Photographer and Videographer Websites: Galleries and Copyright

Who owns commissioned photos in Singapore

The Ministry of Law's commencement release for the Copyright Act 2021 says commissioned creators of photographs, portraits, engravings, sound recordings and films are the first owners of copyright by default from 21 November 2021, unless their contract with the commissioning party says otherwise. Before that date, the commissioning party was the default owner for these works.

IPOS's ownership page puts it simply: the author generally owns the copyright, including when paid to create the work, subject to a contract that says someone else will own it.

What clients can do with photos they commissioned

The Ministry of Law release says commissioning parties can continue to use the work for the purpose it was commissioned, regardless of who owns copyright. Its example is couples using their wedding photos for personal use. IPOS's factsheet gives a corporate example: a company that hires a photographer for an event to produce marketing material can use the photos for that purpose, while the photographer keeps copyright and may use them for their own portfolio or licence copies, subject to the PDPA.

Disputes start at the edges: a couple's photos ending up in a venue's advertising, or event photos used in a later product campaign. Spell out the permitted uses in the contract so neither side has to argue about what 'the purpose' was.

Licence clauses to put in your quotation or contract

Most disputes come from quotations that only list hours, deliverables and price. Add a short rights section. Have a lawyer review your standard terms once; then reuse them.

If a corporate client insists on owning copyright, that is a valid commercial choice, but it is usually priced higher than a licence. Our guide to getting website and domain access back from an agency shows what happens when ownership is not written down, from the client's side.

PDPA consent for portfolio and event photos

Owning copyright does not mean you can publish photos of people anywhere. Both the Ministry of Law and IPOS say other laws still apply, and that a photographer must get consent from the people in a photograph before using it for other purposes, such as a portfolio.

PDPC's Advisory Guidelines for Selected Topics (Chapter 4) add detail:

• A professional photographer at a private event generally needs consent, unless shooting on behalf of a client under a written contract, in which case the photographer acts as the client's data intermediary.
• Photos taken at events or places open to the public may fall under the 'publicly available' exception, though PDPC suggests getting consent as good practice.
• PDPC recommends consent in writing or recorded in a way you can refer to later.
• IPOS notes that photographers cannot require clients to give consent beyond what is reasonable to provide the service, and people can withdraw consent.

In practice: add an optional portfolio-consent tick box to your booking form, keep a simple model release for featured guests, and remove a photo promptly if someone asks.

Client galleries: delivery with passwords and expiry

Private galleries are where clients view, choose and download their photos. They protect both sides if you set them up carefully.

1. 1

   One private gallery per client

   Not listed on your site or search engines. Most gallery platforms and website builders offer hidden or password-protected galleries.

2. 2

   Password or PIN for downloads

   Let guests view, but require a download PIN for full-resolution files so only the client can download everything.

3. 3

   Set an expiry date

   State it in the contract and the delivery email, for example 60 or 90 days, then archive or delete.

4. 4

   Watermark previews, not final files

   Watermark proofing images; deliver clean files once paid.

5. 5

   Record consent choices

   Mark which galleries the client agreed you may use for your portfolio.

Expiry also limits your PDPA exposure: a gallery of identifiable guests left online for years is personal data you are still responsible for protecting.

Portfolio pages and image protection

A portfolio should load fast and show your best work, without exposing full-resolution files.

If you mix in AI-generated images for mood boards or backgrounds, be clear which are AI. Our guide to AI image generators and commercial use covers the licensing side.

Do it yourself or get help?

A builder template plus a gallery platform is enough for many photographers. The parts that need care are the booking form with consent options, page speed with large images, and keeping galleries private. Our guide to website costs in Singapore gives realistic budgets.

Our Business Website (S$1,490) builds up to six pages with portfolio galleries, an enquiry form and on-page SEO. If you want client galleries with download PINs, expiry and consent records built around your workflow, a Custom Tool or Dashboard (from S$1,990) can do that.