Who owns the image copyright?

In general, the person who creates an original work owns the copyright. For example:

• A photographer is usually the copyright owner of any photographs they take, regardless of the subject.
• If you create an original work of art in any form, you likely own the copyright of that artwork.

In the creative industry, there are some common misconceptions about copyright ownership. For example:

• If you are a model appearing in a photo, that doesn’t mean you own the copyright of that photo. The photographer typically owns the copyright and has the right to post it with or without the model's permission unless there is a signed agreement stating otherwise.
• If you paid a photographer for a personal photo shoot, you do not necessarily own the copyright of the images taken during the session. The photographer typically owns the copyright and has the right to post the images with or without your permission unless there is a signed agreement stating otherwise.
• If you participated in an editorial project with a group of collaborators, you may not own the copyright of the images that were produced. The photographer is likely the owner of any and all photos taken during the shoot and has the right to post the images with or without the team's permission unless there is a signed agreement stating otherwise.

There are some situations in which the photographer will share or grant copyright to another individual, but this requires a signed agreement.