Photo usage and licensing
For couples, venues, wedding suppliers, press and commercial teams who would like to use a photograph made by Sharyn Hodges.
Ask first
Permission should be clear and written.
Credit properly
Name Sharyn and link back to the website.
Use only what was approved
The image, channel and purpose all matter.
The useful answer, without the legal fog.
Choose the section that fits. If the proposed use falls outside it, use the request form before publishing.
Before you use a photograph
Credit and permission are not the same thing. A credit identifies the photographer. Permission is the written approval that explains which photograph may be used, by whom, where and for what purpose.
Please request permission before downloading, copying, publishing, supplying or adapting a photograph unless a signed agreement with Sharyn already gives you that specific right.
Any written approval applies only to the use described in it. It does not automatically extend to another business, another campaign, another platform or a paid advertisement.
Agreement comes first. If this page differs from a signed photography agreement, release, licence or written approval, the signed document or specific written approval takes priority.
Venues, vendors and wedding suppliers
If Sharyn photographed your venue, flowers, styling, cake, dress, stationery, hair, make-up or another part of a wedding, she will often be happy for you to share selected photographs. Please ask before using them.
Send the image or gallery link, your business name, and where you would like the photograph to appear. If approved, Sharyn will confirm the permitted use in writing.
Unless the written approval says otherwise, permission does not include:
- Paid or boosted advertising
- Use by a parent company, partner brand, directory or other third party
- Resale, sublicensing, stock-library submission or inclusion in a product
- AI training, synthetic image generation or dataset use
- Recolouring, filters, presets, heavy retouching or composite artwork
A practical crop for the agreed format may be acceptable, but please do not remove a signature or change the colour and finish of the work.
Make the credit useful.
On a website, place the credit close to the photograph or in the page credits:
Photography by Sharyn Hodges
Copy-paste website code:
Photography by <a href="https://www.sharynhodges.com/">Sharyn Hodges</a>
On Instagram, tag @sharynhodgesphotography in the caption and on the image. If Sharyn supplies a specific credit line with the approval, use that version.
Couples and personal use
Your signed photography agreement and gallery terms explain how you may download, share, print and enjoy your photographs. Those documents control your personal-use rights and take priority over this page.
Please do not add filters, recolour the photographs or apply a new preset. If a crop does not suit a frame or platform, ask Sharyn for help with a version that protects the photograph.
Using wedding photographs to promote a company, product, service, sponsored partnership or paid campaign is not personal use. Please request written permission before using them for business.
Publication, portfolio and privacy arrangements are also governed by the signed agreement and any later written arrangement. If you are concerned about where an image has appeared, send Sharyn the link or screenshot so she can investigate.
Press and publications
To request an editorial feature, send the wedding or elopement link, the publication name, the planned feature, the deadline and the image specifications.
Use photographs only after written approval and only for the approved feature. The approval may specify image selection, resolution, delivery method, embargo, publication date and credit wording.
Please credit Sharyn with a live website link and credit the rest of the wedding team accurately. Images must not be recoloured, placed in misleading composites or supplied onwards without written permission.
A new article, special edition, syndication, commercial supplement or paid partner feature may need separate approval even when the publication has featured Sharyn’s work before.
Commercial licensing
Commercial use requires a separate written licence before publication. This can include advertising, sponsored content, tourism campaigns, packaging, books, products, directories, brand campaigns, paid social media and editorial use that promotes something beyond the photographed wedding itself.
There is no general rate card on this page. The scope can depend on the image, purpose, media, territory, duration, audience, paid spend, exclusivity and whether any third party needs access.
Send the details through the request form. Sharyn will confirm whether the photograph is available and, where appropriate, provide a written licence and fee.
Nothing on this page itself grants a commercial licence or transfers copyright ownership. Copyright ownership and permitted use can depend on applicable law, the circumstances of the commission and the written agreements between the relevant parties.
Tell Sharyn how the image will travel.
- The image, gallery or page link
- Your name, business and contact details
- The exact purpose and intended audience
- Website, social, print, product or other media
- Countries or territory where it will appear
- Start date and length of use
- Any paid media, boosted post or advertising spend
- Any exclusivity, adaptation or third-party access requested
Photo usage questions
If the answer depends on your contract or proposed use, send the request rather than guessing.
Is giving credit the same as having permission?
No. A credit identifies the photographer, but it does not create permission to use a photograph. Please request written approval before using an image unless your signed agreement already gives you that specific right.
How should I credit Sharyn Hodges?
On a website, use ‘Photography by Sharyn Hodges’ and link the name to https://www.sharynhodges.com/. On Instagram, tag @sharynhodgesphotography in the caption and on the image. The written approval may include a more specific credit line.
Can a venue or wedding supplier use a photograph?
Often, yes, but please ask first. Approval is specific to the business, image, channel and purpose confirmed in writing. It does not automatically include paid advertising, resale, onward supply or use by another company.
Can couples use photographs from their gallery?
A couple’s personal use rights are set out in the signed photography agreement and gallery terms. Those documents take priority over this page. Please ask before using wedding photographs to promote or sell a business, product or service.
What counts as commercial use?
Commercial use can include advertising, sponsored posts, tourism campaigns, packaging, books, products, directory listings, brand campaigns and other uses intended to promote or sell something. If you are unsure, send the details before publishing.
What should I include in a licence request?
Include the image or gallery link, who will use it, where it will appear, the intended purpose, the territory, the length of use, whether media spend is involved and whether exclusivity or third-party use is requested.
Ask before the photograph goes live.
You do not need legal language. Send the image, the intended use and the practical details. Sharyn can then give you a clear answer in writing.
Details submitted here are used to respond to this request. Please read the Privacy Policy.
Last reviewed 31 July 2026. This page explains Sharyn Hodges Photography’s permission process. It does not provide legal advice, replace a signed agreement or grant rights beyond a specific written approval.
