Rights To Photo?

tinman1412 · Apr 22, 2008

Hi All,

Please advise on this matter. My fiance and I had our wedding engagement photo shoot. It comes with our wedding package and we get one 8 X 10 photo of our choice from the session. My question is do we have full rights to the photo?. For example, can I take that photo to Office Depot or Kinkos and have it enlarged?. I know photographers usually have exclusive rights to all their pictures. Please advise.

Thanks,

Battou · Apr 22, 2008

No. you require a release to recreate the imagery

NateS · Apr 22, 2008

Exactly what Battou said. Doing that would be the same as stealing. If you want an enlargment of that picture, then why not purchase it from the photographer that worked so hard to get such a great photo?

tinman1412 · Apr 22, 2008

The photographer is charging 3 times as much to enlarge the photo. I can get that done elsewhere. Do I have any options?.

patrickt · Apr 22, 2008

Take your own pictures.

NateS · Apr 22, 2008

tinman1412 said:
The photographer is charging 3 times as much to enlarge the photo. I can get that done elsewhere. Do I have any options?.

That's because the photographer is the one who spent hundreds of hours learning how to take a photo worthy of being enlarged. He also probably charges 3 times as much because he's printing them at a pro photo lab rather than kinko's, that way his pictures look there best when people hang them.

Your options are 1. Be a crook and cheat the photographer by printing it elswhere, or 2. Be an honest person worthy of living and pay the man for the great job that he did.

I really hate these threads and they upset me a little when people are trying to take money away from the person who earned it, just so they can save a buck. I agree with above, next time take your own photos and do as you please with them.

tinman1412 · Apr 22, 2008

Battou,

Do I just ask the photographer to "release" the photo. For just 1 image, what should I expect to pay

LaFoto · Apr 22, 2008

For just one image, and a wedding photo at that, why not pay the photographer's price instead of investing so much energy into finding out how to cheat him?

tinman1412 · Apr 22, 2008

I'm not sure where this "cheating" concept is coming from. If you read my original posting, I'm asking do I have full rights to the photo?. Some studios and/or photographers work differently when it comes to this. I have yet to ask my photographer, and I will do that soon, but I would like to know if I was given a picture from the photo shoot, what rights do I have with that photo?.

LaFoto · Apr 22, 2008

Usually you have the rights to own that one print. 'Cause you paid for it.

It really much depends on the contract you have, and that is where you should be able to read it all up. Sometimes you are being charged for the session and so-and-so many photos (like one in 8x10 of your choice, like you're saying). Any new print is being charged anew. Any ENLARGED print will DEFINITELY (have to) be charged anew. The right to the photos remains with the photographer. I would never sell my rights to any of my photos. Never.

NateS · Apr 22, 2008

The term cheating is coming from the following fact.

You asked a question, we answered telling you that if you printed it yourself then that is stealing.

You follow up that question, still interested in finding a way to print the item yourself because the photographer is charging more than you think is acceptable. Hence, you talk as if you still want to find a way to get the photo cheaper rather than pay the photographer......i.e., cheating.

When you talk to the photographer, don't forget to mention that

"I wanted to just get an enlargement at Kinko's so I didn't have to pay your higher price for the photo". (since that's the truth).

Village Idiot · Apr 22, 2008

tinman1412 said:
I'm not sure where this "cheating" concept is coming from. If you read my original posting, I'm asking do I have full rights to the photo?. Some studios and/or photographers work differently when it comes to this. I have yet to ask my photographer, and I will do that soon, but I would like to know if I was given a picture from the photo shoot, what rights do I have with that photo?.

Read your contract. Most photographers retain rights because if a person takes that photo and prints it, then give it to their family to print, there can be 100 copies of that photo that the photographer has lost revenue on. Not to mention, enlarging from a photo usually yeilds crap results. The Photog will either have the negative slide or the original digital negative file which can be properly sized and blown up correctly to produce the best image quality possible...not to mention the lab he uses...as mentioned above. Also, does it come framed?

If a photographer makes $30 on a photo and it does get around 100 times, that's $3000 worth of revenue he just lost. Photography is very expensive. I've spent $5000 in the past year just getting a kit together where I feel comfortable to start working with clients and doing this semi-professionally....I want about $5000 more worth of gear this year.

You can see it's not cheap. Plus if pricing is seriously an issue and money is tight, why not call the photographer and ask him if he can help on the price. We're not all assholes you know? :thumbup:

DWS · Apr 22, 2008

ask the photographer what he/she can do to cut you a price break on an enlargement.....as others have said, there is a huge time and $$ investment on the photographer's part to be in the position to provide quality photos to you.....

Mystwalker · Apr 22, 2008

tinman1412 said:
Hi All,

Please advise on this matter. My fiance and I had our wedding engagement photo shoot. It comes with our wedding package and we get one 8 X 10 photo of our choice from the session. My question is do we have full rights to the photo?. For example, can I take that photo to Office Depot or Kinkos and have it enlarged?. I know photographers usually have exclusive rights to all their pictures. Please advise.

Thanks,

Not a wise question with so many photographers here

I'm guessing you can tell already.

I basically had same thought but figured splitting assets in half is more expensive then paying $50 for a 12x12 (or some other strange size) - also wife would have killed me if I tried to photocopy

tinman1412 · Apr 22, 2008

Mystwalker,

I did sense that early on. I'm not going to try to defend, just listen for now. I did call my photographer and he can't help us with pricing. I guess with have a caricature drawing of us instead