Tuesday, 21 October 2008
5. Who owns the copyright of my wedding photographs?ANSWER
Technically speaking the copyright of any image is always held with the photographer unless agreed otherwise. In most cases the ownership of copyright will not pose a problem as it is unlikely the Bride and Groom will use the photos for anything other than their own private use. Problems can occur however if the photographer is intending to commercially use the pictures, for example sell them to a picture library, or use an image to advertise a product. In the case photographing a celebrity it is very important to work out beforehand what acceptable usage is and what's not. However for most couples getting married this should not pose a problem or need for concern.
6. What qualifications should my wedding photographer have and what are the professional bodies that they should belong to?
ANSWER
Wedding photography is a totally unregulated sector and anyone with an interest in photography can set themselves up as a photographer. This is potentially very problematic as quite often people choose their photographer on their portfolio and don't challenge their processes or working methodology. Once you have found a photographer who you are interested in hiring the first thing that you should do is ask if they would be happy provide you references from previous clients. Some photographer's include testimonials on their site however if they don't it's a good idea to ask if you can speak to some of their former clients. It's a positive sign if your photographer has a degree or MA in photography however this also should be backed up by membership and qualifications from a recognised association. The MPA (Master Photographer's Association) and the SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographer's) and the BIPP (British Institute of Professional) all have a qualifying structure for wedding photographers. If someone is accredited with one of these organisations you can rest assured that they are a competent and have demonstrated a high level of creative flair.
7. Why do most photographers not offer a high resolution CD as part of their packages, as most photographers shoot digitally should this not be included?
ANSWER
Back in the days when photographers used to shoot weddings in film a fairly significant proportion of their income used to come from extra reprints. This has been replaced by online ordering however it was extremely rare for the photographer to hand over the negatives as by doing so we would forgo any future income from additional sales. Photographers took the same approach when most of them switched to digital thinking that by giving away the pictures the revenue would dry up. I personally thought that this practice was unfair and if someone was spending thousands of pounds with a photographer they should have the peace of mind knowing that they could buy a CD of the pictures if they wanted to. Thankfully the mindset amongst photographers is changing and many now are including a CD within their packages. This is however considered as an additional sale by many photographers who are charging a premium fee for the CD for the reasons that I have outlined. If your photographer is charging an exorbitate amount for the CD you should consider negotiating this into the package or changing photographers.