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Photographers and copyrights

leelee5575leelee5575
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in Pennsylvania-Central
Hello there! I just received a contract from the photographers I had wanted to shoot my wedding next year. I also spoke to one other photographer as well. I noticed that the one photographer completely grants you the copyrights and the other one I want does not... any comments, and what is the norm for this!!! I thought I would be purchasing full copyrights to the pics, given they are sooo expensive... but not according to the contract!
Thanks!
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Re: Photographers and copyrights

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    mamie329mamie329 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Some photographers include it in their packages; some do not. For me, I wouldn't have gone with anyone who didn't include it since having the rights was important to me. There really isn't a norm, per se, but I feel like most have started including it. Either way you're being charged for it. 
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    mb2712mb2712
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Our photographer does the same this with giving us copyrights... I think it's more and more common now.
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    steeser03steeser03
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    edited December 2011
    what you need to think about is- what prints does the photographer who doesnt give you the rights include in their package and is that enough for you?

    having the rights comes into play when you want to print your own either to make your own album, canvases, prints for family, etc. generally it is cheaper to print them on your own through either target, walmart, walgreen's etc for 4x6's or with an online website like snapfish or shutterfly for albums, large prints, and canvases. purchasing prints that arent included in your original package can become pricey.

    to us, having the rights to print and produce on our own was very important.
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    queserasera84queserasera84 member
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    edited December 2011
    I agree with steeser. The reason we chose our photographer is because she was totally open with us. She grants the rights to all of our photos and showed us an actual certificate she'll give to us to prove we purchased the rights. She also told us she will provide us with some professional printing sites that she uses to purchase prints for her clients so that I can feel free to get our own prints done, and without her markup. She said that she knows she's losing money by doing this, but didn't feel it was right to dupe us into buying prints with her when there are so many ways to save money.

    If you're satisfied with leaving the prints order and purchasing to your photographer, then having the rights to your photos won't matter. Keep in mind, though, that any time you want additional prints, you'll need to go back to the photographer. Most places (Target, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, etc.) won't allow you to make copies of a photo you don't have the rights to reproduce, so if you're thinking you can purchase a small batch if prints from your photographer then copy them cheaply on your own, you might run into problems.
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    kimp67kimp67 member
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    edited December 2011
    I would never book a photographer that won't give up the rights!
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User]
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I totally agree with everyone in saying you should definitely go with a photographer that will give you the copyrights to your photos.  My fiance and I wanted a particular photographer, but he would not give up the copyrights.  To have our own CD of the photos and own the copyrights...that would have been an extra $400. If you didn't want the copyrights, and just the CD (their name would show up on every photo) it was $25. 

    We ended up choosing the Susquehanna Photographic.  A fairly new duo...but their photos are amazing!  They use what they call the creative common license...which basically states we have to give them credit where due.  And (another plus) their prints that they offered are super cheap!  An 8x10 is only $6 compared to $20something that other photographers were trying to charge.
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