nature of my business and that it doesn’t exist without me having something visual. They understand that I may want and reserve the right to share wedding detail shots such as the flowers (yay, florists!) or the venue (yay, venue staff) or the cake (yay, cake maker). But that may mean that Hair and MUA won’t be able to have images or the wedding outfit suppliers.
It is, what it is, folks. So it may be, I cannot share the images. Please always seek permission from the client and if they agree, seek permission from the photographer.
If you’re one of my clients, you’ll hear from me before the day and I urge you to please send any wedding supplier requesting images from your day to me.
Creative conception: Eden Workshop, Venue: Flore House, Dress: Victoria Lou Bridal, Cake: Deliciously Devine, Model: Lia, Hair: Lauren Gosling Hair
