Photography with Integrity
There is a reason you will see me repeat the use of images from the same gallery.
There is a reason you won't see many underaged subjects in my portfolio.
There is a reason I am not wildly active on social media.
Privacy by Default
To align my service offering with my own personal values on privacy and technology, I have decided to go against the industry grain and offer privacy of your gallery by default in our contract.
What this Means for You
You may have found me on Instagram, Pinterest, or Google. You may have reached out or explored my website because of the images that caught your eye. What you need to know is that I have explicit permission from my clients to share these with you as part of my portfolio. I will even photograph projects on my own time and at my own expense to showcase for you the sorts of galleries you might expect for yourself.
Why?
Because I care about my client's privacy more than I care about marketing with your images. I care because I hold the same values when it comes to my own images of my wedding, family, and self. When I sit with the discomfort of asking clients to sign away their rights to their likeness as if it's "standard", ethically, I feel a huge strain. I've also discussed with event planners and clients alike how a privacy clause would make their clients feel better about considering Lumenali (Alison) as their photographer. Now that it's common knowledge that the internet is continuously scraped for AI training data, it adds a whole other layer to the complexities of marketing with client's personal and private moments.
Conversations around this topic has confirmed my gut feeling:
People don't experience image-sharing as "neutral" anymore, especially years after the fact.
Your online photos are:
- Identity artifacts
- Relationship artifacts
- Family history
- Potential grief landmines
- Permenantly searchable objects
That's why when we work together, you can expect:
Sessions are Private as Standard
Although photographers "own the copyright" legally, ethically, at Lumenali, it belongs with the client.
Sharing Permissions are Optional
Of course, I would LOVE permission to share some of the beauty we created together.
However, this is completely optional and within your right to comfortably deny when purchasing my services.
Signing a model release should feel like a conscious collaboration, not a loophole you're backed into.
Collaboration that Benefits Everyone
If you're comfortable approving 12-15 images I can use for my portfolio, you will benefit as well:
You can choose from:
- Shop Credit
- Album Upgrade
- Licensing Credit toward your invoice
(amounts/options differ depending on your project.)
Freedom to Request Consent Withdrawal
When you license your image use to me after the purchase of my services, it comes with an end date.
This means that you won't see your images published years later without notice or reissuing consent.
Why is this important?
Your photos are yours. You chose me, planned, did the work + executed, and paid for your experience. These memories are yours.
Your vulnerability should never be exploited.
Relationships change, families evolve, people pass away, identities change. Portfolios freeze moments in time but your real life keeps on moving along.
Your images are data. AI has changed the risk profile of sharing images online.
You are my client and you put your trust in me. I don't take that for granted.
You are the Gatekeeper
What feels comfortable to share today may change as time goes on.
I operate in a way that reflects my own personal values in business relationships.
My offers are designed to protect your comfort and privacy first.
If privacy matters to you, you're in the right place.
