We need to talk about a trend that is poisoning the photography community: photographers using other people’s images to advertise their own “themed sessions.”
You see an ad for Valentine’s Day Mini’s or a Mother and Daughter session, but the photo used to sell it wasn’t taken by the person running the ad. It was pulled from Pinterest, Instagram or a fellow photographer’s portfolio listing it as “For Inspo.”
This isn’t “finding inspiration.” It’s Photography copyright infringement and consumer fraud.
1. You Are Misleading Your Clients
When a client books you based on a stolen image, they are expecting that level of lighting, that level of editing, and that level of creative direction. If you haven’t actually produced that work, you are setting yourself up to fail and setting your client up for disappointment. You are selling a lie.
2. The Legal Reality: It’s Not Yours
Under copyright law, the person who presses the shutter owns the image. Just because you found it on a “public” platform doesn’t make it free for your commercial use. Using another photographer’s work to advertise your services is the fastest way to get a “Cease and Desist” or a lawsuit.
3. Build Your Own Aesthetic, Don’t Borrow One
If you want to run a themed session but don’t have the portfolio for it yet, do a styled shoot. Hire a model, trade your time, and create the work yourself.
- Earn your clout. * Own your art. * Respect the hustle of the photographers who came before you.
Using someone else’s work to shortcut your growth doesn’t make you an artist; it makes you a thief.
The Liz Uniques Promise: 100% Original, 100% Mine
When you browse my portfolio, my social media, or even the images I use for my advertisements, you are looking at my eye, my hands, and my heart. In an industry where “inspo” photos are often used to bait-and-switch clients, I refuse to play that game. Every single pixel you see across my brand was captured by my own camera.
Why does this matter to you? Because it means I’m not selling you a fantasy I can’t recreate. I am showing you exactly what I am capable of delivering. When you book a session with me, you aren’t getting a “lite” version of someone else’s Pinterest board; you are getting the high-quality, professional standard I have spent years perfecting.
Integrity Behind the Lens
I believe that a photographer’s portfolio is their bond. If I haven’t shot it, I don’t post it. This level of integrity is what sets a professional apart from a hobbyist. You deserve a photographer who respects the craft enough to do the work themselves. When you choose Liz Uniques Photography, you are choosing authenticity, originality, and a guarantee that the “vibe” you fell in love with is the one that will show up at your session.
