Rights and Limitations

You’ve received your images and we want you to use them! This is the official rundown of allowances and limitations:

Personal Use: Any personal use is encouraged! This includes printing images, posting them to your Facebook, putting them in digital frames. As long as it’s personal (in no way tied to making money) it’s ok. If you do post images on Facebook and in other public spaces, we do like you to give credit to Steven Moore Photography or Steve Moore.

Repost to Thematic Pages on Facebook and Instagram: Please be careful (my preference would be to avoid) posting to thematic Facebook and Instagram pages (AKC or Ridgeback Community Pages are examples).  While the publicity is great for me, navigating rights and ownership is very confusing and often ignored. Many of these sites actually put their watermark on other photographers images.  In order to do this they need to have a usage agreement with those submitting to their group pages (granting ownership) or fully credit the photographer whose images are being shared. In practice this is often not understood or ignored.  The end result is curators/site admins of thematic images assume credit for the work of the creative property of artists. In most cases nobody means to do harm, but the harm is done.  From a business perspective, please also understand that while I actually am a fan of many of these pages, they are my direct competitors in a very competitive social media space.

*DO repost to my pages!:  I have big audiences and all my pages set up to allow your posts!  I generally don’t post anything that is not my own but I would love to have you post your favorite images from your shoot to my page with your captions.  I have both ‘Steven Moore Photography’ and ‘Ridgebook’ set up to accept public posts subject to approval.  And feel free to post away on my personal page;)

Breeder/Kennel/Dog Promotion: Many of you have me photograph your dogs in order to dress up your website or for ads in the dog fancy periodicals. This usage is also encouraged – we love to see your dog and Breed Project images featured in the major dog fancy mags! We do ask that any images appearing in ads or on websites either be credited ‘Photography by Steven Moore’ or you can ask for my watermark to give to your ad designer. For you Ridgeback folks,if you are advertising with our friends at the national mag, they have my watermark on file, so just let them know to incorporate the credit.

Artists Reproductions (painters): I generally approve the use of images to be painted/sketched by an artists but I’m not crazy about it. My work is art in a stand alone medium and I pour myself into every detail. Just a personal feeling, but it is hard not to feel like it cheapens my work and photography as a medium – us photographers are sensitive about this;) Another way to think of this is that if it is not a ‘taking’ of my creativity, couldn’t the artist just do it from a snap shot rather than from my work.

Contests: First, I am honored that you are excited about the pics from your shoot and want to enter them in a contest. As tough as it is, because I want you to be able to use the pics however you’d like, this is one usage that is typically not allowed. There are a couple reasons. First, some of these contests are intended for amateurs and photo/dog enthusiasts, so on those grounds we can’t submit Steven Moore Photography (SMP) images. Second, whether the rules are explicit or not, the contests are generally set up with the intention that the person who submits will be the person who made the photograph. I very rarely submit to contests for a number of reasons, but if one of my images is submitted I feel like I should submit it. And finally, the contest arena is not a simple one, many of the contests have fine print that effectively signs away either ownership or image usage rights.

Calendar and Book Submittals: These are generally handled on a case-by-case basis, so please ask with details. Generally speaking, images to be used in digital and print publications that are for profit can be purchased but are otherwise not allowed. Exceptions to this are calendars and books that will be used to raise funds for rescue or breed clubs.   This type of usage is full of gray, so please ask.

Editorial: Please ask before any images are used in an editorial context. Generally, images used to make money directly or indirectly will not be allowed. Again, this is an area full of gray, so please ask. In some cases, if you are writing the editorial or we feel that it has particular value, we will approve even if the publishing agent will profit. For all editorial usage, photo credit will need to be given.