What would you have done?

Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Posts: 41

I have a slight dilemma and I hope to get some insight. Bear with me, I apologize if this gets long winded...

A little background: My significant other (SO) and I work for the same company, a leading national home electronics chain. My hobby and passion is photography and my hopes and dreams are to within a reasonable future be able to quit my job and work with photography full time, but in the meantime I work in the e-commerce department, while my SO is one of our top store managers.

Recently my SO asked me to shoot a huge event happening at his store. He wanted to document the day and make a photo book for his employees as thanks for weeks of hard work. It would be unpaid work but a lot of fun and we also knew there would be a great chance that our head office would be interested in the pictures for press releases, the company newsletter etc.
The event was yesterday and I was there working from 5:30am until 11:30pm. It was a mega success and sure enough: yesterday afternoon head office called and wanted a picture of my SO shaking hands with some other suit for a press release. I emailed one over straight from the store and thought that was just the coolest thing.

This morning I was woke up by a phone call - head office wanted more pictures!! I hadn't even transferred the pictures over to my laptop as I had come home and gone straight to bed. I said I needed a couple of hours to go through them and do some editing etc but they needed them ASAP! I quickly went through some 300 shots, picked out 13 or 14, did some minor touching up and sent them off within 30 minutes. A couple of hours later I received an email with a pdf file attached of a 3 page press release containing 9 of my pictures!
I was thrilled! Even though I noticed there was no mention of me, but hey I got 9 pictures 'published'!!

Either way, I was looking at our company website a little later and noticed the first picture I had sent over was used on there as well... with a link 'download photo' underneath... again with no photographer credit. Granted I work for the company too - but I did this pro bono for my boyfriend on my day off, for the opportunity. I have not received any payment from the company for either my time of the use of my pictures... I'm not sure how I should react. I was happy they wanted my pictures but the 'download picture' link with no copyright credit or offer of compensation from the company upset me.
Due to being woke up and they wanting pictures ASAP I never even thought about demanding credit or payment or getting a signed release or whatever I should have done. I figure there is no use in making a big deal of it now, just be happy they used my pictures... but I want to be better prepared next time... what would you have done?

Thanks if you managed to read all the way through!

Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:41 am

I do the same type of stuff for my company. I shoot Christmas Parties, Picnics, other events and even some shots they used for a magazine article. All I ask for is photo credit if my shots are published and they have done that so far.

Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:52 am

I think the problem is you didn't indicate up front that you are happy for them to use the photos but wanted to have them provide photo credit for any shots they use.

You need to be clear in your needs in the future. You certainly could request that they do this now. I don't see why the would have a problem with it.

Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Posts: 49 Location: SE Missouri

Did you try calling them up and politly asking to mention you are the photographer. Sometime asking in a pleasent tone is enough.

Joined: 18 Feb 2006 Posts: 268

Never send out photos without an understanding between both parties as to what the deal will be. When you send the first one, you should have laid the ground rules "I am happy to provide these images to you at no charge this time in exchange for photo credit and a link to my web site".