I have a model and publication release in my wedding contract, and I also have the bride give me the contact info for their photographer. I have had several cakes this past busy season that I just didn't have any time to photograph in my studio set up before having to deliver them, and unfortunately I am less then happy with my on-site photographs.

I have contacted the photographers to get copies and I'm crazy surprised that I am getting rude responses or push-back. I have even sent over my signed model releases and I'm getting less then enthusiastic responses about allowing me to use their photos. I've even offered to pay the print price for the high-rez digital image (I don't expect anything for free - although since they ate my cake at the reception I feel it's the least they can do, but whatever) and I'm getting luke warm responses.

Can someone play devil's advocate here? If I have permission from the wedding couple to use any images of the cake the photographer takes, I'm telling the photographer I will give them full photo credit if I use it in my portfolio or any publication, AND I even offer to compensate them for the image, why on earth would they NOT want to give it to me? I don't see any downside for them at all, but there must be something I'm missing?

Jen

I always call the photographers the week after a wedding to get a digital copy of the cake pictures. I have a clause in my contract too but no photographer has asked about it, so I have never sent a copy to them or told them I have it. Since the photographer owns the rights maybe your clause rubs them the wrong way-like you are trying to trump them some how.

I have only had 2 photographers ask for money, the rest have just emailed me
a couple pics hat week. Also, probably 20% of the photographers never call me back or respond to emails. Some people are just pricks.

I have read that the photos taken by the photographer are their images and they decide who to share the rights with and/or sell to. You have the rights to the images if you took them with your camera. I found this out when I objected to a wedding photographer using some engagement photos to promote his website.

Many photographers are often lenient and would give or sell you copies of the photos but they are not obligated to.

What might help for a future situation would be to contact them before hand or at the venue, requesting that they take some photos of the cake specifically for you business and let them know you plan to pay for them so it's not like you're asking for a favor.

They may have been turned off if you approached them like you had rights to their photos or they may just be mean. Either way, I would try to sweeten them up and see if they budge.

like vgcea said. photographers own the right on their own pictures.

And then.. photographers feel like artist about their work. Some really do make a work of art. You have to aproach them likewise.

It might be that the bride and groom are happy for you to use their cake... but I'm not sure they can sign to say that the photographer will give permission?

I think a previous poster has already said it might be the photographer takes exception if you go in, waving a contract, so to speak.

In the past, I've dropped the photographer a friendly email along the lines of

Hi, my name is Suzanne and I made the wedding cake for X and Y. I'm sure you must have got a lovely shot of the cake and I was wondering if you would be kind enough to let me have a copy, please?

If so, may I use it on my website - of course, I will credit you for the picture.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

It's always worked for me!

Could you get them from the bride and groom? I did a cake for my friend back in October and she sent me the link to the photographer's site and I was able to actually download a copy. He and I talked extensively at the wedding though so he wasn't a jerk. But I would definitely ask the couple if they have a CD of the photos and see if they could get you a copy. It sucks that they have to be that way.

Jen, I tend to ask my couples to please share a cake photo with me once they get their photos back. I always advise i will credit their photographer in any photo i publish. I've never asked a photographer directly. Way I see it, the couple has paid for the pics, and if they want to share with me then that is grand.

I have couples who share pics with me even if I don't ask! Then I write back to ask their permission to publish a pic and their thank you message online, and again I will credit the photographer.

Not all photogs are nice. Some are downright weird. I met one at a clients 50th, who had shot the cake I'd done previously for her husbands 50th some months previously (a 3D basketball cake). The client had shared pics from the event because of the extensive party room decoration, and bc I'd asked too. He was setting up to shoot her party, including my cake, and I mentioned he took pics of my basketball cake, and he looks down his nose at me and says "ohhh yesss, I was soooo let down to find out the cake was not all real, it wasnt carved out of one cake". This from a master of illusion?? What an a-hole! I felt like saying "that's why I make the cakes and YOU just photograph them, you imbecile". I mean, you really think you could make a perfectly spherical 14" globe entirely out of cake with no supports? Go ahead, shutter-boy.

Hence why I deal with my clients directly when I need a photo

I don't know what to tell you because our wedding photographer was a jerk to me and my family AT my wedding. But to me, it would make BUSINESS sense for two of you to work together, I mean, it can't hurt to have a name to drop if someone asks for one, right? Maybe ask a photographer what the best way to go about this would be. Good luck!

J, you're being too wordy and "professional". Just send a nice e-mail next time that says something like this:

"Good morning so and so! I understand you were the photographer for so and so's wedding. If you happened to get a photo of the cake (of course they did, but be casual), I'd love to speak with you about purchasing a print. I'd really love to show it off on my web page as well, with full credit of course. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

That's it.

I usually just email my brides 8-12 weeks after the wedding and ask them to email a picture and that works fine. Or I have emailed the photographer and asked if they would want to send me a watermarked picture for me to put on my website and Facebook page - and I would link it to their website (no mention of paying for it). If I was going to pay the $$ for a high rez jpeg, then I am not putting the photographer's info on it, kwim? I have had photographers be rude to me too, and guess what - I don't recommend them to anyone. I had one photographer who tracked me down the day after the wedding and sent me several high rez jpegs of the cake. I loved her pics, I used her for personal family pics and I recommend her to everyone! l I don't know why these photographers have to be so mean sometimes! It can't be that hard to attach a file to an email can it? Perhaps us cakers are missing the point, and all the photographers are on their photography forum bashing us, haha

Well maybe there are different ways of working as a photographer, but...

Normally the party that orders the pictures owns the rights to them. That would be the bride and groom, no?

So asking the bride for an emailed picture gets you the digital one without any fuss.

This is why it's just best to contact the person who took the pics. Plus, it can establish a relationship for future gigs. That's always good.

I agree, yes, the photographer needs to be contacted for rights to use the photos.

Jamie, the response you typed is almost exact what I send. Hearts, flowers, etc. I've gotten "I can't let you see the photos without permission", "I'm too busy", "I get a lot of these requests, if you want to see photos check my blog but you can't use any of them", etc. It's just weird to me. I'm all about networking and making friends with my fellow vendors, I've just gotten some rude replies from some of these guys and I've never gotten that from any other vendor sect like the coordinators, florists etc.

Also, don't these idiots realize more links to and from their website helps everyone's search engine optimization???

The photographer owns the rights to the photos he/she takes. So a clause from the bride just means you have her permission to buy from the photographer IF he/she is willing to work with you.

I take my own photos. Period. I really don't have the time or the inclination to track down brides and/or photographers, so I take my own.

I used to make pocket money in college photographing horse shows, so I know my way around a basic camera. After that my daughter is a photo shop wiz, so she helps with the tech end.