I love being your Richmond Hill Photographer. And while we do focus on the importance and legacy of prints, we do offer digital files. We get it, digital files are important to many people and we are happy to include them in our product guide. Oftentimes there are questions and myths that surround the purchase of said digital files. Hopefully this article will help answer some of those questions.
The digital images that a photographer hands over to you are part of their life’s work. Those photographs have the photographer’s name and/or branding so there are a few important restrictions to note when it comes to any professional digital images that you receive.
1) Copyright. The digital images that your photographer provides you with have a copyright, which means the photographer owns those images and has the option to use those photographs to market their work and services anytime in the future. MMP is respectful of our clients though, so if there are any images that you would prefer to keep private, it’s best to let us know about it ahead of time so that we can honor your wishes.
Copyright and print release are not the same thing. With the purchase of digital files, most photographers will provide you with a print release. This document gives you permission to print those files for your personal use, but the photographer still retains ownership of said files.
2) Image type. We aren’t able to provide you with the original files or RAW images. Handing over a RAW file would be like going to a restaurant and the chef handing you all the ingredients instead of preparing the dish himself. 😉 All images given to our clients have been fully edited, cropped, and prepared for printing.
3) Image altering. While we appreciate your business and LOVE the sharing of our photos on social media platforms, we ask that images not be altered in any way as this is against our copyright policies (and most other photographers’ policies as well).
What constitutes image altering?
- Adding filters or editing photos in Photoshop
- Removing our logo or studio name
- Color correcting or including transitions from color to black and white
- Clipping people or objects out of the original shot
So why do photographers have this as a restriction? Our photos are a representation of our work so when a customer alters an image it directly impacts our name and brand in the industry. When we present you with final images, they have already been through our editing process and don’t require further alterations. When images are altered, the results are not always reflective of our original work and can then be mistaken for ours. We greatly appreciate your loyalty and cooperation in this matter.
Besides, we figure you chose us for our beautiful style, unparalleled customer service and impeccable branding anyway, why would you want to mess with that? <3
Thank you for supporting MMP and other locally owned small businesses. We exist because of you!
