Legal Issues Photographers NEED to Know to Thrive with Paige Griffith.

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Episode 12: Show Notes.

As creatives, our minds do not naturally go to the practical side of things, and these tasks may even overwhelm us. But it is incredibly important to realize that when you are a photographer, you are a business owner as well, which means you have to make the necessary provisions for your venture to thrive. Today’s guest, Paige Griffith, is the owner of The Legal Paige, a virtual law firm, where she teaches small business owners the legal way to run their operations. As a photographer herself, Paige has used her law degree to fill a gap in the market by providing legal advice and educational material for photographers. In this episode, Paige outlines some pertinent legal issues photographers need to be aware of. We discuss how LLCs are different from Sole Proprietorships and the importance of separating your business from your personal assets. The liability protection an LLC offers is crucial in ensuring that you, as an individual, stay safe. We also cover contracts, why you cannot share them with other photographers, and how to ensure you get reputable ones. Throughout the conversation, Paige highlights the importance of getting sound legal advice and paying the necessary costs. As photographers, we would happily spend thousands of dollars on lenses and our legal protection is as important as our equipment. We round the show off by talking about copyright and watermarks. Be sure to tune in today!

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Key Points From This Episode:

•    Learn about Paige’s background and how she merged her photography and legal skills.

•    How Paige has grown The Legal Paige so quickly and her tips for other business owners.

•    The differences between an LLC and a Sole Proprietorship and the pros and cons of each.

•    The ideal time it takes to transition from a Sole Proprietorship to an LLC.

•    Some of the most common legal mistakes that Paige sees new business owners making.

•    Understanding the repercussions of a breach of contract either as the photographer or from clients.

•    Why Paige cautions against sharing contracts and how to get one from a reputable source.

•    The importance of getting legal advice from a lawyer with niched industry expertise.

•    Some of the key inclusions that should be in your legal contract.

•    Why you shouldn’t use the same contract for different jobs Each job has specific risks.

•    The legalities around copyright and why it’s good to have a watermark on a widely downloaded image.

•    Paige’s take on why watermarks aren’t good for social media images.

•    Be sure to check the metadata of an image when you export it.

Tweetables:

“An LLC is almost the best and first insurance you can get for your business because you’re separating it from your personal assets.” — Paige Griffith [0:10:46]

“You really, really want to seek out and find a reputable legal source that has lawyers behind that contract.” — Paige Griffith [0:18:25]

“Just be aware that you shouldn’t use just an overarching portrait session contract for everything because it might not include all the clauses that you need.” — Paige Griffith [0:22:23]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Legal Paige

Paige Griffith

Paige Griffith on Instagram

Paige Marie Photography

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