The plain and simple fact is you may well be, even if you are not aware of it!

Now don’t start getting cross and throwing things at the screen, most people are in fact very honest and would be horrified to think that they had broken any law at all. What it often boils down to is perhaps naivety, or maybe just a lack of knowledge. Is this excusable? Maybe; but not any more if you continue to read this!

The fact is, ANY image on the internet is copyrighted.
Therefore, you need permission to use it.
Simples.
Some images are provided with that permission – but most aren’t.
If you blog, and then search ‘Google Images’ for a suitable photo to go with it? You’ve probably broken the law. Yes, even if you credit the photographer.

To you – it’s just a nice image. To the photographer or designers, that photograph has an intrinsic financial worth. This is our job, it’s how we make our living; selling those images.

It may seem petty – and of course 90% of the time the use you put it to is just fine. But the point is you should ASK.

Let me put it this way.
You walk into Currys, see a kettle you like (it will TOTALLY go in your new kitchen) – and you help yourself.
But it’s okay, because you’ll announce to everyone who walks into your kitchen
“The kettle is from Currys!”
Of course Curry’s would object. Shout “Thief” perhaps.
If, however, you spoke to Currys, said “I have a blog that I would love to showcase your gorgeous kettle on, would you mind?” There’s a very high chance that Currys would say “why, yes, of course – here, have the toaster that matches!”

If a photographer provides wedding images to a florist, for example, that’s a mutually beneficial agreement between the two.
But then, what if a blogger visits that florist’s website, sees the photographs of the beautiful flowers and wants to feature them? Or pin them to a Pinterest board? Who do they link back to? The florist of course.

But it’s the photographer that holds the copyright to these images.

Pinterest do actually have a very clear disclaimer in their T’s & C’s (have you actually read it?) stating you MUST have full release to use content you post, and the ability to pass rights to that content to Cold Brew Labs.

I would post what they say here but that would be, y’know, a breach of their copyright. There’s also a whole page for reporting copyright infringement.

This is why any decent professional photographer will watermark their work – no matter where it goes on the internet (and lets face it, the interwebs are an uncontrollable animal), it always says who took it.

Now – no reasonable photographer is going to refuse permission if you want to use their image to say “I LOVE this!” and provide a link back to them. Of course they’re not.
But do ask first; it’s just the polite thing to do.

Photographers are admittedly a little prickly about their copyright (if you find one who isn’t? They don’t care much about their business either).? For those of us who do care, those pictures you’re making free with are what pays our mortgage.
So my best advice?
Just say please.

Dorset Wedding Photographer – Courtenay Photographic Ltd