A Surprise Encounter with My Own Work

The other day, while walking to the studio, I spotted a Tennent’s delivery lorry doing its rounds. But what really caught my eye wasn’t the lorry itself - it was the massive, 20-foot display of my photography plastered across its side. I had never seen this particular arrangement before, but that wasn’t a problem at all. To my surprise, the imagery looked incredible, paired with a strapline that summed it up perfectly: ‘Perfection.’
The shoot itself was an exciting one - around ten to twelve images, captured over a week and a half. What I particularly loved about the brief was the focus on action and energy within the liquid. To bring this to life, we designed a bespoke lighting setup and even built a custom-made font nozzle, which delivered pressurised lager straight into the glass at the exact moment of the shot. This allowed us to capture real movement and vibrancy within the liquid - no tricks, just pure photography.
Some might be surprised that I had no issue seeing my work still in use years later. But that’s because I had agreed to a usage buyout in perpetuity - a decision that meant everyone involved knew exactly where they stood. The client could use the imagery however they wanted, for as long as they wanted, and in return, I received a fee on top of the original shoot cost.
For any photographers out there, my advice is simple: if you can, negotiate a buyout. If your images are strong, clients will want to use them repeatedly across different platforms. A fair agreement from the start that benefits everyone.