The Rights That Come With Every Image
Your headshot is not supposed to sit in a folder and gather digital dust.
It is supposed to work.
On LinkedIn. On your company website. In proposals. In speaker bios. In press features. In marketing materials. In the places where people decide whether you look credible, current, and worth contacting.
That is why every qualifying headshot from Solaris Studios includes a 10-year non-exclusive image license.
This page explains what that means, what you can do with your images, what Solaris Studios retains, and how access works over time.
What Your Image License Includes
When you purchase a headshot from Solaris Studios, you receive a 10-year non-exclusive license to use your image for professional and personal purposes.
That means you can use your headshot in the places people normally need a professional portrait to appear, including:
- LinkedIn and other professional profiles
- Company websites and staff directories
- Press releases and media features
- Business cards and printed marketing pieces
- Speaker bios and conference materials
- Proposals, pitch decks, and presentations
- Email signatures
- Personal branding materials
- Social media used for professional purposes
In plain English: your headshot is licensed to be useful.
What Non-Exclusive Means
Your license is non-exclusive. That means you have the right to use the image during the license term, but Solaris Studios still retains copyright ownership of the photograph.
You are not buying the copyright.
You are buying broad, practical rights to use the image while Solaris Studios retains ownership of the original work.
This is standard in professional photography. It protects the creator’s rights while giving the client the ability to use the image in the real world.
Copyright Ownership
Solaris Studios retains full copyright to all photographs unless otherwise agreed in writing.
That means the original image remains the intellectual property of Solaris Studios, even though you have a broad license to use it.
If you would like to understand more about copyright generally, visit our Copyright page.
What You May Do With Your Headshot
During the 10-year license term, you may use your headshot broadly for your personal brand and professional identity.
You may also share it with your employer, marketing department, webmaster, publicist, or designer for normal professional uses connected to representing you.
Reasonable modifications for layout or placement are generally fine. Cropping, resizing, and normal design use are expected in the real world.
What You May Not Do With Your Headshot
Your image license does not allow you to:
- Sell the image as your own work
- Transfer copyright ownership to another person or company
- Claim authorship of the photograph
- License or resell the image as stock photography
- Use the image beyond the license term without renewal or replacement
The license is designed to give you practical freedom while respecting the legal and creative rights of the photographer.
Gallery Access for the Life of the License
One of the most useful parts of the Solaris Studios image license is this:
Your download gallery remains active for the full duration of your 10-year license.
That means you can return to the gallery and download your files again whenever you need them, without paying a re-download fee, as long as the license is still active.
This helps when people change jobs, update websites, send files to a new employer, or suddenly need a high-resolution version they did not need the first time.
Your headshot stays available because real careers are not static.
License Length and Renewal
Your image license lasts for 10 years from the date of purchase.
When that period ends, you should either stop using the image, renew the license, or update the headshot.
Solaris Studios offers two practical paths at that point:
- License Extension: You may extend the license on an existing headshot for an additional 10 years for 10% of the original purchase price.
- Discounted Update Session: Repeat clients may choose to refresh their headshot instead, which is often the better move when appearance, role, branding, or career direction has changed.
In most cases, a fresh headshot is the stronger choice. But the renewal option is there when continued use makes sense.
Why This Structure Exists
This license structure exists for a reason.
You need a headshot that is practical to use. Solaris Studios needs to protect the creative rights attached to the original photograph. A 10-year non-exclusive license does both.
It gives you broad, real-world usage rights without turning the legal side into a maze.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I own the copyright to my headshot?
No. Solaris Studios retains copyright ownership of the image. You receive a broad 10-year non-exclusive license to use it.
Can I use my headshot on LinkedIn, my website, and marketing materials?
Yes. Those are exactly the kinds of uses the license is designed to support.
Can I send my headshot to my employer or marketing team?
Yes. You may share the image for normal professional uses connected to representing you.
Can I alter the file?
Normal use adjustments such as cropping and resizing are fine. The license is intended to support practical professional use, not prevent it.
How long will my gallery stay online?
Your gallery remains active for the life of your 10-year license.
What happens after 10 years?
You may renew the license or update the headshot. Solaris Studios offers both options.
Final Word
Your headshot should be easy to use, easy to access, and legally clear.
That is the point of the Solaris Studios image license.
If you are ready to create a headshot worth using for the next decade, start with In-Studio Headshots, On-Location Headshots, or a Bespoke Executive Portrait.
