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Wedding Photographs - Strange request/advice

Mrs Bear 51

master brummie
Greetings - as you are a knowledgeable lot, I thought I would post my query here and see what your thoughts were.
I want to obtain copies of old wedding photographs to use in connection with my business, which would be used on social media.
I don't want anything much before 1930 but cannot think how best to source them, or even if it is possible to do so.
I am aware that copyright is a minefield and would ask permission for photos to be used on social media, with credit to the photographer where known (even if they are no longer with us).
As an aside, I am a keen family history researcher and have always thought that so many beautiful wedding pictures sit in a drawer or the loft never being seen and the names of the people in them lost with the passing generations. Any sharing would be linked to my business, but I'd love to get more old pictures out there.
Any thoughts, please?
Thank you.
 
Mrs Bear,

You're obviously aware of the copyright issue and copyright almost always remains with the photographer. The other thing is that if the photographs are going to be used to promote your business, you must make the copyright owner aware of this, and he/she may wish to charge a fee for their use on your website.

But it goes beyond copyright if the people featured in the photographs are still alive and especially if they are named. Every instance is going to be different and may involve a lot of research to trace living people. However, if you do slip up, it is generally sufficient to apologise profusely and remove the offending picture from your site.

Veering slightly off topic, we bought our house in Crete as a ruin 17 years ago from an agent out here who I knew. Ten years later I found it for sale on a rival agent's website, although the property had never been placed with them ever. But to make their portfolio of properties look bigger, copying from other sites is a common practice here. I stormed into their office and asked them what they were playing at. Result - profuse apologies, "must have been done by a staff member who no longer works for us", and they took if off their site immediately. You would be in a similar sort of position, so apologies and removal will suffice almost every time.

Maurice :cool:
 
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