What happens to the photos taken by professionals if you don't buy them?

If you have ordered a print or a high quality digital file suitable for printing, then I archive the shot permanently. Other shots from the session are kept for 3 years in case the customer decides that they want a copy of shot that wasn't part of the original order. After that, they are erased. Everybody I know uses some variation of this approach.

In my contract, it states clearly that any images may be used by me for promoting my business or exhibition purposes.

No offense to anyone, but personal photos like portraits really have little commercial value to a photographer. For stock or advertising use, it's more effective to do the photographs specifically for that market. If there is something very special about the pictures, then the subject would be raised about their use commercially and an addendum to the contract would be executed or another, specific contract, written.

There are two things a professional photographer has to have to be and stay in business; reputation and skill. I don't know anyone who would jeapordize their reputation by using a customers images innappropriately, let alone court a law suit. Like I said, if we are any good we create our commercial work. After, it's what we do.

I think you can relax.

Vance

I don't know where the others are coming from with their comments, but most professional portrait photographers only catalog and save the images you purchase.

Although the photographer is protected against having the professional images copied, that does not give them license to market the images to others than the client without the subjects' permission (unless it's for "news"). Selling them to a stock house wouldn't only be unethical, but illegal as you probably didn't sign a release for public consumption (check your written contract or order).

Usually the photographer will archive them and/or use them for their portfolios. Any photographer who is selling their professional images to stock agencies or for editorials *without any type of a model release, or consent from the person being photographed is breaking the law.

YES the photographer owns the rights to those images - but only for you to buy. They cannot resell or use them w/out your permission, and if they are, sue the pants off them!

Hi! I don't know what work you had commissioned by a photographer, but believe me in my experience the work will be destroyed after a while. I am a pro. photographer and although I have not had any work turned down as such, I have been ripped off by some who have used my work without permission in ad. campaigns. They paid heavily!

like unused, unissued coins, they are melted down, turned into new film, and reused. But really...

Mostly these pictures are done on memory chips and this way, unused pics can be erased and used again and again.

i agree about not archiving every shot..however..if you ever had a portrait done say over 4-5 yrs ago..and that company went digital..they tossed everything. i wanted a reprint of my family and the studio said it dumped everything when it went digital...oh well.

they keep the unpurchased photos for their own portfolio

Photoshopped onto advertising... Most likely Mexico... Tijauna.... farm animals... hmmm... ?