You have received your photos: can you publish them, print them, use them for your business? The question of usage rights is often poorly understood, yet it partly explains the difference in price between two services. Here are the main principles, as general information.

The photographer is the author of their images

As a general rule, a photograph is a protected work: its author, the photographer, holds the copyright in the image. When you order a service, you obtain the right to use the photos for a specified purpose, not ownership of all the rights.

Personal and family use

For a family, couple or pregnancy session, or a wedding, the photos are intended for your private use: albums, prints, frames, sharing with loved ones, posting on your personal accounts. This is the most common case.

Professional or commercial use

A portrait for your professional profile, photos for a website, a brochure, an advertisement or sales materials count as commercial use. The nature of the use, its duration and its scope must then be specified in the quote. This is what explains a difference in price between a personal session and a service intended for a business (see corporate photography in Nouméa).

Posting on social media

Sharing your photos on your personal accounts is generally covered. Good practice is to credit the photographer: it is a mark of respect and a nice way to make their work known.

What not to do

• heavily retouch or crop the images in a way that distorts the work, without agreement;
• transfer or resell the photos to a third party;
• use the images for a commercial purpose not covered by the quote.

Clarify everything from the quote stage

The simplest approach is to specify the intended use from the outset. In a quote, check the mention of usage rights and ask for explanations if in doubt (see a photographer’s rates: how are they calculated?).

This information is general and does not replace legal advice.

Read also: what does a professional photographer really do? · a demanding profession that deserves fair pay.

To organise your session in Nouméa or elsewhere in New Caledonia, contact me: I will reply quickly.