Photographing a wedding in 2 weeks at the beach. 90% of the photos will be outside. Even the reception is mostly outside. Get a call last week from the coordinator who works for the venue. She says I need to sign a contract with them that states what I can and cannot do. Ok, no problem.
The contract has some fairly strict rules. One of them is that I must provide them with a shot list of what and where I intend to shoot. Another stipulation is that after the wedding is over I must show them all of the photos I took. Another part of the contract says that they have they right to use my images on their website. Ok, no big deal, even though I think they should pay for that since it is advertising for them, I can let it go since it's also advertising for me.
Here is the kicker she then tells me that I can only use the images on my website for up to a year and then I must seek permission for additional time. This is the one that got me. It is my understanding that I own the exclusive rights to any images I shoot, and therefor should be able to use them on my own website for as long as I want. By them trying to dictate when and where I can use my imagery, it would seem that they are trying to assume exclusive rights?
Here is another problem. The Bride has already signed a contract with the venue (and paid them), and nowhere in that contract were there stipulations about photography. She has also paid me for my services. She cannot back out of the contract with the venue, nor does she want to use another photographer. It would seem that if they wanted to set boundaries for the photographer, that those rules should have been in the original contract the bride signed?
Is this normal for a venue to come back after the fact and start trying to outline things such as these? I have not had this happen in the past. The only thing ever asked of me is to not shoot during the ceremony inside a church. This wedding isn't in a church, it is on a beach, and the reception is nearby outside on the patio of one of the buildings.
The contract has some fairly strict rules. One of them is that I must provide them with a shot list of what and where I intend to shoot. Another stipulation is that after the wedding is over I must show them all of the photos I took. Another part of the contract says that they have they right to use my images on their website. Ok, no big deal, even though I think they should pay for that since it is advertising for them, I can let it go since it's also advertising for me.
Here is the kicker she then tells me that I can only use the images on my website for up to a year and then I must seek permission for additional time. This is the one that got me. It is my understanding that I own the exclusive rights to any images I shoot, and therefor should be able to use them on my own website for as long as I want. By them trying to dictate when and where I can use my imagery, it would seem that they are trying to assume exclusive rights?
Here is another problem. The Bride has already signed a contract with the venue (and paid them), and nowhere in that contract were there stipulations about photography. She has also paid me for my services. She cannot back out of the contract with the venue, nor does she want to use another photographer. It would seem that if they wanted to set boundaries for the photographer, that those rules should have been in the original contract the bride signed?
Is this normal for a venue to come back after the fact and start trying to outline things such as these? I have not had this happen in the past. The only thing ever asked of me is to not shoot during the ceremony inside a church. This wedding isn't in a church, it is on a beach, and the reception is nearby outside on the patio of one of the buildings.