Stand Out in Your Industry

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I am Meghan LaPrairie, a personal brand photographer who specializes in helping women entrepreneurs build their businesses with stunning photography.

I know that as a female entrepreneur, you are always looking for ways to stand out in your industry.

And I believe the best way to showcase your unique brand is with beautiful, customized photography. My photography is designed to capture the essence of your business and your brand. These photographs will help you connect with your target audience on a deeper level and build trust and credibility whether on your website, flyers or on social media. I believe the best way to showcase your unique brand is with beautiful, customized photography.

I have worked with a variety of sustainable and holistic businesses and I know how important it is to feel passionate about the work that you create.

I am also a strong believer in giving back. That is why I donate a portion of my profits to local charities that support women in the community.

Let your brand stand out!

If you are ready to take your business to the next level with stunning personal brand photography, reach out to connect with me. I would love to discuss your next project and how I can help you achieve your goals.

Launching a new look, program or brand? Let’s collaborate!

I continue to work with a limited number of families per year for lifestyle sessions. Reserve your spot today as they are quickly booking up.

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How To Protect Your Work as a Photographer

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Guest blog post by Mike Floeck of Siege Media

Read on for all you need to know about trademark, copyright and patents.

In the current digital era, technological rights are increasingly relevant to economic prosperity. What many photographers don’t realize is that photography is actually a protected art form under intellectual property law. So let’s break down some of the most important things to know along with key steps to navigating intellectual property.

It is worth noting that protecting your intellectual property also means being able to legally dispute its ownership.  

Whether you are an entrepreneur or you work with a company, the value of protecting your work may be one of the most understated notions you learn about. This is why we will go over some of the key principles of intellectual property, and how they apply to you. 

Main Types of Intellectual Property

Copyright As defined by the United States Copyright Office, copyright safekeeps any type of work that is a completely authentic production of authorship. Examples include anything from books and musical compositions, to computer software and theatrical pieces. 

Patent Patents are typically more commonly associated with innovation and scientific discovery. The process of patenting is deeply connected to the historical development of the United States. 

Trademark For the most part, anything not classified as copyright or patent is often considered a trademark. Examples include brand logos, company names, key phrases or slogans, and specific words. This is where we draw our attention when photography is concerned.    

While it may appear obvious which one of these protections best fits your work, that is not always the case. If you are unsure which type of intellectual property best applies to your case, a little digging can help determine which one is for you. 

Ways To Protect Your Intellectual Property Once you have figured out which type of intellectual property best applies to your work, it’s time to start looking into ways to file. For a photography business logo or name, it’s most likely always a trademark, while photographs are protected with copyrights.

There are two main ways you can go about registering your trademark. It’s always best to consult an attorney prior to filing, and make sure that there isn’t something that already exists with a similar claim to the content you’re attempting to protect. This will ultimately ensure that you are granted proper protection on your creation, and contribute to the longevity of your authentic credentials and punitive access. 

Filing Your Trademark All trademarks are filed through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. 

You can file on your own, potentially expediting the process and reducing fees, or you can work with a lawyer. The important thing to note here is that the trade-off of working with a lawyer is that it saves you from the likelihood of incurring fees later on due to details from overlooked parts of your application. 

In other words, when filing your application, understanding the legal protocols and being able to foresee any future challenges are key to infringement prevention. This is why you may choose to consider hiring someone to assist you with the filing process of your trademark application. 

If you are hesitant to file due to lack of resources to hire a lawyer or attorney, then another option is to do a preliminary filing before handing it over to have them complete the process. 

Luckily, LegalZoom aids with intellectual property registration, and makes the process straightforward to navigate. 

Ultimately, you do not want your artwork to be susceptible to intellectual theft. Filing for a trademark on your photographs, whether they are digital or not, is a key factor in enabling the longevity of the authentic recognition of your work.