The simple answer is Yes. Your wedding photographer reserves all the exclusive rights to the work – the pictures and videos.
When it comes to wedding photography, there is a lot of uncertainty about the legal rights to the photos. Many people, especially couples, are unaware that wedding photographers have copyrights to the photos. Although the couples paid for the service, the photographers have the copyright to the wedding photographs because they create the work with their tools.
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According to the copyright ownership law, copyrights are generally owned by the people who created the original work – in this case, the wedding photographers that clicked the pictures. This implies that without the wedding photographer’s permission or authorization, couples cannot edit, reproduce, or distribute any of the photos taken at their weddings.
Do photographers keep wedding photos?
Yes, some wedding photographers can keep both the Raw and edited copies of their wedding client’s pictures for up to a year (or more) before deleting them. If you have misplaced all your wedding pictures, you may ask your photographer for new prints.
While the distribution of wedding photos is not something the photographer, in this case, the original author of the images, can control, we protect the pictures by printing our studio or company logos on them. Furthermore, we ensure the protection of the original work by withholding the raw (unedited) copies from the clients.
In a situation whereby couples request raw copies of their wedding pictures, the photographers tend to resize them before delivery. This will make the images uneditable and unreproducible by another photographer or editor. This way, our copyrights are protected.
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Hiring a wedding photographer is an important step when it comes to planning your big day. Not only will your photographer capture beautiful memories that you can look back on for years to come, but your photographer will also be responsible for documenting one of the most important days of your life. Our Master guide has some helpful information to hire the best wedding photographer.
Click Below to Read a Comprehensive Guide to – Hire a Wedding Photography.
Do Wedding Photographers Own Your Photos?
Strangely, your wedding photographer owns your wedding photos. Although it is your wedding documentary, and you paid for the service, at the end of the day, the ownership belongs to the main photographer, according to copyright law.
Nonetheless, you will have full access to the edited copies and final deliverables provided you paid in full. But you cannot edit or reproduce the photos. If you must reproduce the images, you must contact the main photographer, the creator of the original work.
If you are wondering why your photographer owns your wedding photos, below are a few reasons:
- Because the photographer created the pictures with his/her tools.
- To ensure that others do not take advantage of the work without permission or compensation.
- Owning the pictures means they will have something in their wedding photography portfolios. This will make them stand out in the industry and build a strong customer base.
- Generally, wedding photographers own the prints due to the countless hours of work, time, and resources they put into creating your wedding photographs.
However, the right of ownership can be transferred to you if you sign such an agreement with the photographer. Thus, if you want all copyright to your wedding pictures, I suggest you discuss and sign a contract stating that the work is “made for hire” with the photographer.
What Publication Rights Does The Photographer Retain?
Generally, copyright law provides the copyright owners (the photographer) the exclusive rights to:
- edit, reproduce, and share the photos
- display the pictures publicly or to potential clients as samples
- authorize others to exercise exclusive rights over the photographs
What Rights Will The Clients Have To The Photos?
Although you do not own the photos, you will have unlimited access to the final deliverables. Wedding photographers usually provide their wedding clients with full access to their deliverables and the right to distribution. Generally, they allow their clients to share their wedding photos, but they cannot edit, reproduce, or allow another photographer to alter them.
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In conclusion, wedding photographers have copyrights to their client’s wedding pictures. They have the right to publicly display, edit, reproduce, and share these wedding photos. Although they own the photographs, they do not have the right to sell them. But once you receive your pictures from the photographers, you cannot edit or reproduce them without their consent.
Thus, I suggest you sign a clear contract with your photographer if you require some or all exclusive rights to your wedding picture and video documentaries. Do not forget to state whether or not the photographer can publicly display the shots.