In layman's terms; every picture that I capture, no matter where it is posted, belongs to me- I own it.
I can sell digital or physical copies of the pictures to you, but I still own the picture and the copyright of the picture stays with me (unless you purchase the rights/copyright to the picture which is a whoooole other very complicated and expensive bag of cats and very rarely needed in the case of personal purchasing so we won't dive too deeply into that).
Copies are sold at different prices based on whether usage is personal or business and the type of usage intended.
The pictures for sale in the galleries on this website are sold under a personal use license. This means they may be used for personal purposes only, and any use of the images by a business, or for business uses (advertising, product packaging, sponsorship, product promotion, social media collaborations etc.) must only be done after seeking permission from me and, if applicable, paying the relevant business use fee.
I wish I could do this for free however photography equipment, equipment maintenance, website hosting, payment processors, insurances, editing programs, business licenses and costs, travel and accommodation and all the other costs associated with what I do are unfortunately not free either.
I keep my prices very affordable for the quality provided and I try to keep my website watermarks as unobtrusive as possible so that you can see what you are potentially purchasing, so please respect my ownership and copyright and do not steal images from the galleries.
If I have posted an image on Facebook and stated that the post may be shared on Facebook, that is the specified term of use for that image, and it is not to be saved or downloaded and distributed in any other way than directly from the original post using the "share" function on Facebook.
I understand that professional photography at an event is a luxury and not a necessity, and that not everyone can factor it into their budget and that not everyone believes it is worth the cost- this is perfectly understandable but if this is the case, please do not use the images then.
If you value it enough to share it, screengrab it, post it etc. then PLEASE value me enough to ensure you don't steal it.
By stealing the images not only do you violate copyright laws, but you also undermine the clients who DO do the right thing and purchase the images, and you encourage others to do the same. Please help be a part of the solution and not the problem, and ensure you pay photographers-not just me- for their time, skills and effort.
The watermarks on the images state "Proof only, do not screenshot"- by posting images bearing this watermark you are displaying a violation of copyright and stolen images.
What happens if you do this?
If you violate copyright laws by taking possession of photos that you have not purchased the right to use, the law is not on your side. Legally, I can invoice you for use of the images or engage my legal representatives to pursue a copyright violation case. This isn't what I want to be doing and is easily avoided. More often, when the online representatives I have that monitor and detect copyright and usage violations relating to my images (yep- unfortunately it's such a common occurrence that there are services dedicated solely to that!) alert me to any violations, I will reach out personally and explain the above and ask them to remove or purchase the photos, place a more strongly messaged watermark over future images and/or refrain from posting any future pictures. Repeat or large violations will usually mean that I note the person who has stolen the images and refrain from taking/posting pictures of them on future occasions.
If you love the photos and want me at future events to capture more, please ensure you purchase rather than steal the image.
I haven't encountered this problem too often- I have a beautiful, loyal and varied client base who are more often than not unbelievably happy to purchase photos event after event and whose support I appreciate more than words could possibly describe- but unfortunately it has been increasing lately and I just wanted to provide this info as a gentle reminder of why it is important not to do so.
I would hope you wouldn't walk into a saddlery or supermarket, place items in your pocket, and walk out without paying for them- please, provide the same respect here as you would there ❤️📸