Image Usage & Permissions

Copyright, a licence and a person’s image are different

Copyright in a photograph or film, a customer’s licence to use it, and a person’s permission to appear in publicity are separate matters. Ownership and any transfer of rights are determined by applicable law and the written agreement. We do not assume that the studio owns every commissioned work or that paying an invoice transfers every right to the customer.

Before work begins, the agreement should identify the intended use, rights holder, permitted users, media, territory, duration, exclusivity if any, credit requirements and any transfer of rights. Rights in music, fonts, stock material, brands, artwork, venues and a person’s likeness may need separate clearance. A photographer’s licence alone does not supply every third-party permission.

Personal use of delivered photographs

For a personal session, tell us whether you want photographs for private keepsakes, prints, family sharing or your personal social accounts. The written confirmation should state the personal-use permission supplied with the final delivered images, including any credit or sharing requirements. Ask if that permission is unclear rather than treating an online preview as a delivered file.

A personal-use arrangement does not by itself authorise advertising, product packaging, resale, stock-library submission, commercial sponsorship or use by a hotel, agency, employer or another business. If the purpose changes, request an appropriate written licence before using the images in that new way.

When sharing, respect the wishes and privacy of other identifiable people. A booking organiser should not assume they can authorise publicity for every adult in a group.

Commercial use and third-party distribution

Business work should specify the campaign, brand, channels and intended audience. Organic social posts, paid advertising, editorial publication, outdoor advertising, packaging, broadcast and resale are not interchangeable uses. State whether an agency, partner, franchisee or other company needs permission to publish or adapt the material.

A new campaign, wider distribution, additional territory, longer term, exclusivity or transfer to another business may require a revised licence and fee. The agreement should say whether those uses are already included. Do not remove a rights notice or supply files to a stock library or AI-training service on the assumption that a general production fee includes that permission.

Client-supplied logos, music, references and other materials must be cleared for the intended use. Agree who obtains model, property, music and other releases before production. We can discuss clearance responsibilities, but an example shown on the website is not proof that a location or asset is cleared for your campaign.

Editing, credit and source files

Discuss cropping, retouching, colour changes, captions, overlays and adaptations when agreeing the licence. Resizing a delivered file for an agreed channel is different from changing the meaning of an image or creating a new commercial work. Do not misrepresent who created it, remove a watermark from a preview or imply an endorsement that was not given.

Substantial retouching, AI manipulation, replacement of people or backgrounds and sensitive alterations require particular care with the licence and the people depicted. Ask for written clearance when the intended change was not part of the agreed use. Credit the creator where the licence requires it; a credit is not a substitute for permission.

Raw captures, rejected images, editable design or video-project files and third-party source assets are not promised by a gallery preview. The service agreement must expressly identify any source files or additional editing rights included in delivery.

Confidential work and private galleries

Tell us before sharing material if a brief, event, identity, location or launch date is confidential. Agree the authorised recipients, delivery method, access window, any embargo and any non-disclosure agreement before production. Public website imagery and public CDN links are not a confidential delivery channel.

Share a private delivery link only with the people authorised to receive it. Ask whether access controls are required and available for your project. If a link is disclosed or an image appears in the wrong place, contact us promptly with the relevant URL and booking reference so the issue can be assessed.

Confidentiality instructions, rights to use a finished image and permission to feature it in our portfolio should be recorded separately. The existence of a project on our schedule does not give permission to announce it publicly.

Permission to feature your photographs

Agreeing to a session, paying an invoice or ticking the enquiry privacy box does not authorise us to publish identifiable customer photographs. Portfolio, website, social-media, advertising, award-entry and editorial uses need an appropriate, separately recorded permission for their intended scope.

A request for permission should explain which images or selection are covered, where they may appear, whether names or identifying details will be used, the purpose and any agreed term or compensation. Publicity permission should be optional rather than bundled invisibly into an enquiry. Tell us if you prefer your images to stay private.

To raise a concern or request withdrawal of consent for future use, contact us with the image URL or description. We will review the permission, applicable rights and steps needed to stop or remove use under our control. Copies already lawfully distributed, printed materials, third-party reposts and caches may need separate handling; we cannot promise to erase every copy from the internet.

Children, families and group participants

A parent or legally authorised guardian must be involved in arrangements concerning a child’s identifiable photographs. We also seek the child’s own agreement where required by applicable law and consider their age, understanding, wishes and safety. Do not assume that a group organiser or venue can give permission on behalf of every child.

Permission to photograph for a private family delivery is distinct from permission to publish. Any proposed public use should be explained separately, including names, identifying details and channels. Avoid sharing school information, precise routines or unnecessary location details. If authority or permission is uncertain, do not proceed with the disputed public use until it is clarified.

For groups and events, agree who communicates photography arrangements to participants and how a person can raise a privacy concern. A general event announcement is not a substitute for a specific permission where one is required.

Request a licence or report an image concern

For a licence request, tell us which image or project you mean, who will use it, the purpose, channels, territory, duration and intended edits. We will check the rights and any additional permissions before confirming what can be supplied.

For a privacy or rights concern, send the page or image URL, your relationship to the image and the action you are requesting. Use the contact details below rather than posting additional personal information publicly. Mandatory legal rights and the terms of a valid project agreement remain applicable.