Licensing of Images

For use by individuals or organizations

Dear user of my photographs:

Lewis Hine (1874-1940), considered as the “father” of social documentary photography, said there were two things he wanted to accomplish with his photography: “show the things that had to be appreciated; and show the things that had to be corrected.” Over the years this has become part of my credo as a photo artist.

I earn my living by licensing editorial images for publication by a variety of organizations, including institutions, not-for-profit organizations, publishers, magazines, print media, and electronic media.

In recent years, there has been a growing expectation by many users that images should be provided free of charge, a phenomenon fuelled by easy access of images on the internet. I am frequently asked to provide gratis contributions of my work “for the greater cultural or social good”.

Too often my pictures have been used without my permission, ostensibly because…“they were easily available on the internet.” Users may not be aware that this is an infringement of copyright, which is unethical and unlawful, including the “casual” piracy of pictures off the internet.

I believe firmly in the social dimension of the art of photography, and will continue to support community-based organizations with editorial images. But due to the dramatic increase for requests for free usage of images, I regret that I can no longer provide images without fair compensation.

As a member of the Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective, I use adhere their suggested minimum fee schedule as a guide: http://www.carfac.ca/tools/fees/

My sincere thanks to those who have supported my work in the past, and I look forward to further and new collaborations.

Vincenzo Pietropaolo