This has got to be one of the most common questions I get. It is also one of the most common terminology mix-ups between clients and photographers alike. I want to make this clear: CRR is not interchangeable with PR although it’s pretty simple to confuse the two if you don’t have an understanding for what each one of them entails. I guess that’s what I’m here for.

We have officially entered a digitally dependent world. We make our plans with a computer. We date through computers. In fact, I think you can even make coffee with your handheld devices now. In fact, everything I do is practically done online (pretty much). I network with clients, post their photos, and edit using some type of digital device.

With digital dependency comes digital sharing, liking, and networking. What does this means for the photographer? It means a lot of blurred lines and mass confusion.

Back in the good old days, when we had the ultimate right and power of the photos, the only way you could share a photo was if you sent it via snail mail. For those of you who don’t know what this is, this was when you actually hand wrote a letter, put something in an envelope, licked a stamp (before the self-adhesive stamps), and prayed your pictures got to its location. There was no social media. There was no Instagram or Twitter. There was no Facebook. There was only yours, the guests, and the photographer’s recollection of the event.

Nowadays, however, most of my photos are shared within 2 minutes of my posting them to my business site. What does this mean for the photographer? It means that my images will now be shared throughout the far reaches of the internet with or without my permission or with proper credit due! Yikes!

That is where a print release OR copyright release comes in.

What is a copyright release?

A copyright release is a document that releases a document or photo to the client. When this transfer is complete, the picture no longer belongs to the photographer. I, the photographer, am legally signing over my rights to the client. Basically, I am giving up my pictures for adoption which means I can never use that photograph without the written or explicit permission of my client. It also gives my client the right to do whatever he or she wishes with the photos including edit, alter, use for commercial purposes (get money for or use to solicit business), or use to promote gang violence (or for type of promotion for that matter).

Why are Copyright Releases so expensive?

Because I am giving my work to you FOREVER! That would be like you really liking a Rihanna song then asking her to give up all the rights to her song JUST so you can play it on your cassette tape player. This is my baby. This is my artistic creation that I have bled over…sweat over…and spent hours slaving over. There are very few cases I give copyright releases and it is usually for commercial purposes depending on the situation. But even in those cases, a print release can (and usually is) negotiated. As I read on TheLawTog.com, it’s like allowing the consumer to “ have your cake (prints) and getting to eat it too.”

Ya….that’s not kosher….

Most people simply want to print their photos. They want to be able to drop by CVS on their way to their cousin Tony’s Bat Mitzvah and drop off their digital proofs from last year’s wedding and get them printed in an hour or so. They also want to be able to print about 300 copies of their Bridal portraits for all 300 members of their family. They want to be able to make a little scrapbook lined with fur and lace with all their printed memories from that special moment.

That is how a print release is important.

It is how we calm the war between the worlds (client and photographer).

What is a print release?

It is a document that allows you to print for personal use all while allowing the photographer to retain the rights. It’s what professional printers will ask you for if you take my awesome photos to them and say “hey I want these amazingly unique works of art printed and back to me before the end of Tony’s Bat Mitzvah.”

It gives you the right to print these photos anywhere while I still have all physical and intellectual rights to the files. That means, I still have the right to tell you take my photo down if you are using it commercially or otherwise without my permission. I have the right to tell you to remove that Meme from my work of art because it brings shame to my photography game. It allows me to protect myself just in case you want to take my photo and use it at a strip club. Do I mind the fact that you like my photo so much that you want to use it at a strip club? No…that’s pretty awesome! But do I want my business associated with your strip club since I take family photos? Not really. That is why I keep the rights to my photos.

How can a PR be good for the client?

You have the right to print as many copies of my photos as you want. You are allowed to post files to social media platforms (with provisions of course). You are also allowed to use it for invitations and cards (with provisions also). You get to retain the use of these files for the rest of your natural life. And, best of all, you never have to come back to me and ask me to mail you a new set of photos…well unless you lose the USB I sent you. That’s a whole other bag of worms.

How can a PR be good for the photographer?

I maintain control over the disbursement of my stuff. I can make sure no clients are altering my photographs and circulating bad versions of my work. Remember, our images are our marketing. It allows me to keep the originality in my work. It prevents my work from being used for things and purposes I may not support or agree with (commercial).

You have to think, the digital world has essentially stripped artists of some of their power. It is a double edged sword. While our work is marketed and shared at a staggering rate in comparison JUST to work of mouth, we are constantly on guard for those seeking to change our work for their purposes. We cannot soon forget how the internet has circulated pictures of unsuspecting people, thereby, branding them for life with shameful associations (i.e. distasteful pictures, unflattering pictures, pictures with memes). With that being said, photographers have to see if anyone is using their photos on blogs without creating links back to our work. We HAVE to monitor the integrity of the work we do on a daily basis. That’s pretty hard. Especially when people don’t understand or respect why and how this is so important.

Biggest Question of All:

Can I let my friend borrow my print release to print photos?

No. Negative. Not a chance. This is a no go. Did I say NO?

This is stealing. I put the name of the person who purchased the print release on the card. It is for their use only. If your friend wants to print photos, she can either ask you to print her a copy or she may purchase a copyright release from me. I would prefer the latter, but I am also a realist. It’s about respecting the work it takes to produce a photo. Plain and simple. Just as it is illegal to make copies of movies without permission, the same goes to my photos. It’s about integrity. So, I urge my clients and those reading this blog to consider what it took to give you this photo. Respect that. Spend your money…Lots of money. Smile and Say “Cheese.”

Derek + Alissa Engagement Session in Pontotoc, Mississippi

Behind the Scenes: Boudoir

What is the Difference Between a Copyright Release (CRR) and an Print Release (PR)?