If you’re the proud new owner of a DX-format camera like the Nikon D3500 or D5600, congratulations! The fun is just beginning. We’ve got some ideas for your next lens purchase when you’re ready to expand your kit.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Canon DSLRs like the EOS SL3 (EOS 250D in many countries) or T7 (EOS 2000D) are great entry points into the world of interchangeable lens cameras. If you’ve just acquired one of these or another APS-C Canon DSLR, here are some suggestions for your next lens purchase.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Meeting experienced and amateur photographers from around the world gives you the opportunity to expand your skill set, whilst getting inspiration for your future projects. A great way to do this is by participating in photography events and competitions. Fortunately, there are countless photography events around the world for you to choose from. If you’re new to the photography scene, Continue Reading
The post 15 Global Photography Events You Should Participate In appeared first on Photodoto.
The post Why You Should Photograph Like a Movie Director When You Travel appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.
Part of the movie director’s job is to visualize the screenplay. They must imagine how the story will be told visually. The fulfillment of this task depends entirely on the director’s creative expression.
Travel photographers often seek to tell a story with their pictures. Doing this can enhance the documentation of their journeys. This can be helped by using some techniques movie directors use to achieve their goals. One of the most effective methods of clear visual storytelling is to incorporate three different types of photograph:
I often encourage photographers who take part in our photography workshops to imagine they are a location scout for a movie. Alternatively, think like a reportage photographer working for a magazine editor.
Task yourself with capturing a range of images. Aim to portray each different travel location you visit clearly. One of the best ways to do this is including wide, medium, and close-up photos. You want people who have never been where you are to form a clear picture of the location. What it looked like and what the atmosphere there felt like.
Including only wide-angle photos gives an overall impression, but misses the details. Close-ups could be taken anywhere and will lack a sense of location. Medium photos can show some action and some amount of detail. Often they will not provide a broader awareness of the place.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
Seek to include as much relevant detail about the location as you can. In movies, this is known as an establishing view.
Pick places to stand where you can see a lot of what interests you about the place. Think about what is unique or iconic in this area. Include these elements in your pictures.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
In the photo above, I wanted to include some of the hand carts the porters at Muang Mai Markets in Chiang Mai use. They are very recognizable as part of daily life there. By incorporating a few of them in this wide photo, I have helped emphasize the location. People who’ve visited this market will more easily recognize it.
People who haven’t been there will get a clear impression these wire baskets on wheels are very much part of the place.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
Capturing an effective wide photo when there’s limited space to work in can be challenging. Sometimes you’ll need to put on your widest lens and back yourself into a corner.
You don’t always need to capture the entire scene. When you can, try and include a feature in your photo. In the picture above, I composed it focusing on the vendor in red and included the street in front of her stall.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
Looking for an overhead vantage point you can stand on is often helpful, if you can find one. Getting up above the location provides an interesting alternative perspective.
Medium photos will show more general action, but not necessarily give an idea of the broader location. Typically, these compositions will feature one main element and some surroundings.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
This could be the entrance of a building and some of the frontage, but not the whole structure. It might be a car parked in the street, filling most of the frame and giving little clue as to where it is. It may be a vendor selling something at a market, but it could be a market anywhere.
This type of photo helps build a narrative. To make photos with the most meaning, concentrate on what appeals to you. Think about why, and capture that aspect as best you can in your photos.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
Depending on the location you are covering in your travel story, you may want to include more medium photos than wide or close-ups. Medium compositions include enough detail and one central focus. They are a balance between wide photos with lots of general information and close-ups which include plenty of detail.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
People often omit or take too few close-up photos when they travel. Close-up compositions can provide so much information that can be glossed over in wide and medium photos.
Again, look for what you find most attractive and photograph those things. This way, your pictures will contain more meaning and feeling.
During the workshop sessions we have at the local markets in Chiang Mai, many people love to get close-ups of chilis. I think it might have something to do with them being such a major ingredient in Thai cuisine as well as their lovely shape and color.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
Getting in tight to your subject, you can often find wonderful patterns. You can also isolate color and make your entire composition a single hue.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
Does focal length matter when you photograph like a movie director when traveling? Not so much. I often use my beloved 35mm f/1.4 lens for wide, medium and close-up photos. I don’t often carry a lens longer than my 105mm. It’s all a matter of where you stand and how close you get.
Both of the close-up photos above I took with my 35mm lens, as were a number of others I’ve used to illustrate this article. Don’t be constrained by the norms. You can use a long lens to capture a wide scene. Sometimes this works particularly well because a longer lens compresses perspective more. This can create a sense of place in a different way than a wide-angle lens will.
If you’re in a tight spot where’s there’s not much space to back up, you will often need a wide lens. You can also use a wide lens for medium photos. Just get in closer. This will produce more intimate photos than you’ll capture using a longer lens. It also adds character to your image selection.
Next time you’re taking a journey, or even photographing your kid’s birthday party or soccer game, photograph like a movie director by thinking about these three types of photos. Cover the event or location as best you can by incorporating a good mix of them into your final selection. Doing this, you’ll be narrating your visual story in a clear and interesting manner.
Do you photograph like a movie director when you travel or do any type of photography? Do you have any tips or stories you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments.
The post Why You Should Photograph Like a Movie Director When You Travel appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.
The post Why You Should Hire a Professional Photographer appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.
Photography is more accessible now than ever. Advances in technology – particularly mobile phone cameras – have made it possible for almost anyone to create the type of art that would have been entirely out of reach a decade ago. However, there are still some situations that are best suited by hiring a professional photographer.
It’s like doing a DIY project: you might have a garage full of tools and some experience under your belt, but if you really want to get the job done right, you need to call in a pro.
So why should you hire a professional photographer?
Before getting too far, I want to make sure I don’t give the wrong impression. Most of the time, you probably don’t need to hire a professional photographer to get good pictures. But, there are situations where you and your gear just can’t quite cut it.
Even people who shoot photos for a living need to hire a professional photographer from time to time! There are plenty of reasons for putting your own camera aside and asking a professional to deliver the results you need.
While it’s true that almost any camera today can produce outstanding results, great photos are about more than just a camera. Professionals know this, which is why their websites and social media posts aren’t about what cameras they have or what accessories they use.
A professional photographer understands concepts like lighting, locations, and editing and how to use them to make the types of images that stand head and shoulders above what most people can get.
This isn’t just two kids on a bridge. There’s a lot of education, research, practice, and refinement that made this picture possible.
I recently did a photo shoot at a picturesque location in my town. Even though I had done many sessions at this same park, I made sure to arrive early to ensure I had everything in order. When the clients arrived, one of them really wanted to take pictures at a popular spot. I listened to him and assured him we could get some shots there, but I had another place in mind to start with.
The place he had in mind was virtually unusable due to harsh overhead sunlight. I had preselected another location nearby with great colors and much more even lighting and recommended we start there first.
After we got plenty of shots that I was sure would be winners, we went to the place the client suggested and took some more pictures. Once there, I made sure to put everyone in the shade of a large oak tree to evenly light them.
Then, through careful editing of the RAW files in Lightroom, I achieved some pretty solid photos.
I have seen this happen time and time again with similar results. For most people lighting and composition, not to mention technical settings like aperture size and shutter speed, aren’t really things they notice or even know about.
Professionals are keenly aware of these factors that can add layers of complication to the simple act of taking a picture. They know how to deal with them, how to plan accordingly, and how to improvise when necessary to get the best results.
This type of thought process doesn’t automatically happen with the purchase of a camera. It takes years of experience, including learning from mistakes and failures, to get things right. Anyone can learn these skills but it takes time and dedication. In the meantime, if you’re someone who just wants to get great photos it can be worth it to hire a professional photographer.
I knew right where to stand, what camera settings to use, and how to look for the light in order to get this picture at an engagement session.
A mobile phone can take good shots on Portrait Mode, but it won’t help you know where to stand to get the best lighting, a pleasing background, and bring out your best smile.
Professionals photographers can do all of this and much more.
One analogy that works well here is cooking. Anyone can look through a cookbook, buy some ingredients, spend a bit of time in the kitchen, and end up with a meal that tastes pretty good.
Professional chefs take the same ingredients and produce culinary creations that delight your taste buds and challenge your notions of consuming food. It’s not a matter of having the ingredients, but knowing just what to do with them in a way that no cookbook or YouTube video can explain.
Experience counts with cooking, and it also matters with photography.
This picture might seem simple, but getting what the clients wanted was no easy task. It required knowledge of lighting, posing, exposure settings, and even a ten-foot ladder.
There’s a popular saying in photography: The best camera is the one you have with you. That’s true to a certain extent, but if your goal is to get a specific type of photo, there are certain cameras, lenses, flashes, and other gear that are best suited to the task. These often cost thousands of dollars and can be the difference between images that are adequate and awesome.
Consider the 70-200 f/2.8 lens. These are expensive, heavy, and impractical for casual individuals who enjoy snapshots with their phones. And while you could spend the equivalent of a few month’s rent or car payments on one of these lenses, you might be better off forking over a fraction of that amount to a professional instead.
A photo like this is simply not possible with a cell phone or a basic kit lens.
This lens is just one example out of many, but the point is, professional photographers have researched the right gear for the job. It’s similar to how many people have a basic toolset at home. However, a professional mechanic has a garage full of specific sockets and drivers, as well as impact wrenches and other tools that are ideally suited to specific tasks.
Some people can probably do a basic oil change in their driveway, but serious work requires serious knowledge and an expensive set of tools to match.
The same is true for photography. When you want pictures that make you and your loved ones look your best, it sometimes takes expensive high-end gear to make it happen. And professional photographers have just the right camera gear to get it done.
There’s a line in the 1999 movie Office Space that really hits home for photographers. It’s during an exchange between Stan, the manager of a restaurant called Tchotchkes and one of his servers.
“People can get a cheeseburger anywhere,” he says. “But they come to Tchotchkes for the atmosphere and the attitude.”
The scene is meant to be somewhat satirical, but Stan’s mantra rings true for photography.
Anyone can take a camera, point it at a subject, press the shutter, and end up with some good pictures. They might even be great pictures. But when you hire a professional photographer, you are not only getting photographs, but an entire experience to go along with it.
Photographers create fun, energetic, exciting events that go far beyond simply providing a photo to hang on the wall or share online. I know photographers who have been shooting the same clients for over a decade because their sessions are about creating, not just images, but memories.
I spent an evening doing photos for a family several years ago. When the mother brings it up now, she talks not just about the pictures, but how much fun they all had during the photo session.
Professional photographers create experiences that clients will share with friends and family. When people talk about photos from a session, wedding, or important event, they talk about the photographer almost as much as the photos!
They share stories of how the photographer made their kids laugh, treated people with respect and kindness, listened to their requests, and made them feel like the most important people in the world.
These are the kind of experiences that get people coming back to professional photographers. Moreover, it’s something that holding a mobile phone on a selfie stick can’t replicate.
On the flip side, when people have a bad experience related to service, they will often share that with others even more than a positive experience. Professional photographers know this, which is why they take great care to pay attention to their clients, create memorable photography sessions, and keep them coming back for years on end.
This young woman wanted to bring her dogs to her senior photo shoot. It was a lot of fun! We all had a good time, even the four-legged furry friends.
I’ve seen people balk at the price of a professional photography session, and I completely understand that reaction. It can seem impractical or downright silly to spend anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars on a professional photographer.
That money could pay for a lot of camera gear, and even some educational courses to help you learn how to use it! But there’s a reason people pay that kind of money for professional photos, and you will probably be pleasantly surprised at the value you really get for your money.
The same couple from the engagement photo above. They enjoyed the session so much they asked me to shoot maternity photos two years later.
What about you? What kind of experiences have you had with professional photographers? Hopefully, you walked away from your photo sessions feeling like you got a great value for your money. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Why You Should Hire a Professional Photographer appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.
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The holidays are right around the corner, and if you plan to send out cards or make prints as gifts you’re probably in the midst of figuring out where to get your photos printed. There seem to be more options than ever when it comes to online printing services, which makes choosing one a bit overwhelming.
So to figure out what service you should use, we tested out five popular online printing companies and assessed them based on their ease of service, price, turnaround time and most importantly, print consistency/paper quality.
We placed an order for three 8×10 and three 4×6 prints on the same day (October 23rd) from Snapfish, Amazon, Shutterfly, MPix, and Printique (formerly known as AdoramaPix). We used the automatic ‘smart crop’ feature on each website when preparing the prints and, when it was possible, requested that the image be printed on Lustre paper. All prints were shipped with the economy shipping option.
After receiving and assessing our prints, the service you should use this holiday season is…
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We recommend ordering your holiday prints from either Printique or MPix. These companies had the most consistent results and were the truest representation of the digital files that we uploaded. |
Although all of the print services are fairly easy to use, the winners are pretty clear. Based on our print orders we would gladly recommend ordering from Printique or MPix. These companies had the most consistent color results, the best paper quality and were the most true to the digital files that we had uploaded through the sites. They aren’t the cheapest options on the list, but they are also not the most expensive – at $ 16.72 (Printique) and $ 13.96 (MPix), they both fell in the mid-range level in terms of pricing. MPix did offer a nice 25% discount on our order and it arrived a few days before the order from Printiques. But we preferred Printique’s overall photo/paper quality.
Now let’s take a closer look at each of these print services including the process of ordering, the speed of delivery, the condition prints arrived and the overall quality of our purchase. First up is Printique…
*FULL DISCLOSURE: DPReview.com is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon but is editorially independent of our parent company.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post Why You Should Prioritize Spending on Experience Before Gear appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.
So, why should you prioritize spending on experience before gear? Yearning for new equipment is something that almost all of us, as photographers, go through. For some of us, that desire for the newest and shiniest camera body or lens is near-constant. By now, you should know that new equipment will have little effect on improving your photography. This is, after all, one of the most talked-about subjects in photography circles. Most of that talk, however, tends to suggest that you shouldn’t spend any more money on your photography. I disagree with that.
You should spend money on your photography. I would even go as far as to say that you should spend every penny you can afford. With a few exceptions (what’s a macro photographer without a macro lens?), your money is better spent elsewhere than it is on new equipment.
New toys with lots of features are fun, but they are not the be-all, end-all; nor should they be the goal.
I’m not one to say that new and shiny equipment should be out of the question. Sometimes it’s a must.
That new and wonderful camera body, lens or light might:
Experience. The act of getting out and putting your skills to use over and over again is far more valuable than any new piece of kit.
The only tried and true way to become a better photographer is to get experience in being a photographer. It’s really as simple as that. Go out, boots on the ground, batteries charged, memory card loaded, and take photos. Evaluate, go out, and take some more. Rinse, lather, and repeat ad infinitum.
Sure, along the way, you will need to take on new information and learn new skills that you will then add to your repertoire through (you guessed it) experience.
This is where my thought process diverges from those who tell you that you don’t need to spend money at all. If the only way to get better at photography is through experience, then where do you reckon I would suggest that you put the money you might have spent on that new lens that you don’t really need? Experience. It’s always experience.
Do you want to get good at landscapes? Pick a location and go on an extended camping trip and design the experience so you can do little else but concentrate on your photography.
For landscapes, sometimes just a trip a couple of hours away is all you need and it won’t cost you much.
Do you want to get good in a studio environment? Go out and hire a studio.
I can’t speak for all areas, but in my area, most photographers who hire out their studio are more than happy to lend a hand to beginners who hire their space.
Studio photography requires a lot of practice. To get better, you need to be practicing as much as possible. When you’re renting/hiring a space, you often don’t have to have the equipment yourself.
Do you want to be a travel photographer? Use the gear you have and spend as much as you can on traveling to the places you need.
Do you want to be a fashion photographer? Spend as much as you can on hiring stylists, makeup artists and models.
Repeat that formula for any genre of photography that you’re interested in.
If you want to fast track the process, you always have the option of workshops or one-to-one tuitions. Do you need to do this? No, absolutely not, but sometimes it is a lot more effective to get the first-hand experience with someone who is already able to get the results that you are after.
Careful planning meant that I was able to spend eight days on a camping trip to work on landscapes for around $ 100.
Sure, some things that you may want to photograph will cost a lot more than that $ 3000 camera body that you desperately want.
For example, travel can be expensive. As long as we’re not talking African safaris though, you can still do a lot of travel with that kind of money.
I once flew from Reykjavik to Baltimore for $ 90. As long as you hedge your expectations and plan meticulously, you might be surprised by what you can achieve within a limited budget.
Yes? Good. Close/put down the spec sheet for the new offering from Canon/Sony/Nikon/Fuji, book a studio, book a trip or just go outside and start taking photos.
They’re probably going to be bad.
Good. Figure out why, then start the process from the beginning, over and over again. Maybe, eventually, you’ll find yourself in a situation where you absolutely have to have that fancy lens that costs more than a good used car, but probably not. So prioritize experience before gear!
The post Why You Should Prioritize Spending on Experience Before Gear appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.
The post Why Every Photographer Should be a Teacher appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.
I love teaching photography – it helps me to be a better photographer as well as those I teach. Every photographer should be a teacher at some point.
Many photographers, including myself, are largely self-taught. This does not mean learning new techniques and methods from someone more advanced than us is not welcome.
Modern life affords you endless resources to become self-taught in many subjects. Certain professions require an academic degree, photography does not. Becoming a doctor or engineer would be impossible without formal education. To learn photography all you need to do is get online and start reading and watching videos. Most of it you can even do for free.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
Aspects of learning that require a teacher include: receiving clear instruction in person. Having the opportunity to ask and have your questions answered, and being challenged about specifics at your personal level of learning.
Everyone can become a competent teacher. You will always know at least a little more than someone else. Even if you’ve only learned what you believe is a little. You are capable of sharing what you know in a unique way. Your knowledge and experience will be appreciated by someone.
© Pansa Landwer-Johan
Whatever level of photography you are at, you’ll always be able to find someone who knows less than you. Or someone who does things differently than you. Connecting with people who appreciate your willingness to share is important. It’s practically impossible to teach someone who does not want to learn.
Even complete novices can teach each other through practical experience. Going out with another photographer provides you opportunities to talk about the photos you’re taking. Because we all have a unique view of the world, we all see things differently. Sharing this with others can help us become more skilled with our cameras.
More advanced photographers are usually more capable of teaching those with less experience. Having a positive and encouraging attitude towards each other helps. I never tell people they are doing something wrong, instead, I prefer to teach them how to make improvements to what they are doing.
Making yourself available and reaching out to those with less experience is a good first step. Building a relationship of trust will encourage the learning process. Once your students know you’ll not lambast them for an incorrect exposure or out of focus subject, they’ll be more open to learning from you.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
Before I run a workshop, I like to see a selection of photos from people who will attend. This gives me a pretty good idea of how they like to use their cameras. It often provides me with a pretty good idea of how to teach them.
I like asking questions, and I love it when people ask me questions. This is a huge part of the learning process. Establishing how a person uses their camera, and what they prefer to photograph, helps me know where to start teaching.
Asking questions and looking at the photos of someone you are teaching makes the whole interaction more personal. It also makes the experience much more practical.
Don’t only look at the best photos someone has taken. Ask to see some recent pictures they’ve made that have disappointed them. Even if you cannot see any obvious reason for the lack of success, discuss the pictures. This will often bring new ideas to life, and you can both learn something new.
Asking a person questions about their photography shows you are interested in them. Most people will appreciate this. Once they know you are interested, they will be more receptive to what you have to teach.
© Pansa Landwer-Johan
You need to become aware of what your students do and do not know. This information is gained both by asking questions and looking at their photos. Once you have this understanding, you can focus on teaching them what will be practical.
Remember that when we hear something we’ve had no prior knowledge about, it’s more difficult to understand it. Building on what students already know and incrementally introducing new concepts is practical.
Understanding what you have to share is important. Albert Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Teaching what you understand well, you will be received more readily by your students.
When you think you have a good grasp of technique and the person you’re sharing it with is looking bored, this is a clear sign you are not hitting the mark. Do you really have such a good understanding of what you are teaching? How can you simplify your explanation to make it more acceptable? Or are you introducing a brand new idea too soon?
Teaching and doing is the best way to learn photography. Having their camera in hand, a student can put into practice what you are teaching them. If, for example, you’re teaching about depth of field, this is better understood when you can see the results different camera settings produce. When photographing the same subject that your student is, you can compare your photos. This way, you’ll see if they understand the teaching.
© Kevin Landwer-Johan
Every photographer should be a teacher because as you teach, you will also learn. Giving out brings back to you many times more than what you contribute. I’ve always enjoyed sharing what I know about photography with others. It wasn’t until about six years ago that I started running regular photography workshops. Because I was teaching, my rate of learning increased incredibly.
Teaching can push you to learn more too. Questions from students or fellow photographers will challenge you to learn more. It feels good to give a clear and understandable answer to someone’s question. Regular interaction like this will inspire you to increase your knowledge, and as a result, your photography will improve.
You don’t need to wait until you believe you’re completely competent. Start now. Build relationships with other photographers who are at about the same level as you and find others who are beginners. Start to share your experiences together and encourage them to share with you what they know about photography. This way, you’ll all benefit from teaching, and you’ll grow together in your photography experience.
I hope you’ve enjoyed Why Every Photographer Should be a Teacher. If you have anything else you would like to add, please do so in the comments.
The post Why Every Photographer Should be a Teacher appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.
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The Sony a6100 is a 24MP APS-C mirrorless camera, aimed squarely at beginners and people who want attractive photos but don’t necessarily think of themselves as photographers. A new, powerful autofocus system makes it one of the easiest cameras to use, if you just trust it to do its thing and concentrate instead on what you’re shooting.
The a6100’s specifications aren’t cutting edge, and it’s priced accordingly. But that simple, effective autofocus system means it makes it easy to get the photos you want, and hence, arguably, it’s better value than those less expensive rivals. On paper it looks a lot like the bargain-basement a6000 but in use this is a vastly better camera.
Our main doubts about the camera come if you want to get more involved in the photographic process.
The Sony a6100 has a list price of $ 750, a $ 50 premium over the launch price of the original a6000, which suggests it may take a similar low-cost position in the lineup, long term. It has a list price of $ 850 with the small but uninspiring 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 power zoom. A two-lens kit adds a 55-210mm zoom for an additional $ 250.
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The a6100 contains many familiar components, combines them in a way that can be excellent as a family camera. After some initial setup. Click here to find out the camera, its features and its rivals |
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Improved JPEG color, a good sensor and sophisticated processing mean the a6100 delivers attractive images. Click here to take a closer at the a6100’s images |
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Autofocus is the camera’s great claim-to-fame, and its video is easy to capture. Click here to read more |
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The a6100 has probably the most powerful, easy-to-use autofocus systems on the market. But there are a few too many inconveniences, we feel. Click here to read what we found |
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We think the a6100 can turn its hand to a bit of everything, see what you think of its performance. Click here to see our sample gallery |
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post How to Copyright Your Photography and Why You Really Should appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.
In today’s digital world, it has become crucial to register copyright for your images. Theft online is rampant, so you need to protect yourself and your work. Read on to find out why you should and how to copyright your photography.
Copyright protects the legal rights of the owner of intellectual property or work of art. In simple terms, copyright is the right to copy. As photographers, this means that only we as the original creators of our images, and anyone we give authorization to, are the only ones with the exclusive right to publish or otherwise reproduce our images.
The moment you click the shutter on your camera, you own the copyright to your images. No matter your level of skill, or whether you’re an amateur or a pro, your images are protected by law.
Keep in mind that copyright laws do vary from country to country, therefore the information in this article is general. It’s also meant for educational purposes since I’m not a lawyer and not qualified to give legal advice.
The lack of knowledge or education about copyright has caused a lot of problems in the photographic industry. Many new or emerging photographers are not educating their clients on copyright and usage, so clients assume they own their images and can do with them whatever they wish. To compound this problem, lawyers often advise their clients to always obtain copyright from the photographer, but in most cases, this is completely unnecessary, unless the client wants to sell the images and make a profit from them.
All of the big companies like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s never ask for copyright. They don’t need it. They license images for a specific use and time frame.
Any discussion about buying out copyright should include very large numbers.
There are two types of work that fall under Copyright: published and unpublished.
Digital media falls under copyright protection, but it has not been updated to be clear. Published works, in this case, are different from a patent, which covers inventions or discoveries, or trademarks, which covers designs, symbols, logos, and words.
To qualify as published, the work must be distributed to the public in some form, whether digital or print. There has to be some form of copies or multiples. A website or blog doesn’t qualify as published because your photos are not getting distributed. Social media is also considered unpublished. It is not distributed to the public in copies the way stock photos are, for example.
It’s an unfortunate by-product of living in today’s world that your images will get stolen. If you post any of your photography online, chances are that some will get stolen at one time or another. Some of this theft is due to the ignorance of the public, while others knowingly take your images without your permission, without paying for usage licensing.
Unfortunately, a lot of large companies do this, and there have been numerous high profile lawsuits where photographers have won hundreds of thousands of dollars for copyright infringement.
Filing copyright on your photos will protect you in the case you need to go to court to sue for statutory damages and lawyers fees. In a copyright infringement suit, a judge or jury can award you statutory damages as defined by the Copyright Act – thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars, if you can prove that your image was stolen with willful intent.
Photography is becoming more commoditized, but there is still immense value in it because it allows companies to make a profit by advertising their products. If someone is trying to gain financially by selling a product with stolen images, that is a big problem. Think of it this way: it’s not just the images that are stolen; it’s also the profit of the photographer.
When you don’t charge for usage, or go after those who are using your images unlawfully, that’s money out of your pocket. And what’s worse, you may actually be struggling to pay your overhead and make a profit in the first place.
Filing for copyright can be a bit tedious, but it can be done online fairly simply. For example, as I’m based in Canada, I Googled “Canadian Copyright Office” and easily found the website for the intellectual property office. I have registered photographs and even a photography eBook I sell on my blog online very easily.
Some countries have agreements with the U.S. to enforce U.S. copyright laws. It’s often useful to register your copyright in the U.S. even if you’re not a U.S. citizen, to obtain the statutory benefits of registration in the United States.
Ideally, you should copyright any images before they are published, but you can copyright them at any time. You can even copyright them after you’ve discovered an unlawful use of one of your images. It will just be a bit more complicated from a documentation standpoint.
The cost of registering copyright varies from country to country. In Canada, it’s $ 50, and in the U.S., it’s currently $ 55 for a group of images. You can copyright your images as a group, to a maximum of 750.
For more information about registering photographs with the U.S. Copyright Office, go here.
The portal is fairly simple to use, but this resource will give you more information. You have to upload a .jpeg for each image you’re copyrighting, and submit a title list in an Excel spreadsheet. The preference is that these items be submitted in a .zip file.
Research the copyright laws in your country. Although in many countries like Canada and the U.S. copyright is immediate upon creation of a work, you still have to register copyright before you can sue.
Conversely, in Australia, there is no formal copyright registration system. The law ensures that certain forms of expression are automatically covered under the Copyright Act.
Copyright is something that a lot of people don’t understand – even clients. It’s important to educate yourself and those you work with on the ins-and-outs of copyright. As I mentioned, laws vary from country to country, but you can find a lot of this information online. It’s crucial to protect yourself and your work.
Do you have any other tips on how to copyright your photography? Have you had your images stolen? If so, share with us in the comments below.
The post How to Copyright Your Photography and Why You Really Should appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.
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