1; Why should we use stones imaging as our professional photographers ?
A; As the access to digital cameras becomes easier all the time, using an amateur photographer to take your all important commercial images is false economy.
The visual impact of quickly snapped images will pale into insignificance against professionally taken images to promote and support any clients business, products or services.
Quite simply, professional photography will sell your image, product or service - amateur photography will not.
At stones imaging, Alan & Keeley Stone are both fully trained professional photographers who understand how to visualize, create and capture images that promote the required message for any client and their business and our proven experience enables us to obtain successful results for any situation.
Also, the cost of professional photography is often a small percentage of an overall media or advertising budget, and the images we produce are exclusive to you. Images bought from a stock library will only be exclusive for you after negotiating a very expensive deal, which is often more expensive than commissioning a professional photographer.

2; How do stones imaging charge for professional photography services ?
A; There are no set charges for professional photography services. We have a daily rate, (with a half day rate), that we use to calculate our professional cost. We also take into account other factors to determine our cost, which include:

> How/where the work is to be used eg:- website, billboard, corporate literature, press etc.
> Length of time image/s are being used. eg:- six months, twelve months etc.
> The 'territory' where the image/s are being used eg: nationally, internationally, regional etc.

If the work is controlled by a tight budget, we will advise if it is realistic and what can be expected for that cost. Whatever the budget, the cost for other professionals such as models, make-up artist, set constructions, props, extensive travel, overnight accommodating that may be required will have to be charged for in addition to the photography fee, as will digital retouching and other post production work. All our photography costs are quoted in full and we give advice and assistance with collating all other required costs and model castings, if required.
Please do not be misled into thinking that shooting digitally, as we do, makes professional photography cheaper than shooting on conventional film. In order to produce high quality digital files the time factor and skills required are the same yet the capture, retouching, file selections & image sizing , CD/DVD production are all skills that are now required to maintain a professional imaging service and the investment into camera equipment, computers, software, upgrades & maintenance - as they are in other business sectors - are frequently required to maintain the standards required to produce professional results.

3; Who owns the copyright in images taken by stones imaging ?
A; In the same way authors, designers or musicians control who can reproduce their text, designs or music, photographers control who can reproduce their images. Authors of any original works own the copyright in their work, therefore stones imaging own the copyright in their imagery, as in the legislation - The Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988.

For indepth information on copyright ownership, please visit www.patent.gov.uk

Just as musicians own the copyright in their work, with licenses being issued to shopping malls, pubs, clubs etc., to play music, photographers in owning the copyright in their images also issue licenses to enable reproduction of their work. It is therefore paramount that perspective clients discuss their imaging requirements and fully brief us about where and how our images wish to be used. We will then willingly give a license that will reflect the media usage, (ie: website, brochure, billboard etc.), a time period of use and the 'territory' of usage, (ie: nationally, regional etc.). In return, this means that the images are exclusive to you and that stones imaging are unable to use any imagery, (other than for their own business promotion), shot for you during the specified time limit of the license - and beyond if this is made part of the licensing agreement.

4; Why don't we get the right to use your images wherever we want to ?
A; 'Unlimited use' is rare for any client to request as it would prove to be very expensive. stones imaging quote/s include agreed media usage, but an unrestricted license would include all possible media usage including videos, TV, CD/DVD's, Tee-shirts, billboards and more - 'worldwide' in terms of copyright, (see www.patent.gov.uk).
Also, if professional models are used in a shoot, their costs also reflect the usage to which the images they are in are used, so the total cost for a 'worldwide' license would be huge and you would be undoubtedly paying for something that you do not need and would be akin to buying an expensive sports car to make a journey when a taxi ride would be a fraction of the cost.

5; What if we want to use images for something we don't have a license for ?
A; If any images we produce exceed expectations and prove to be of unexpected further value, an extension of the usage/license can be easily negotiated with us, and we are more than happy to do so. Our guidelines for re-usage options are available on request.