Say NO to Exposure

This post was originally shared in a private equine photography group for further discussion amongst equine photographers. Due to interest in sharing, I decided to copy the original post over to a blog post so that it could be publicly shared. My hope is that this blog post will shed some light on a growing issue and encourage fellow photographers of all experience levels to #saynotoexposure.

Why are so many photographers allowing companies that have an advertising budget to abuse their work?

This problem seems to be snowballing, so I wanted to respectfully open it up for discussion with you guys.

I am a professional, full-time equine photographer. Unfortunately, I am currently having to pursue legal action with a company who is abusing my work. To clarify further, by abusing, I mean they have stolen my portraits, used it for advertising without permission, are profiting from my content, and refusing to compensate me with a small advertising fee.

This begs the question: why did this happen in the first place? Why do some companies with advertising budgets automatically assume that they can use anyone's content advertise for their company for free?

My answer: because many companies have been given permission to run over photographers desperate for exposure.

Many photographers have allowed equine companies to abuse their work at some point in time for exposure. As social media has become a primary form of advertising, the problem seems to be getting worse.

I know it can seem harmless to allow a company to use your work, but one must also consider the message that is being conveyed when that is allowed by so many photographers of all levels. By allowing companies with an advertising budget to use your work for free, you are sending a message that says: "yes, you are welcome to use my work for free to make your company thousands of dollars."

If you are a photographer, you should NOT be a free content creator for companies who are making thousands per day.

Please respect yourself, your work, and the industry enough to not allow your content to be abused for profit.

I never thought I'd have to pursue legal action with a company abusing my work even after asked to stop, but here I am. While this saddens me, I'd like for it to not happen to anyone else.

In light of potentially slowing a snowballing issue, I'd like to ask you all to consider the following when a company wants to use your work:

》Don't allow your work to be shared without permission - that is abuse
》Credit and exposure do not pay the bills
》Credit and exposure without compensation teaches companies that you are a free content creator for them
》Always charge a fee for advertising, whether you are a hobbyist or a professional. You are a creator and you deserve to be compensated for your content that brings a company profit. Everyone has a different fee, but it should never be free in the case of advertising. Please always consider charging something for your work.
》If a brand approaches you and says they don't pay photographers, but are happy to credit you, they are trying to abuse you. Politely educate them. Let them know what your fees are for advertising. Ask Them what their budget is. If they refuse to compensate you, please do not allow them to abuse your work. If they valued you, they would compensate you.
》Talk to your photographer friends about it. The equine photography world is a small and a very special niche. It seems like this topic is very rarely discussed, but unfortunately, it is a growing issue that is harming us all in one way or another, some greater than others.

》If a company uses your image and refuses compensate you for the usage, you have the right to send a Cease and Desist letter and pursue legally if necessary.

EQUINE COMPANIES: If you wish to use a photographer’s image, do the right thing and compensate that photographer for using their image to make your business money. Often times, it is a very small fee out of your marketing budget.

My hope is to spark positive change within the equine industry where photographer’s work is valued by equine companies instead of abused. We all want to be valued and respected. But in order to open the door for that, we have to first value ourselves enough to not allow our work to be abused.

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Have you had a company use your work? Did they compensate you? What else can we do to prevent this issue moving forward? Are you addressing companies who are abusing your work?

Let's support each other and have respect for our work moving forward. You deserve to be paid by a company making money off of your work. Every legitimate business has an advertising budget. #saynotoexposure

Feel free to share this post. If you’d like to join in on spreading the word on this topic, feel free to tag #saynotoexposure