Personal, internal, press and advertising uses of photographs

"We will use the photographs for the company" sounds clear. It is not. A staff newsletter, a news article and a billboard are all "for the company", yet they reach different people and carry different risks.

This guide belongs to our overview of event photography privacy, permission and image use. It helps you name each use so permissions can match.

The four common uses

Use	Audience	Typical examples	Care needed
Personal	Family and friends	Albums, private messages, prints	Low
Internal	Staff, members, committee	Newsletter, report, intranet	Moderate
Press	The public, through an editor	News article, magazine	Higher
Advertising	The public, paid promotion	Billboard, paid social ad, brochure	Highest

The categories overlap. A report may be internal when written and public once uploaded. Define the audience each time.

Personal use

Personal use stays in private hands. A family album, a framed print, a message to relatives. It is the simplest case. Even here, think about forwarding. A private gallery link can travel further than intended, and our guide on private gallery access and onward sharing explains how to control it.

Internal use

Internal use means communication inside an organisation. Name who counts as inside. Staff only? Members and volunteers? Contractors? Guests?

Internal reports also leave the building. A board paper may be shared with a funder, and a newsletter may be forwarded. Decide whether that is acceptable. Our guide on using event photographs for business and reporting looks at common internal and reporting uses.

Press use

When photographs go to the press, an editor decides what appears and how. You cannot control the caption, the crop or the page. Supply clear captions and agree what you are willing to release.

Press photographs also need accurate context and names. See what makes an event photograph suitable for press use. Check that the people shown and the venue are comfortable with media use.

Advertising use

Advertising means paying to promote something. A recognisable person in a campaign is a different matter from the same person in a record of the event. Seek qualified advice before using identifiable guests in ads, and read using recognizable event photographs in paid advertising.

What to state for each use

For every use on your list, write down four things.

1. Audience. Who will see it?
2. Purpose. What is it meant to do?
3. Place or medium. Print, web, social, signage.
4. Duration. For one campaign, one year or no fixed end.

If you cannot answer them, the use is not ready to be agreed. Our post-event image use planner gives a form for this.

A worked example

For example, a residents' association hires a photographer for an anniversary tea. It lists these uses: a private gallery for members, a printed booklet, a page on its website and a news story about the anniversary.

The first two are personal and internal. The website page is public, so the association asks attendees who appear in close portraits. The news story needs captions and names, so the association checks spellings with the people concerned. It does not list advertising, so none is permitted unless it asks again.

When uses change later

New ideas arise. A photograph taken for a newsletter may later look good for a poster. Treat that as a new request. Check the agreement, ask the people shown if they are identifiable and record the answer in the image-use and approval register.

Common mistakes with uses

Three mistakes appear often. The first is treating "our website" as internal. A website is public unless it sits behind a login. The second is assuming a use that was fine last year is fine now. Check the agreement each time. The third is forgetting that a screenshot or a forwarded file can travel. Plan for that when you set the audience.

A fourth is mixing up the use with the person. A photograph of a senior guest in a thank-you note is a different thing from the same face in a paid campaign, even if the picture is identical.

Your written scope

Our quotation states the permitted uses for your booking, so you can see what is included. Ask us before you step outside that list, and we will tell you plainly what a wider use needs.