The following information will help clear up any misconceptions about digital negatives and the copyright release that accompanies these negatives. This section will also provide a guide to help our clients better understand our editing process.
What we mean by “digital negatives” and why our clients want them:
Digital negatives are unedited, easy to store images with a lot of potential. Just like film negatives, digital negatives offer clients a blank canvas. These files have had very minor editing, if any at all. Unlike the images you see on my blog and galleries, digital negatives are lacking the retouching and editing process. These blank canvases do have lots of potential and provide our clients with a copy of the photos that can withstand a lifetime. Many of our clients want these files because they want to print the photos off themselves, or post their photos on Facebook, MySpace, or a personal blog/website. We offer our clients the opportunity to do whatever you please with these digital negatives as long as you do obey the copyright release. A copy of our copyright release will accompany the digital negatives if client chooses this option.
What our clients CAN and CAN’T do with the digital negatives (even with the copyright release):
Derrick Tribbey Photography retains the copyright to every image taken. This means that copyright ownership cannot be sold to any person, for any price, under federal law. A client who purchases digital negatives will receive the images on a disc, accompanied by a written copyright release. This release permits the client to use the images for certain purposes that include making prints or other photo products, posting them to a website, or for other “personal” use. The release is specific to the person purchasing the digital negatives, and cannot be duplicated for others’ use. In other words, the copyright release is not transferable to anyone else. Images cannot be emailed or copied for others to print themselves. Only the bride and groom (or purchaser of digital negatives) are allowed to use the images. Digital negatives are not to be sold to friends and family members, bridal magazines, other wedding vendors, or websites. If you would like an images submitted to a magazine, we would be more than happy to submit it on your behalf. In addition, our clients are not permitted to make significant changes to the digital negatives. We are professionals and ask that you leave the editing to us. Derrick Tribbey Photography has the sole authority to sell or distribute images that we own.
What exactly does “editing” a photo entail?
Photo editing can mean so many different things to so many different people. Derrick Tribbey Photography wants to clarify our editing process. Photo editing can include changing color hues, increasing contrast, removing facial blemishes, adjusting color balance, erasing distracting backgrounds, removing glare, slimming down unattractive body parts, adding special effects and the list goes on and on. When working with photo editing software, the possibilities become endless. Most of our images proceed through two rounds of editing. Minor edits are made before images are placed online for proofing. We will pick out our favorite images and do major editing to give you a clearer understanding of what the final product will look like. These FAVORITES will also be included in the proofs. All images ordered for prints will be edited and retouched to resemble the look of the FAVORITES. We hope this clears up all misunderstanding of digital negatives, copyrights, and editing. If you have any questions, feel free to email us.