As a way to gain customers’ trust and ensure their right to privacy, Flytographer and its photographers never publish photos unless the customer has explicitly written in their feedback form that we can. This includes on websites, portfolios, social media, marketing materials, private community forums and private messaging apps.  

We know that in typical wedding or commercial photography, or such as the case may be in your own private business, clients sign an agreement before the shoot that allows the photographer to publish and share images where and how they see fit (portfolios, social media etc). In contrast, Flytographer gives every customer the opportunity to view their images first and then decide if they will allow them to be shared. If they do agree to share, you are able to publish the images in your portfolio and social media; if they decide to keep them private, they are not to be shared anywhere by either you or Flytographer. 

While we know it can be extremely frustrating and disheartening to not be able to share your work, especially when the photos have turned out so beautifully and you are so proud of them, we take people’s privacy very seriously. Know that the majority of our customers do allow for sharing, so if you have to keep some galleries private, our advice is just keep looking forward to future shoots and providing exceptional customer service that will make your customers enthusiastic about sharing.

Flytographer is contractually liable for customers’ privacy; it is extremely important that photographers are fully aware of and participate in our sharing policy. Please carefully read the FAQ below so that you don’t mistakenly publish work that is marked private. 

I’VE JUST FINISHED A SHOOT. WHEN CAN I SHARE THE PHOTOS?

Until we receive the customer’s written feedback and find out whether they agree to share, all images must stay private. You can see feedback status in your dashboard (see below). If the customers have said no to sharing or they never fill in their feedback form, Flytographer and photographers cannot share anywhere. If they say yes to sharing all or part of their gallery, you may share the photos that are not marked “private” on your portfolio, blog or social media.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT’S SHAREABLE?

✨ MOST IMPORTANT! ✨

Scroll down the page until you see the gallery. At the top, it will tell you whether all photos are shareable or only some are shareable. If it’s a shareable photo, you will see a download icon when you hover over it; if it’s not shareable, you will see a red PRIVATE flag on it and it will not be downloadable.

CAN I PUT SHAREABLE PHOTOS ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA?

Photographers can publish their Flytographer photos on social media provided you adhere to our sharing policies:

1. You must credit the photo as a Flytographer shoot. Please write something along the lines of “Photo shoot for @flytographer” in the copy of your social media post and tag us. (You can find all our social media links on the right-hand side in the footer of this page.)
2. Please wait at least 30 days after you receive the feedback before you publish. Please see the date on which you may share the photos in your dashboard.
3. Do not publish any Flytographer photos with watermarks from your own business.

CAN I COMMENT ON MY CUSTOMER’S SOCIAL WHEN THEY POST THE PHOTOS?

As fun as it is to see your Flytographer photos out in the world, we ask you to please not comment on posts, including ours. (One exception: if a customer has already tagged you in their post and you wish to respond as a matter of courtesy, then we understand it would be unfriendly not to reply.) From a business standpoint, this allows potential customers who are following the post to try to bypass Flytographer and connect with your brand directly. As everyone on the team has signed our contract with a specific non-compete clause (section 1.5) to not solicit business for yourself with our customers, commenting can be seen as a form of soliciting. When hired to shoot one of our customers, you are acting as a representative of Flytographer, not of your own brand.

We respect that you have your own business and set of customers, and we do credit you as a Flytographer on our site and in our social media; we ask that you also respect our marketing efforts so that we can continue to grow and send you business. 🤗

HOW DO I UPDATE MY PORTFOLIO WITH SHAREABLE PHOTOS?

We have a whole resource page on updating your portfolio, which you can find right here.

CAN I SHARE THE PHOTOS OTHER THAN ON MY PORTFOLIO AND SOCIAL?

When customers agree to share their photos, they give us different levels of sharing permission; most opt for sharing on our website and your personal portfolio only. Sometimes they will give permission to allow images on outside sites, but this is less common. The most important thing to remember is that for all Flytographer shoots, the contract is between the customer and the company, and therefore Flytographer is legally responsible for the customer’s privacy.

To this end, even if customers have agreed to share, photos are NOT to be shared on another company’s business page or social unless special permission has been given by the customer to Flytographer. In this case, Flytographer can share on other brands’ pages, but we ask that photographers only share on their own social media and website to avoid any sharing permission mixups.

THE CUSTOMER GAVE ME SHARING PERMISSION VERBALLY ON THE SHOOT/IN A TEXT MESSAGE. CAN I SHARE?

Unfortunately you cannot share any photos until Flytographer receives written permission through our feedback form and it is posted on your dashboard. Flytographer is legally responsible for our customers’ privacy, and the contract for the shoot is between Flytographer and the customer.

If customers give you verbal permission or text you permission, please let them know they must fill in Flytographer’s written feedback form in order for you to share the work. They can find the feedback link in the same email with their original gallery link and in their dashboard.

CAN I ASK THE CUSTOMER FOR FEEDBACK?

Absolutely! In fact, a customer is much more likely to submit their feedback form if the request comes directly from you – the photographer they’ve met and now adore! You have a couple of opportunities for requesting a customer to leave feedback:

1. Right after the shoot, when you say goodbye to each other! You can let the customer know that you had a great time and that they can expect to see their full gallery within 5 business days. You could add that you would be honoured to receive their feedback to help you grow as a photographer. Once the photos are ready, they will find the link to the feedback form in the same email with their gallery as well as in their dashboard.

2.  In the customer inbox in your dashboard. The inbox is open until you upload your gallery, so before it closes, you could write them a quick note saying again how much you enjoyed their shoot and look forward to hearing their thoughts on the photos and experience with you. Remind them they will get a feedback link in the gallery email when the photos are ready.

3. When you are uploading their gallery, you can write them a personal note that gets delivered along with the gallery email. We recommend saving a snippet on your computer that you can copy and paste into each gallery submission that says something like this: “Thank you for such a wonderful shoot! I hope you love the photos as much as I do. I would be so grateful if you would also complete your feedback form found in this email. It really helps me grow and work with more amazing people like you!”

I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS.

Please email us at photographer@flytographer.com

Header photo: Sandra & Kris in Kona