08/10/2026
I thought about writing my own article about this important issue, but I don't think I could have phrased it any better than this photographer has.
'Everyone who goes to work deserved to be paid' ❤️
School photos - Photographers will soon stop working in schools and nurseries!
I watched a piece on This Morning today where Ben and Cat were discussing people using AI to remove watermarks from school photographs.
And I was genuinely disappointed that one rather important part seemed to be missing from the conversation. Copyright.
Just because technology now makes it incredibly easy to remove a watermark does not mean the image suddenly belongs to you or that it’s okay to use it without paying for it.
I don’t photograph in schools or nurseries anymore and things like this are one of the reasons why.
Think about what actually happens before that school photograph lands in front of you.
A photographer has gone to work that day. They’ve bought the equipment. They’ve spent time setting everything up. They’ve photographed potentially hundreds of children, including taking the time to settle nervous little ones, coax out smiles and attempt to get a decent photograph in a tiny amount of time.
Then there’s the editing, uploading, admin, ordering systems, software, insurance, travel, equipment and everything else that goes into providing that service.
And yes, you might look at £20 -30 for a digital image and think that’s a lot of money for one photograph.
But that amount doesn’t just land in the photographer’s pocket and given how many are doing it now - very little is going to that photographer.
There are overheads. There may be a percentage going back to the school. If the photographer is working through a larger company, there’s their cut too. Then there’s tax and all the other costs of actually running a business.
A lot of the photographers doing this are self employed people and small businesses simply trying to earn a living from their work.
So as we approach school photo time, if you’re tempted to take the preview and use AI to remove the watermark, obviously I can’t stop you.
I can only ask that you consider paying for the digital. It also keeps your child safer by not running their image through ChatGpt
Please consider the actual person behind that camera who has gone to work that day and is working their arse off to earn a living, just like everybody else.
Because every time somebody does it, we move another tiny step towards photographers deciding that school photography simply isn’t worth doing anymore.
And eventually it won’t be about whether you think £20 for a school photograph is too expensive.
There might not be a photographer there to take it in the first place.
AI is incredible technology.
But being able to do something doesn’t make it right.
Please pay photographers for their work. 📸🤍 Everyone who goes to work should be paid.
