Copyright, licensing, and pricing OH MY!

I think I’ve mentioned before that I went to school for 4 years and got a BA in general art (the semester before I was a freshman was the last semester they offered a BFA in photography so BA in art was the only option).  And now it seems as though I’ve learned  more about photography since I’ve graduated than when I was actually attending classes.  It also could just be because I’ve shot more that I understand things better.  However, looking back I don’t see how I was EVER allowed to graduate without knowing more about photography law and licensing.

So now I’m in the real world trying to get photography jobs and only have a little tiny clue about how to protect myself and my photos.  I did learn that you always need a contract – even for a friend’s or family member’s photos – and that the minute you click the shutter button the photo is copyrighted to you unless stated otherwise (like ‘work for hire’ or something similar). That’s pretty much the extent of my knowledge on how to protect myself.

If you’re like me or you saw ‘work for hire’ and though what the hell does that mean, here is an AMAZING resource I found that simplifies the big points we as photographers should definitely know. And the author is from Atlanta so he gets a few cool points from me 🙂

http://www.diyphotography.net/photo-licensing-look-basics/

Thank you Jeff Guyer.  I will definitely be checking out more of your stuff.

 

Happy learning!

-Lindsay

Inspiration

I am constantly on the lookout for inspiration.  Let’s get real, who isn’t?  This could be for photographs, for work outs, for prayers/scripture, for eating healthier, for dressing nicer, for interesting date ideas, for places to go, or things to do. Whatever.  What’s a fantastic place for inspiration you ask?

Pinterest obviously.  Come on, bro. (Bro because you have either never heard of Pinterest somehow or have vowed to stay as far away from it as possible since that’s where girls waste half their lives pinning stuff for their dream wedding whether they have a ring or not and you don’t want to be a part of that).  I get it.  I was like that.  But after a long time (but finally caving) I’ve come to see that Pinterest is much more than wedding stuff.  Don’t get me wrong, you click on the popular tab on any given day and at least half of the results are wedding related, but you can find fantastic information on so much more.

As a photographer, Pinterest is a gold mine for great tips and tricks.  There is always something new I can learn from different people and articles.  I love reading through ‘The Mistakes of Beginner Photographers’, or ‘Tips and Tricks for Better Photography’.  There’s really no down side to reading this stuff.  If I’m reading along and know what the article is saying, great! I’m just reenforcing my knowledge and maybe even understanding it better.  If I’m reading and have never heard of what is being talked about. Even better!  I’m learning something new to make myself grow and become a better photographer.  And since Pinterest took me to this company or person’s site or blog I now have another resource for inspiration.

I’m not saying Pinterest should not be your only source of inspiration.  Far from it.  It should be one of the many places you look.  But don’t spend all your time on the internet looking for inspiration.  Going outside, talking to other people (in person), and actually shooting pictures are necessary also.  With that in mind, here are some photos I shot of my friend at Kennesaw Mountain after a little research on Pinterest (I don’t do a lot of bridal portraits so I searched for posing and lighting ideas).

      

Contests

Some advice: Enter your photos in contests.  If you win, great!  If you don’t, you can get criticism to make your photography better.

My junior year of school I had a photography professor that required all her classes to enter one contest.  You didn’t get a grade for it.  You didn’t have to win anything.  All you had to do was submit your work to a single contest.  The photo didn’t even have to be something you created for her class.  She gave us a list of websites and contests she knew about but even that was open.  If you found a contest that wasn’t on the list you just had to show her and have her approve it.

To some, this was just one more thing to add to the workload of their classes but I welcomed it.  I had never entered any contests before and was interested in how I would do.  The contest I chose was Photographer’s Forum Best of College and High School Photography (http://pfmagazine.com/photography-contest/next/).

Since it is such a big contest I wasn’t expecting to be a finalist.  The letter that would tell me if I was a finalist or not came later than a thought it would and by that time I had convinced myself that I didn’t get it.  The letter finally came and I jumped up and down and did a happy dance when I read that I was a finalist.

As a finalist I was published in Photographer’s Forum hardcover book, published on Photographer’s Forum website, and received a 2 month subscription to the magazine.  This magazine has great articles on fantastic photographers and is really inspiring.

I haven’t entered contests in a while but I am a member of ViewBug (http://www.viewbug.com/).  This website is full of contests and allows you to share your photos with other photographers and get constructive criticism.  I highly recommend it.  You can see amazing photos, find contests that work for you, and it’s free to join!

Happy entering!

-Lindsay