Q: If I hire a photographer for my company, do I really need to worry about GDPR?
"Yes. If people can be recognized in the photos, it’s personal data. That means you need a clear contract (with GDPR rules, not just copyright), or you could get fines and lose control of your images."
Francesco Cattaneo
When a Photoshoot Becomes Data Processing
Hiring a photographer looks like a creative call. But the outcome is not just images; it is data. Staff, clients, even blurred figures in the background all count as personal data under GDPR if they can be identified. Every shoot is therefore a data-processing act, with legal duties you cannot sidestep.
Who Decides What: Controller vs. Processor
The line is clear. Your company is the controller, because you decide how and why the photos will be used, website, LinkedIn, or glossy brochure. The photographer is the processor: they capture, edit, store, and deliver only on your instructions. Article 28 GDPR requires that relationship to be formalised in a Data Processing Agreement (DPA).
The Invisible Steps That Count as Processing
Photographers do more than press a shutter. They retouch, crop, store files on local drives or in the cloud, and use transfer tools to deliver results. Each step processes personal data, regardless of artistic intent.
The DPA You Cannot Skip
Any contract with a photographer involving identifiable people must either include DPA clauses or attach a standalone DPA. A serious DPA defines:
- Scope and Purpose: from shooting to editing to delivery.
- Security Standards: storage, encryption, deletion timelines.
- Sub-processors: cloud providers, freelance retouchers.
- End of Assignment: deletion or return of all data.
The Risks of Ignoring It
The DPA is not paperwork for its own sake. Without it, you expose your company to regulatory fines, reputational damage, and a loss of control over where photos circulate.
| Risk Area | If Ignored | Impact on SMEs |
|---|---|---|
| No DPA | Processing unlawful under Art. 28 | Regulator fines; reputational damage |
| No deletion rules | Photos linger indefinitely | Breach of storage limits; loss of control |
| Hidden sub-processors | Unclear data flow | Liability if third party misuses images |
| Copyright only, no data clause | Contract incomplete | Dual exposure: copyright + GDPR risk |
Two Contracts in One: Copyright and GDPR
Every photographer you hire wears two hats: artist and data processor. Copyright clauses alone do not cover your exposure. Treat the contract as layered: intellectual property rights on one side, GDPR duties on the other.
Staying Ahead
Photography is art, but also compliance. Ignore the second half, and you are gambling with fines and trust. Combine copyright clauses with a GDPR-compliant DPA, and you protect not only creativity but your business itself.
Quick Checklist for SMEs
- Identify personal data in every shoot.
- Attach a DPA to the contract.
- Define storage, transfer, and deletion rules.
- Approve or reject any sub-processors.
- Never separate copyright from GDPR duties.
Francesco Cattaneo is a qualified Italian lawyer with a Laurea in Law from the University of Florence and full Italian Bar certification (Esame di Stato). He began his career at Studio Legale Saverio Bartoli, advising on civil litigation, wealth planning, and trust law before transitioning into international compliance roles.
He later served as Legal Project Manager at Justlex, GDPR Consultant at DPO Consultancy, and Project & Compliance Manager at Tribal Agency, gaining hands-on experience across privacy law, AI regulation, and digital risk in Italy, the UK, and the Netherlands.
A graduate of Tilburg University’s Master in Law & Technology and CIPP/E-certified, Francesco combines legal depth with strategic clarity.
