Rules, rights and paperwork in photography
Education agreement, journeyman certificate, and what you should know about copyright and personal data.
Photography is a trade where you work with people technology and rights. Although you don't need a legally required authorisation to call yourself a photographer it doesn't mean the trade is without rules. On the contrary there are several things you need to understand — both during training and afterwards.
§The education agreement is your foundation.
The most important paper during your education is your apprenticeship agreement. It is a written contract between you and the company describing that you should be trained and which among other things ensures you get apprentice wages. Without an agreement you cannot complete the main program so it is absolutely central.
§The journeyman's certificate is your proof
When you have passed the journeyman exam you receive a journeyman certificate. It is the official proof that you are a skilled photographer. The journeyman certificate is issued within the framework of the professional committee in the field and it is your documentation when you apply for a job or start for yourself.
§Copyright: who owns the image?
As a photographer you create works protected by copyright. This basically means you have the rights to the images you take. But when you work for a client or employer the rights can be agreed differently. Therefore it is important to learn to write clear agreements about who may use the images and for what.
- 01Keep track of whether you have transferred usage rights or the entire right.
- 02Be aware of whether the images can be resold or shared online.
- 03Always write down agreements — oral promises are difficult to prove later.
§Consent and personal data
When you photograph people you should consider their rights. Especially when images are to be published it is good practice – and often necessary – to have clear consent from the people in the image. This applies especially to children and when images are used for marketing.
If you process images that can identify people, there are also personal data regulations to consider. You must be able to store and share your files responsibly, and you must be able to explain to a customer how their images are handled.