Most people never read the usage rights section of a photographer's agreement. Then the marketing team asks for a photo for a conference program, a client wants a bio image for a press release, or someone spots a line in a contract that says "web use only," and suddenly it matters.
After 17 years behind the camera, here is the plain language version: what you can do with your headshots, where the limits are, and what to ask any photographer before you book.
The Short Answer: They Are Yours to Use
Every Turi Productions client receives a non-exclusive, perpetual license for personal and professional promotional use. In everyday language, once your images are delivered, you can use them to promote yourself and your work for as long as you like.
There is no renewal date and no annual fee. Nobody is going to email you in three years asking you to pay again for a photo you already paid for.
Where You Can Use Your Headshots
For most people, the everyday uses are the ones that matter, and they are all covered:
LinkedIn and other professional profiles
Your company's team page and directory
Portfolios and personal branding, including your own website and social media
Speaker bios, conference programs, and press materials that promote you or your work
Casting submissions, if you are an actor
If you are an actor or a founder building a body of work, that coverage goes a long way. It is the reason a good session keeps paying off long after the day itself. Actor headshots and personal branding portraits both come with the same license.
Where the Limits Are
The license is broad, but it does have edges. There are three worth knowing.
Paid advertising for someone else
Your headshot is licensed to promote you and your work. If an image is going into a paid advertising campaign for a third party, that needs written permission first. It is a different use than a team page, and it deserves its own conversation.
Reselling the image
Images cannot be resold. They are for you to use, not to pass along as stock or sell to someone else.
Filters and structural changes
Please do not run your final images through filters or apps that change the image itself. We spend real care getting you to look like yourself on a good day, and a filter undoes that quickly. If you want something beyond our standard retouching, ask us about custom edits instead.
What to Ask Any Photographer
Plenty of photographers handle this well. Still, usage terms are often the last thing anyone reads, and vague language or extra fees for different uses can turn an affordable quote into an expensive one later. Whether you work with us or someone else, these questions will get you clear answers:
How long does the license last, and does it ever need to be renewed?
Is my use limited to certain platforms, or to web only?
Are there added fees for press, print, or company use?
For team sessions, does the license sit with the company or with each person?
What happens to the images if someone leaves the company?
Can I see all of this in writing before I book?
A photographer who is comfortable with those questions is usually one you can trust with the rest of the job too.
A Note for Anyone Booking for a Team
If you are the HR lead or office manager running the project, write down where the images are headed before the session: website, directory, LinkedIn, pitch materials, press. If something on that list goes beyond normal promotional use, raise it early and we will sort it out in writing before anyone sits down in front of the camera.
The same goes for privacy. Our terms cover how studio images may appear in our own portfolio, so if your session needs to stay fully private, tell us in writing before the shoot.
For the rest of the planning, start with how to prepare your team for a corporate headshot day, and see how our corporate headshot days in NYC work.
The Bottom Line
You should never have to wonder whether you are allowed to use a photo of yourself. You can read the full language on our Studio Terms page, and if you have a use in mind that is not covered here, just ask before the shoot. When you are ready, book a session or request a team quote and we will take it from there.
