What does having a watermark and copyright on photos mean for my wedding photos?
Hi there a photographer is an expensive part of our wedding day, and I have heard of some horror stories of couples having watermarks on their photos and having to pay extra to use their photos so after the day (i.e. to print and put on the wall or share to personal socials? Is that normal or expected i am a bit scared of all photographers and the legal stuff! Thanks Bree
Question Asked: 19/12/2023
Wedding Date: 9/08/2018
Most Helpful Response
(12) · Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, servicing all of South East Queensland.
Posted: 26/06/2026
Answered by: 6 Experts
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Hi Bree,
Thank you for the question. If the photos are done at an discounted rate, there may be logos on there, however it would be stated and agreed upon in the contract/messaging. I don't currently have this on offer, but if it's something you'd like to look into, I'm happy to discuss.
Hi Bree,
Thank you for reaching out and expressing your concerns. I completely understand your worries about watermarks and additional fees for using the photos after your wedding day. As a photographer, I believe in providing my clients with the best possible experience and ensuring that they can fully enjoy and utilize their photos without any extra costs.
I do not put any watermarks on the photos I deliver to my clients. I believe that it is important for you to have the freedom to print, share, and display your photos as you wish, without any limitations. Once I deliver the final edited images to you, they are yours to use and enjoy without any additional charges.
I strive to make the entire process as transparent and stress-free as possible. If you have any further questions or concerns about the legal aspects or any other aspect of my photography services, please feel free to ask. I am here to help and ensure that you have a wonderful experience on your wedding day.
Best,
Catherine
(16) · Australia & New Zealand - Based in Perth / Margaret River
Posted: 20/12/2023
Hi Bree, each photographer is different, and it's best to have that conversation with the photographer you choose.
Ideally you should receive unwatermarked files, but copyright is almost always owned by the artist/photographer.
My contracts assign copyright to me, but grants unlimited personal use to my couples, which means they're free to print, share, etc. as much as they like so long as it's considered "personal use", but they wouldn't be able to sell the images or use for commercial purposes without additional licence. I feel this is fairly standard for most reputable photographers in Australia.
Beau @ Whately Photography
(37) · All Sydney, Hunter Valley, North/South Coast, Southern Highlands
Posted: 20/12/2023
Hi Bree, good question. Mostly all photographers will have a standard contract which states the usage and rights of both the couple and photographer of the photos after the wedding. Some photographers are stricter than others and will negotiate the usage.
Generally speaking, honest photographers will let you do anything you want with the images such as share and print, but they won't let you sell them for profit as they feel they're entitled to some of the revenue associated with the sale. It basically comes down to copyright of the images, most photographers will try to retain copyright so they can advertise their business and submit the photos in competitions, again for advertisement.
Hopefully this helps and happy to answer any other questions you have :)
Dane @ Reel Imagination Photo
(68) · Mornington Peninsula ; Yarra Valley ; Dandenongs ; Daylesford
Posted: 20/12/2023
Hi, it means the photographer will put their logo or branding on each image. Personally I deliver images without watermark or any type of brnding so the couple can use them as they please. Hope this helps!
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Hi Bree, this is such a fair thing to ask, because the wording can sound scary when really it is pretty simple in practice. Two different things are getting tangled here. A watermark is just a logo sitting on top of an image, usually on previews or sneak peeks. Copyright is the legal ownership of the photo. They are separate, and the horror stories you have heard are not how a good wedding photographer should work.
Here is what to expect from us, and from most reputable studios. Your final delivered gallery comes to you clean, with no watermark across your photos. You are free to print them, frame them on the wall, put them in an album and share them on your personal socials as much as you like. That personal use is yours and there is no extra fee for it. The only thing copyright stops is commercial use, so you cannot sell the images for profit or hand them to a brand to advertise with, but for a couple wanting to enjoy and share their own wedding, that almost never comes into play.
The reason we keep copyright is honestly pretty boring: it lets us share your photos in our own portfolio, on our website and occasionally in competitions. For us every image is also edited in-house here in Queensland, never sent offshore, so the look you fall in love with on the day is the look you actually receive. The watermarks you do sometimes see from us are only on the early sneak peeks we post while the full gallery is still being edited, never on your finished files.
My best advice: before you book anyone, ask two plain questions. Do I receive my final images without watermarks, and am I free to print and share them for personal use? Get the answer in writing in your contract. Any photographer worth their salt will say yes without hesitation and be happy to walk you through it. You should not feel scared of this part, and a good photographer will make it feel easy.