Related Posts

• 
  What's In Our Bags?

  One of the questions we get asked MOST is what gear we use.  Nearly every photo we upload asks about cameras, lenses, flashes, or some combo of the above.  We get asked about bags for flying and travel, and bags for shooting weddings.  We get asked about lots of things.  So here's a quick peek into our simple bag set up that we take to most shoots.  We also will keep reflectors, stands, and simple umbrellas in the trunk of the car, just in case.

   

  

  Here is Rachel's rolling camera bag, labelled.  It is smaller in profile, but it is pretty deep and the wheels sink in a little, so that there is more room than the small looking exterior suggests.  It uses space very well.  It can fit, standing up, in the overhead of an international flight.  The wheels also rotate all the way around, which makes traveling with the Think Tank Airport 4-Sight a breeze.

  

  Here is our secondary flash bag that I carry for shoots.  I can add in extra Justin clamps and usually have more Eneloop rechargeable batteries when I go for a wedding.

  

  Crystal's camera bag.  It is a bit bigger and works for most domestic flights (it fits about 2 more lenses than Rachel's travel bag.)

• 
  Pro-Tip: Thinking Like Your Camera

  Man, cameras these days. So smart.

  There are so many options in making an image with a camera now. You can keep all of the control of the camera (this is what Crystal and I (Rachel) do. When people oooh and ahh over our cameras and say, "Wow, those must take GREAT pictures!", we smile and say, "Yep, we taught them everything they know!" ;)), you can keep some of the control of the camera, but let the camera make some decisions, or you can let the camera make the decisions. Each way has pros and cons, and some models of camera will only allow a one or maybe two of these choices. A point and shoot is a good example of a camera that will usually only allow you to let the camera call the shots.

  Sigh...so that means you have no control, right? If the picture turns out good, it was all the camera? And if it turns out bad, there was nothing to be done? Should we just sit in the corner and sulk?

  Absolutely not! You have a lot more control than you think, even if the camera is on auto mode.

  So, we know the camera is looking at the picture you want to take, and SOMEHOW the camera is figuring out what settings to apply to that image. You can't usually SEE those settings, so how can you influence them?

  That is where I come in! I am going to show you how your camera thinks! Once we learn this, we can apply it to other lessons. Once you're "at one" with the mind of your camera, you'll be able to have some measure of control in using even a point and shoot camera.

  First of all, when a camera looks at a scene that you intend to shoot, it doesn't really see the scene like you do. Say you're shooting your kids at the park on the playground. There's green grass, a red slide, a blue sky. Junior's wearing a yellow shirt. The camera doesn't see that. The camera doesn't see colors. It sees TONES.

  
  

  (image by graynoisemusic.tumblr.com)

  The camera sees the scene in gradations of brightness.

  Ok, great! But how is it choosing the settings?

  Well, the camera is looking at the whole scene you have framed and is averaging the scene to 18% or MIDDLE gray. It wants to pick the settings that will average the frame towards the middle of that pattern.

  And lots of times, it works great!

  But what if I want to shoot a picture of my kid standing against a black board, writing his name? Or something primarily black? (Or a VERY dark color.)

  
  

   

  Is this a middle tone? NO WAY! But guess what? Your camera will let in enough light automatically to make it look 18% gray. So that chalkboard will no longer be black. It will be gray. Oh...and hmm. If that black is moved up the grayscale...then what do you think happens to all those tones (like skin, hair, etc.) that are LIGHTER than the black that has been shoved up the scale? Uh oh. It's not good. They're going to be WAY brighter than they should be. They might even get shoved entirely off the scale, into white nothingness.

  We've all had those pictures right? The overexposed ones. ALL the detail is gone. Everything is just an icky, white blob. It looks bad on screen and prints even worse. All the details get shoved into the white category and they are gone forever. Let's all have a moment of silence for our fallen highlights. *sniffle*

  Ok, so that's a time where our camera's plan of making everything middle gray has failed us. D'oh!

  Let's think of another. And you all know this one too, I bet. Say you're darling and precocious child is sitting in front of the bright window reading a book. It is an ADORABLE picture in your mind. The angelic child is framed by the bright window, it's perfection! But...you take that picture with SO much of it SOOOO bright, and what happens?

  
  

   

  The average of this scene is really white. Not middle gray. It's at the TOP of the scale. So, the camera pushes allll that white, bright light down the scale to 18%. And what happens to the child's face, which is pretty much in shadow? It also gets shoved down the scale. Suddenly you can barely make out the child for all of the shadow. Some of the details might even be lost to total blackness. *sniffle* Isn't this story just SO sad??? All of these missing details that we could have had!

  By the way, the above technique is a good way to get a silhouette. So if that was what you were planning...a silhouette of junior reading in the window, WOOHOO! (It's always nice to know what you want to do and how to do it.)

  Ok, so now we have an idea of what the camera is thinking. How it is trying to read the scene. This will help you choose lighting/color situations that your camera can better handle. (Or you can add flash to help even the exposure. There are pros and cons to using a small flash on your camera, but we'll discuss those later.) One thing that is very hard for a point and shoot is backlight. In general, it is best to steer clear if you want to be able to make out the faces of the people in your picture.

  But here's my big tip for how to get a backlit photo with your point and shoot. But first, I have to share a secret. Shhhhh. Your shutter button is a double agent. Shhhhhhh. It lives a secret life. Not only can you push it and it will faithfully release the shutter and take the picture, it can also LOCK THE EXPOSURE!! So, all of what we were talking about above is the basics of making an exposure. We've learned how your camera determines the exposure it will use on automatic. SO now, let's use that knowledge. If you know that you want your child sitting in the window to be properly exposed and you want the window to be bright, then walk up to your child's face and fill most of the frame with it, push your shutter button halfway down and HOLD IT! This will lock what your camera is seeing as middle gray. It is seeing your child's face this way. (Which is technically a little underexposed, but not THAT bad for a snapshot with a point and shoot) Now, back up and frame the picture as you would like to see it (again, keeping that button halfway pressed down.) Now, once you have the picture framed as you'd like it, press the shutter down the rest of the way. VOILA! Your image is now properly exposed! Or a lot closer, anyway. (What can I say? I'm an exposure purist. I can't call 36% gray 18% gray. ;) )  Also, good to note:  If you are using a DLSR and have the ability, look into setting BACK BUTTON FOCUS, that way you can free up your shutter to JUST lock exposure and allow the back AF-ON button to handle all of that focus stuff.

  Would it work the same as the child against the blackboard? You bet. Pick what you want to be properly exposed and press that shutter button halfway down and reframe your shot and then press the shutter button the rest of the way.

  Now that you know how your camera thinks, you'll be able to start looking at what might happen if your camera is thinking the whole scene needs to be 18% gray. Sometimes it will be perfect, and sometimes it won't, so that is where you can either lock your exposure, add some flash, or change your angle to the light.  The next step from here is to start moving into MANUAL mode.  Watch for coming posts to erase the mystery from manual mode!

• 
  Tips for Photographing Families with Autism

  The whole reason that I (Rachel) started into photography was because my oldest two boys are autistic. It was almost impossible to get a decent family portrait. For almost a decade we went without because the harsh flashing of the chain studios and the bewilderment of those taking our photographs just was impossible to overcome.

  As our family grew, I became more and more restless about this state of affairs and got a camera and started to voraciously learn all I could about photography so that I could capture our family’s memories and HOPEFULLY get a family portrait.

  A few years ago, the first portrait was realized and I am overjoyed. Crystal took the images and I did some head-swapping and it hangs proudly in my home.  I have since also gotten an image of all 6 kids after Max, my 3-year-old, was born.  And then another with all 6.  And then I got one with all 7, just a bit ago.  So I am blessed many times over now.  I also have realized the importance of having images of my family and the sadness I felt over not having one, and so I do all I can to photograph families I know with autism, so that they have one less thing in their worry bucket. So, I’ve had a lot of opportunities now to photograph and interact with these wonderful families.

  I wanted to write today to those in the position of photographer to these amazing families, because it can be a little daunting to enter into these situations.

  The main point I want to stress today is…don’t stress! I know it is natural to feel a little trepidation at the thought of going into an unfamiliar situation. So I want to make it less mysterious.

  Autism is a spectrum disorder, which means that every child is different. Some are more severe and some are much milder. What works perfectly in one situation won’t be the answer in the next situation, and ya know, that’s ok! It’s just like any other family, really. Some kids are slow to warm up, some want to follow you home. It is important to listen to the parents about what their child likes or doesn’t like, etc. But taking family portraits is likely a fairly new situation to the whole family, so the parents might not know exactly how their child will take to it. So here are a few tips that have worked well for me.

  1) Don’t stress.

  When stress starts, it is easy to escalate. Parents can feel it, the kids can feel it and it spirals. So feeling calm and loose is a great way to perpetuate those good feelings. And ya know what? I can speak from personal experience here, these families will be THRILLED with just having ANYTHING, so don’t go in with undue stress, because it will throw you off.

  2) Talk to mom and dad ahead of time

  This way you know if Jr hates grass on his bare feet, or is sensitive to sounds etc. That will help you know how to be. Also talk about favorites. I have yet to find a child with autism who doesn’t just LOVE something. That way you can brush up a little on trains, or Buzz Lightyear or whatever so you can chat about it as you take pictures. That is a great way to get the child to look at you naturally and smile. Find out what makes them tick. Often times things like Thomas the Train and Buzz Lightyear, etc. are big favorites and you can find (or borrow) Pez dispensers which fit conveniently in your hot shoe. That helps the kids look into your camera and smile, and it is a built in reward mechanism for them! Awesome on both counts!

  3) When talking to mom, tell her to talk about the upcoming shoot to her kids.

  Walk though what will happen (“We will be getting dressed up. You will be wearing your red shirt and blue jeans. When we get there, she will have a camera and she will want to take pictures of you feeling happy.”) I find the more the child has heard about what is coming up, the easier it is to settle into the routine.

  4) Speak calmly.

  There might be some children who need you to be boisterous, but starting calmly will prevent an accidental overwhelming of the child. Lots of sensitivities to sounds, social situations, new situations, etc. So easing into the situation is a great way to go. Talking calmly and softly, using natural light where possible, and going at a slower pace is a great way to earn the child’s trust.

  5) Reward liberally.

  Ask mom to bring some of the child’s favorite motivators. It could be fish crackers, M&Ms, etc. When things are going well, let the child know how pleased you are and give rewards.

  6) Enlist the rest of the family.

  Explain to mom and dad and the rest of the kids that you are relying on all of them to do doing what they need to be doing so that the second the child with autism is looking, you can get that shot. Make sure they know that they are so important to you and that you are partners with them in getting this done. (Mom and dad are often the ones who need the most reminding! They want to look at their child and admonish them often and so when the child is looking, mom is looking off and talking. Oops!)

  7) Practice head-swapping.

  Ha ha. I know, I know, but it can really help reduce your stress if you know you can combine the best couple shots into one amazing image.

  8) Embrace the fact that sometimes...

  setting up a shot where eye-contact is not needed can be easier on everyone and give you a beautiful window into reality.  I often have to get those shots where my boys are not looking right into the eyes of others or into the camera.  It's not comfortable for them and it can be hard to coordinate them looking into the camera for long periods of time.  But some of my favorite images are the final shots from these situations.

  I know that lots of people love the images of everyone interacting, but often an image with everyone looking is what people think they are after. So being able to even create that in post is a great skill to have.   We have a super tutorial on head swapping on our YouTube page!

   

  

• 
  Top Ten Things Pure Can't Live Without

  There are thousands of things out there for photographers to consider purchasing.  A lot of them are fantastic.  But for Crystal and I, these are Pure's Top Ten things we CANNOT live without.  

  In no particular order:

  * means that the link is an affiliate link.  At no additional cost to you, if you purchase something from that link, we get a small commission.  We ONLY recommend products we use and love.  NONE of these companies have asked us to write about them or post their products.  In fact, I am sure most of them don't even know who we are.  ;) We are only posting about them, because we use and love their products weekly, if not daily.

  1)  Pixieset.  Delivering clients images is easy and stylish.  We upload to Pixieset, and the client can easily download their sessions or share with family members and friends who might want a photo or two also.  We can set print prices, and we can easily sell prints that way.  Digital images are critical for wedding photography and Pixieset delivers.  Their price is excellent too.  We use the paid version so that we have total control over the settings for our clients and have enough storage, but there are even free options for you to try out first.

   

  2)  A Black Rapid camera strap--*  Having our cameras hanging around our necks was quickly out for long weddings.  Neck and shoulders ached by the end, and it was not practical for shooting two cameras.  Enter the Black Rapid (especially the DUO strap.)  The camera slides along the strap on both sides of the body and hangs on the hip.  Practical and convenient.  Do make sure that you check the D-ring for tightness often.

  

  3)  A Good Camera Bag (or two)--So sometimes we just need a couple of lenses and one camera body (births are a good example of having to travel light and not be a significant presence), and sometimes we need the WHOLE kit.  What bags to Crystal and I use?  For small bags, we love both the JoTote line of bags (we have some that are over six years old and are still in perfect shape, despite being dragged to every wedding stuffed with flashes*, Gary Fong Diffusers*, and triggers and batteries*) and the Copper River Bags.  Copper River Bags are almost bullet proof with thick leather and a more rugged design that works for men or women and have a lovely and unique styling.  (Mine doubles as my purse and has for over 5 years and it still looks almost new, and it is my top travel/vacation camera bag.)  

  For a larger bag, Rachel uses the ThinkTank Airport*.  It is small enough to stand up in the overhead bin, so travel is simple.  Crystal has the slightly larger LowPro that fits a few more flashes and nine lenses.

  4)  Cactus V6 Flash Triggers--*  We have used almost EVERY radio flash trigger on the market.  We have spent thousands and thousands of dollars, so you don't have to.  We moved up from Cactus v2 to Cactus v5, and now we just started moving up to v6, and we are obsessed.  We have used other brands of triggers between each version, thinking that with the higher price tag, we would be getting more reliability.  However, we found we got less reliability compared to the Cactus triggers.  We use a four light wedding reception set up, often a light or two for bridal sessions, and trigger strobes in the studio, so we need reliable triggers.  The V6 allows you to use groups, set flash power from the transmitter, set channels, etc.  They are transceivers, which means you can use them as triggers or receivers as needed.  This is so fantastic.  Another amazing perk is that they work with both Canon and Nikon.  Crystal and I shoot Canon, but sometimes our 2nd shooters, shoot Nikon.  We can pop one of these babies on their cameras, and they can trigger our Canon flashes!  How cool is that?!!

  We were able to get eight triggers for a little over $400.  Fantastic for getting all of our reception lighting and letting both Crystal and I have a trigger or two.  These little babies make us look awesome with our light control.

  

  5) Fong Light Diffusers--*  Particularly the collapsible ones.  We use these on our four flashes at receptions.  They are small and easily carried, excellent for travel.  They throw the light out and if there are color casts on the ceiling the cap keeps the flash from spreading that color to all the wedding guests.  While it does eat power (and by extension, it eats batteries faster), we feel the way it makes out light look is a worthy trade-off. 

  

  6)  Millers--We adore Millers for prints and albums.  They make us look GOOD.  Their turnaround time is so fast you'd swear they were are printing your stuff in your backyard.  The deep matte prints are so beautiful they make my soul ache a little. It is wonderful to see your image prints the way you see it captured in your mind.  Their customer service is top-notch.  Millers is printing done right.

  7)  A good large reflector/diffuser--*  These suckers are not your typical round affairs that are maybe a foot or two tall.  No, these are big oval monsters that are taller than we are.  They unzip and have a fantastic diffusion panel inside that allows you to temper harsh sunlight, which is critical during noon formals for sunny summer weddings.  They also make amazing fill light in the studio, reflect beautifully indoors and out, and are pretty legit impromptu changing booths if Crystal and I each hold one or two around a client.  SO much multitasking.

  

  8)  A great contract--We love the contracts from Rachel Brenke.  Having a good solid contract gives your client an understanding of what to expect from you (managing client expectation is critical to a good experience), and it protects both you and your client from legal issues.  It will outline what you will provide and what your client will give you in return.  It outlines what you will and will not do.  Going to a session or wedding without a contract is about on par to going without clothes.

  9)  Lightroom/Adobe Camera RAW--Post-processing photos is just what happens.  In the film era, you would not hand over your rolls of film to your client and call it a day.  Rather, you would bring them to the darkroom and choose chemicals and processed to develop them.  You would dodge and burn.  You would bring your vision alive even further with your post processes.  It is no different in the digital age.  Processing the RAW files is important.  Making sure you lift the digital haze of your images, correct any possible faults that happened during capture, and then putting your spin on the images is a critical part of being a Photographer.  Lightroom and Adobe Camera RAW allow for quick edits, batch processing, and quick export and file renaming.  This is a critical step for the efficient photographer.  (Bonus points for OUR presets to get you from point A to done in record time!)

  10)  Photoshop!--Cloning, healing, and specialized edits require Photoshop.  Lightroom/Camera RAW/Photoshop all go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly.  Editing skin in Lightroom is a tricky process at best.  Removing unwanted items is liable to make a saint curse.  But Photoshop makes short work of all of the above and allows your creative vision to shine through.  And again...we're pretty partial to our actions.  

   

  
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• 
  The Magic of Working as a Team

   

  Peanut butter and jelly. Batman and Robin. Chocolate and Vanilla. Laurel and Hardy. Mickey and Donald. Thelma and Louise. Mario and Luigi.

  We all know good things come in pairs, and working as a photographer is no exception to that rule.

  One of the things we get quizzed about most often in relation to Pure is the fact that Crystal and I (Rachel) work together as a team. We shoot a vast amount of our sessions together, and work at the business end together too. It's a mysterious and inviting concept to many. And people are always curious how it works for us and if it could work for them too. Since I am not a legal expert, this won't be an extensive legal how-to on the workings of business partnerships. Rather it will be an overview of how it's worked out for Crystal

  Crystal and I met in 2008 on a ParentsPlace message board for expecting moms. We both had a love of photography and were dabbling in part time photography businesses. We were still learning a lot of the business part and were both at a point where we were trying to decide what to do with our businesses.

  We finally got the chance to shoot together at a bridal session and something clicked. We realized we shot a lot better together. We had more fun, we felt more relaxed and that translated into more relaxed clients and better images too. So one shoot together, turned into a wedding we shot together, which turned into more and more things we shot together. Eventually, we stopped formally inviting the other to shoots and started to call and see if the other was booked before scheduling a client.

  Slowly our businesses melded into one and Pure was born. (Ok, ok, so we went through a few name changes before we landed on Pure, but you get what we mean.)

  So, what do we get out of team shooting?

  We're mainly wedding and family photographers, and the parlance in the wedding industry is often centered on "second shooters." That's not actually how we roll. When we shoot, we both are main shooters. No one is THE shooter and no one is secondary and relegated to an eternity of table shots.

  So what does that mean? It means that we are able to divide and conquer. While one person is doing all the pre-wedding detail shots, the other is with the bride and her dad doing dad seeing his little girl in her wedding dress for the first time, or groom with his daughter or niece or bride and her mom. While one is doing ring shots and reception details, the other is getting formal groups. All important details, but we can give each one more attention and focus.

  
  
  

   

   

   

  The above images were captured at roughly the same time in the wedding day. Using all that good light as efficiently as possible!

  But if the situation arises and there is a very large group or a lot of small children, then having someone shoot large group shots and someone getting everyone's attention, posing quickly, and making sure everyone in the shot looks there best is wonderful. A group's attention for group shots is not very long, so having two people getting things done is perfect.

  In those situations where we are shooting together at weddings, or in regular client sessions where we shoot together, how does it help? We generally have at least 3 cameras on us at all times. Sometimes 4. Rachel shoots 2 cameras most of the time. So we try to have multiple focal lengths, and then we simply choose different angles, different focal lengths, and different light to tell the same story. So our clients get so many more choices to choose from (and eventually buy) with team shooting.

  Below are a few examples of nearly the same moment, but wildly different images resulting. So much choice for clients!

  
   

   
  These shots are also at almost the same moment, but give the client vastly different experiences they can relate to.  You will notice how we are shooting with different lenses and focal lengths. 

   

  

   

   

  This can be invaluable for shooting things like first looks for brides.  Again, almost the same moment, but a completely different perspective.

  We've found that being able to offer such rich and varied galleries to clients has helped us to sell more album pages, ask a higher price for sessions, and sell more images.  Our word-of-mouth is pretty good too, because we underpromise, but really overdeliver.

  Ok, ok, so you can get a lot of shots with two shooters.  Good good, but you could probably get a second for some of that.  (Though I would argue that you would have a hard time getting such reliability in that situation.)  What ELSE does it help with?

  Crystal and Rachel have fairly different, but compatible personalities.  Crystal is creative and enthusiastic.  She embraces the fact she is loud!  She's funny and very friendly and loves to make raucous jokes.  Rachel is a little more cerebral.  She's the technical nut and tends to like a little more dry humor.  What works amazingly in this situation is that clients come in all shapes, sizes, and personality types too.  So while one couple or client might warm right to Crystal, another feels very at home with Rachel, and so that tends to be how we choose who will lead in the situations where someone in obviously in charge as we shoot.  The team member that the clients feels most comfortable with is the one who typically leads out.  It helps us easily and naturally tailor the client's experience with us.

  Another amazing benefit we will tout constantly when people ask us about team shooting is how much we can grow in a short amount of time.  Working with someone gives you instant feedback.  We brainstorm together, we troubleshoot together, we critique each other and we provide ideas.  We can come to the shoot with ideas and if something is not working the way we think it should, we can quickly troubleshoot problematic things.  I think half of the reason that we have been able to continue refining our signature lighting styles is because there are two of us.  In the beginning, when something was not going as planned, one would be able to keep shooting and keep all the balls in the air, while the other stayed back and tweaked the lights until they worked.  It was not a situation where we would have to junk an idea just because some little thing popped up.

   

   

   

  Above is a situation where the flashes were not quite working, so we got a safe shot and Rachel kept shooting the getting ready while Crystal tinkered with the flashes and got them working just right so we could give our images that perfect polish we want to be known for.

  One of my favorite stories of the benefits of team shooting and troubleshooting happened when we were shooting a small wedding at a beautiful outdoor enclosed pavilion.  The front was a very large floor to ceiling window and Crystal went out to get a shot of the party from outside of the window to give the album a sense of place and document the venue better.  There was a small step down out the door that was almost imperceptible and tripped up quite a few guests that night.  As Crystal was walking out looking at her camera and changing settings for the outdoor shot, she lost her footing and fell face first (and CAMERA first!) to the pavement.  She got up, very shaken.  She tried to take a shot and her camera would not focus.  She came back into the reception quite upset by the fall.  She showed Rachel the camera and Rachel quickly realized, in her non-shaken by a surprise fall mind, that the switch that turned off the auto focus on the lens had been switched to manual in the fall and that switching it back fixed the situation.  It seems simple but having that second pair of eyes and second mind is often invaluable.

  Another amazing benefit is that there is simply less overall pressure.  Less pressure to get a million epic shots per wedding.  (Yep, I only have to get HALF a million, right?)  Less pressure to edit a million images.  Sure we both edit and deliver a ton, but to give a very impressive representation, it takes a lot less stress from both of us.  We can focus on the story as we see it and edit our favorite shots.  Even if one of us feels a session or wedding was a little more ho-hum, the fact we both were looking for creative angles, lighting, focal lengths, poses, framing and whatnot to tell the story means that there is usually a pretty cool story there.

  And finally we have found that creativity begets creativity.  Sounds basic, I know.  But when we start brainstorming, it is amazing to see how one idea from one person starts another idea from the other, which gets spun in a completely different direction by the original person, and on and on.  Sometimes the trouble we have is not that there are too MANY of us in the team, it is that we need more manpower to help fuel all of our original and awesome ideas that come out of different creative minds working together.

  These are just a few of our whys.  Next time I will start writing about the hows of our partnership.   How do we divide work, who edits, etc.  Would there be interest in a follow up like that?

   

   

• 
  Law 101: Protecting Your Art--by Rachel Brenke

  We are so so pleased to have photography law and business guru, Rachel Brenke as a guest blogger. Her knowledge is so very valuable and we are grateful to have her sharing her insights on how to run a safe business and how to protect the art you create.

  Law 101: Protecting Your Art
  Rachel Brenke, Esq

   

  With the onslaught of social media and digital files/products comes the true reality that ethics and law are not always followed. In fact, while ignorance is no excuse, often the masses are misinformed as to what is allowed in the digital age. The most prominent issues photographers face include the illegal downloading (or screen capture) of unpurchased photographs for print, sharing of digital items, stealing of photographs to pad portfolio and posting of another’s work as an example to clients.

  What if I want to share someone else’s picture for inspiration?

  There has been a recent trend where photographers have taken to sharing photographs of photographers that inspire them to demonstrate to the clients their vision for an upcoming session. This has been done through sharing on social media sites including pinning on Pinterest. There is a grey area of danger in this sharing as it is misleading to the client, often done without permission of photographer, and many times the proper credit is not attributed. When in doubt, don’t share it. When in doubt, don’t pin it.
  All photographers should look to others that provide inspiration, but if you’d like to collect an inspiration board of other photographers ensure it is specifically labeled as separate from your own work and/or create another profile.

  What can I do to protect myself?

  Stealing is such a nasty word but that is what it is. Whenever clients download files from the website without permission it is stealing. Whenever a photographer claims another’s work as their own it is stealing. There are a few different ways to protect yourself. Sometimes it is simply a grey area of sharing a photograph, even with appropriate credit, or another photographer using the same business name or tag line. There are several options for protecting yourself and your business.

  One option is that of a trademark or copyright. Trademarking is the act of identifying and distinguishing the source of goods of one party from that of another (i.e. words, phrases, designs, symbols, etc.). Copyright is the protection an artist has over “original works of authorship”. Both of these are tools to protect yourself, however, must be distinguished to understand whether you are protected or need to take action. Ownership of copyright for a photograph is created at the time the photograph is created. Trademarking is not acquired until submitted formally through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Link to Trademark Office: http://www.uspto.gov/
  Copyright is typically done for photographs (although no formal process required) while trademarking is typically done to reserve your company name, logo, catch phrase or slogan.

  The second option is to embed copyright in your photograph/product. This can be done in the processing program of choice. The following pictures are how to embed copyright/ownership information into the photograph. This will sometimes work to prevent labs from printing these files outside the guidelines embedded in the photograph’s data.

  #1 Open Picture
  #2 File > File Info
  #3 Enter Info
  #4 Click OK

   

  
  

  
  

  The third option is to watermark your photographs. Simply placing a watermark on the photograph may deter some individuals. This option, by itself, does not fully protect you nor keep others from stealing. Just as social media is in every house, editing programs are increasingly common, making the tools to remove a watermark readily accessible.

  The fourth option is to include your information and copyright information on picture captions whenever uploaded to the Internet. This, again, isn’t full protection but may deter or remind individuals of the copyright laws.

  The final option, which is primarily for clients, is to provide a Copyright Informational Card with their order as a gentle reminder of copyright laws and your reproduction guidelines.

  What if they continue to violate my copyright?

  The most simple answer, ask them to stop. Many times clients are unaware their actions violate your policies and copyright, despite being outlined in the signed photography agreement. Citing the appropriate copyright law and policies in a politely written communication will often encourage someone to cease their actions, especially if they were “unaware” that what they are doing is wrong. If this communication fails to achieve this a formal writing of a Cease and Desist letter may be required. These can be written informally by simply citing the actions, citing the appropriate copyright laws, demanding they quit these actions, providing consequences for failure to comply, and institute a deadline. An alternative is to utilize an attorney drafted Cease and Desist form and/or hire an attorney.

  Cease and Desist
  

  No matter the method of protection you choose, be true to yourself and your business. Inform others, inform yourself. This does you, others and the photography industry a great service.

   

  Rachel Brenke

   

  
  

  Rachel Brenke is a photographer, lawyer, business consultant and social media marketing strategist based out of El Paso, Texas.  She has helped over a thousand photographers start up, market and maintain their businesses through online eWorkshops, 1:1 consulting and the free resources on her blog. She also has contracts for photographers that were designed for photographers by a photographer and attorney!

  Snag your free copy her free Legal Lens eBook by Rachel Brenke.

  Note: These legal tips are based on United States legal principles. Please seek out advice for your country.