Issue regarding Portfolio Building

[shrutebucks]

Hey guys, I have a question and could use your input. I've started working (unpaid) for an established wedding photographer, and accompany her on shoots every couple of weeks. I've been out on three shoots so far and mostly carried stuff and assisted in helping her set up the shots. This weekend, I will be second shooting at a wedding reception. She gave me a list of rules to abide by with the pictures I take, that include a)not posting them online for a specific period of time, b) not selling them, c) letting her edit them and so on. All are fine by me. The one rule I am having trouble with is: I won't be allowed to use the pictures as part of my portfolio for one year after the date they are shot. She says this is to prevent similar photos from appearing in both our portfolios at the same time.

Is this standard practice within the industry? I feel that if I shot the photos, I should be entitled to use them within my portfolio.

Please let me know your thoughts, and thank you for reading.

 

[flea77]

First off, since you are working for someone else, they get to set the rules, whatever they are. I find it fairly standard for their to be some sort of waiting period, although a year sounds a little long to me it sure is not unreasonable. I might also venture a guess that using them in your print portfolio might be a different story from your online portfoliio so you might ask about that.

Allan

 

[Big Mike]

I don't know if that's 'the standard' but it sounds pretty reasonable to me.

Imagine that a newly engaged couple is looking on-line for a photographer. They come across some photos of a wedding on your website, but then also see the same couple (same wedding) on her website. They may be asking themselves "who actually shot this wedding?"
It's confusing and would likely cause them to just pass on either photographer and pick one of the other 101 photographers that they are looking at.

Now, if this is for your print (unpublished) portfolio, then there may be some leeway. Just ask her about it.

 

[shrutebucks]

I see. Yeah that makes sense, people browsing our websites may get confused and then just pass us both up. At this point, I'm not experienced enough to seek out shooting weddings on my own, so putting the photos online in a bid to seek business isn't my intention. I'd love to put them in my print portfolio though, which I am slowly building, so I'll ask her about that.

Thanks a lot guys!