Maria Piscopo

“I actually think that, as a society, we have a relatively clear understanding of copyright basics.”

Over the course of writing this column, I have received many questions on rights—copyrights, licensing rights, privacy rights, and model releases. When you contract with a client for photographic services, knowledge of these issues is critical to your business success and...

All of the photography business owners I spoke with emphasized that they need good assistants as much as the assistants need them. They mentioned two things above all: do good follow-up when looking for work and, when you get a job, stay focused on the shoot. Another common concern was the lack of marketing information for the photo assistant trying to find work with a photographer. Hopefully...

Editorial photography can be broadly defined as images created to illustrate a magazine or newspaper story. For many photographers it is a highly sought-after career, perhaps because of the newsstand exposure factor and perhaps because photographers invariably receive printed credit for their images. But the main reason is that photographers get a chance to do what they really want to do most:...

Portrait photography clients live in two distinct worlds: consumer clients and commercial clients. The time, energy, and attention required to market to each is so consuming that many photographers gravitate toward one or the other. Consumer portraits include family, children, and high school seniors. Commercial portraits range from editorial, celebrity, and advertising clients. Though they are...