FAQs

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions I encounter, along with my answers. It is not an exhaustive list, but does get updated from time to time.

What methods of payment do you accept?

I accept debit and credit cards, including American Express, along with BACS transfers, cheques and cash. I also accept Apple Pay and Android Pay.

Are you insured?

Yes! I carry the fully range of insurances that any professional photographer should have. To be specific, along with the obvious equipment insurance, I have Employer’s Liability, Professional Indemnity, and Public Liability cover. I will gladly show copies of my certificates of insurance should it be necessary. Do not employ a photographer who is not insured.

Have you been DBS checked?

Yes – many times! The problem with DBS (formerly CRB) checks is that they are out of date at the moment of issue. I often work with children, young people and vulnerable adults, and consequently I undergo checks on a regular basis. I am happy to show the most recent disclosure to customers where necessary.

Who will shoot our wedding? Will it be you or someone else?

It will be me. I cover one hundred per cent of the weddings where the customer expects me to take the photographs. In very rare circumstances a colleague will cover a wedding. But that is always something I arrange and agree with the customer in advance.

Who owns the copyright?

The copyright in all the photographs I create remains with me in perpetuity. That is usually the case for all photographers (well, the good ones). I grant licences to clients who commission photography commercially to use the images on pre-agreed terms. As long as the client stays within the remit of those licences they can use the images as they wish. What they cannot do is give the images to third parties for the use of that third party. Any third parties must revert back to me to obtain a new licence.

If you commission me to photograph your wedding or to shoot a portrait you will receive prints, albums or digital files. You can use those photographs for your own purposes, but you cannot sell them to other parties to use. It’s a bit like buying a CD or a download to your favourite song. You can listen to it however you like, but you could not play it to an audience in a bar without the agreement of the artist. Customers frequently ask if I will sell the copyright. Copyright can be a tricky issue, but I am happy to discuss concerns with anyone. In exceptional circumstances I will consider selling the copyright to images for an appropriate fee.

Do you have a data management and protection policy?

Yes. This is really important, and it is something you should ask any photographer you are considering employing. It is not the same as a privacy policy which, of course, I have. This policy guarantees to protect and, if necessary recover data when data drives fail – which they do! In fact, with a good policy “data recovery” is literally the very last resort and should not be necessary.

The main data management systems I use have in-built redundancy. Even when a drive fails I can still access all of the images I have created without missing a heartbeat. In the event of catastrophic failure (e.g. fire or theft) I have full copies of everything at a separate geographic location. I also have remote back-ups in data centres on another continent to cope with a apocalyptic worst case scenario. Furthermore, right from the outset when I download an assignment I automatically create an additional copy of the files on a separate drive. That copy remains there until the system has had a chance to backup the work to those data centres. It is also possible for memory cards to corrupt during a shoot. You can take comfort from knowing that the systems I employ mitigate that risk as well.

The most frequently asked question is “are you available?”, but to get an answer to that you will need to contact me. The second most frequently asked question is “how much…” but for that I need to know a bit more about what you need.