Profile Photography Usage Standards

This document is not intended to define how far a profile photograph may be “permitted” to be used.
Its purpose is to clarify, in advance, the premise on which a photographic project should begin.

A photograph becomes more precise as the request becomes more precise.
And when the premise of use is clearly defined, the design of the image—and therefore the result—becomes equally clear.
Photography is not an act left to chance, but a process of design based on an intended purpose of use.

Requests such as “Please take care of it for us” can be understood as a working style.
However, requests like “We plan to use it in many places” without a defined purpose do not provide a viable foundation for photographic design.

This standard was not created for the convenience of either the photographer or the client alone.
It functions as a shared reference, allowing both parties to clarify the purpose and conditions of use before the shoot takes place.

This standard may be used
by photographers to explain their design decisions,
and by clients to ask more precise and informed questions.

Profile photography is not defined by technique or style, but by purpose of use.
The classifications described in this document are not intended to evaluate the quality of the final image, but to clarify the direction of design and conditions of use prior to shooting.

In this document, profile photography is classified into the following three categories:

A business profile image is a representative image used to identify and introduce an individual or an organization.
Its purpose is not to communicate what is being sold, but who the subject is.

Typical uses include:

• Websites and organizational introduction pages
• Profile pages
• Internal and external official communications

Business profile images are designed to secure representational validity.
They are not intended to persuade or argue.

A business advertising image refers to usage intended to generate direct or indirect economic or commercial benefit.
In this context, the image functions not as a tool of identification, but as an instrument of persuasion that encourages selection or action.

This includes promotional materials, advertising content, campaign visuals, printed media, large-scale outputs, and marketing channels across platforms.
Such images require design standards fundamentally different from those of profile images.

A personal use image is created for private record-keeping or personal preservation.
It is not intended for public distribution or commercial application and prioritizes individual satisfaction or memory.

Accordingly, personal use images are governed by criteria distinct from both business profile and advertising images.

The purpose of use is determined not by where an image appears, but by why it is used.
Whether an image serves to identify and represent an individual or organization, or to generate economic or strategic value, constitutes the decisive criterion.

Even when the same image is used, a change in purpose results in different applicable standards and conditions.

The scope of use refers to the set of conditions under which an image is permitted to perform its intended role.
A profile photograph is not an image for which all forms of use are automatically granted at the moment of creation.
Rather, the permissible scope and conditions of use are determined by the role and purpose defined at the design stage.

An image is not defined solely by whether it is technically well executed, but by what role it was designed to fulfill.
Even when the same image is used, changes in purpose or context may result in different applicable standards and conditions.

This chapter focuses on the conditions under which a profile photograph may be used, and on the criteria by which changes to those conditions are evaluated.

The scope of use for a profile photograph is not determined by the name of a medium or the type of platform.
Rather, it is determined by the environment in which the image is used and the role it is expected to perform within that environment.

In this document, “media” refers to the physical or digital context in which an image appears, including the functional expectations and purposes imposed upon it.

Accordingly, even within the same medium, the applicable standard may vary depending on the image’s placement, method of use, and intended role.

① Distinguishing Profile Images from Advertising Images

A profile image is a representative image used to identify and introduce an individual or organization.
Its purpose is the formation of recognition.
In this context, the image does not function as a tool of persuasion or argument, but as a baseline image that establishes trust and representational validity.

By contrast, any use intended to generate direct or indirect economic or commercial benefit is classified as advertising use.
An advertising image functions as a persuasive tool designed to encourage selection or action, and therefore requires design standards fundamentally different from those of a profile image.

This distinction is not based on the type of medium, but on the function the image performs.

② Use in Web and Digital Environments

Use within websites, platforms, and digital content environments is not automatically fixed as either profile or advertising use.
Classification depends on the role the image performs within that environment.

For example, an image used on a page introducing an individual or organization may be classified as a profile image, as its purpose is identification and recognition.
However, even on the same website, use in locations such as main page banners, pop-ups, or promotional sections—where attention is drawn and specific actions are encouraged—constitutes advertising use.

In web and digital environments, classification is therefore determined not by the platform itself, but by the function the image performs.

③ Use in Print and Publishing Media

Use in print and publishing media is, in principle, classified as advertising use.
Magazines, books, and printed materials intended for broad distribution inherently presuppose message delivery and persuasion through their production and distribution processes.

Accordingly, use in print and publishing contexts falls outside the scope of profile image usage, and advertising standards and conditions apply.

④ Clear Examples of Advertising Use by Industry or Purpose

The following cases are classified as advertising use regardless of medium:

• Printed materials such as hospital brochures or catalogs intended to attract patients or promote services
• Political posters and election campaign materials designed to encourage selection or support
• Images used in association leadership elections or similar contexts requiring persuasion

Additionally, using a profile photograph within product packaging, service visuals, or composite images to endorse value or induce purchase or selection is also classified as advertising use.

In such cases, the image exceeds the function of identification and instead performs the role of persuasion or assertion.

⑤ Distinction by Placement and Role Within the Same Medium

Even within the same medium, classification may differ depending on the image’s placement and role.
Use on an individual or medical staff introduction page may qualify as profile image usage, while use of the same image in a main banner, pop-up, or promotional area constitutes advertising use.

This is because the functional demands placed on the image differ fundamentally, even within a single medium.

This table is intended to support understanding and does not prescribe all possible cases.
Actual classification should be determined based on the purpose and context of use.

In the context of profile photography, duration of use does not refer to a fixed exposure period as it does in advertising.
Rather, it refers to whether the image continues to accurately represent the current state of the individual or organization.

The core question is not “How long has the image been used?”
but “Does it still represent the present?”

Even if little time has passed, changes in role, position, responsibility, or organizational context may render an existing image no longer representative.

Many individuals tend to use a single image for extended periods once it is perceived as successful.
This reflects an understanding of profile photography as personal record rather than representational tool.

By contrast, for corporate executives or CEOs whose responsibilities and positions evolve continuously, a profile photograph functions not as a personal record but as an explanatory tool for a current role.
When changes such as job transitions, promotions, or new appointments occur, the existing image becomes a record of the past.
At that point, reshooting is not an option, but a natural process of renewal.

Accordingly, the validity of a profile image is not governed by a fixed time limit.
The determining criterion is whether change has occurred, and whether the image still accurately represents the subject’s current role and position.

File specifications and resolution are not optional features of the final deliverable, but design conditions determined by the intended purpose of use.
High-resolution production is not a restrictive measure, but a preventative design consideration to ensure that the client does not receive results that cannot be physically utilized later.

Resolution is therefore not an “add-on option,”
but a core design parameter that directly affects production cost and workflow scope.

The following examples indicate situations in which image usage may exceed screen-based output, requiring high-resolution design from the outset.
These examples are illustrative and non-exhaustive.

• Large banners, signage, or outdoor advertisements
• Printed promotional materials such as brochures or catalogs
• Large-format prints for lobbies, exhibition spaces, or conference rooms
• Posters, campaign visuals, and election materials
• Images composited into product or service visuals
• Cases where future usage media has not yet been determined
• Requests based on the premise that “usage will be decided later”

In such cases, high-resolution production is not optional, but essential to ensuring usability.

High-resolution production is not merely a matter of increasing file size.
It requires consideration of:

• Fine facial expression, skin texture, and detail revealed at large scale
• Precision in lighting setup and tonal control
• Enhanced camera stability and shooting standards
• Retouching methods designed to withstand enlargement
• Increased time required for shooting and post-production

These elements cannot be retroactively compensated for through file conversion or upscaling, and must be determined during the initial design phase.

Conditions of use may change after a shoot has been completed.
However, not all changes are of the same nature.
This document classifies changes to usage conditions by type in order to clarify design responsibility and scope, not to impose restrictions.

Changes fall into the following three categories:

① Change of Purpose

(Profile Use → Advertising Use)

When an image originally produced for profile use is later used for advertising purposes, the image’s function shifts from representation to persuasion.

Such a change is not considered an extension of existing use, but a transformation of the image’s role.
Accordingly, it requires new agreement rather than automatic continuation.

② Change of Application

(Web/Digital Use → Large-Format Print Use)

When an image designed for web or digital use is applied to large-format physical output, this constitutes a change in design conditions rather than a simple file conversion.

Lighting, camera settings, resolution, and retouching assumptions would have differed at the time of shooting.
Therefore, application changes are treated as changes in design premises, and identical standards cannot be assumed without prior agreement.

In particular, images designed for screen-based use may be technically unsuitable for large-format printing.

③ Change or Expansion of Media Context

Using an image in a new medium beyond those originally agreed upon constitutes an expansion of scope.
Examples include using a CEO profile image as an official public figure image, or repurposing an editorial image for a book cover.

In such cases, the issue is not resolution, but the shift in social context and representational scope.
Accordingly, additional agreement is required.

[Important] Changes That Cannot Be Resolved Retroactively

Not all changes can be resolved through post-hoc negotiation or cost adjustment.
Images designed for low-resolution or screen-based output may be physically incapable of supporting large-format print use.

In such cases, the limitation is not contractual but technical, and reshooting is required.

[Design Reference] One Source, Multi Use

If multi-use across various media is anticipated from the outset, the entire design process—including lighting, shooting method, file specifications, retouching scope, and production workflow—must be expanded accordingly.
Such expansion necessarily affects cost and production scale.

Most clients do not possess specialized knowledge of photographic production structures.
Accordingly, the standards presented here function not as protective measures for the photographer, but as shared criteria to prevent misunderstanding and to clarify realistic possibilities and responsibilities.

These standards are not intended to resolve disputes after the fact,
but to establish clarity of purpose before the shoot begins.

A profile photograph may appear to be an image of a specific individual.
However, a profile photograph created for business purposes is not merely a personal portrait.
It is an image designed to represent a role and context at a specific point in time.

Accordingly, the phrase “when the image is used by another party” does not refer solely to unauthorized use by a third party.
Even when the subject remains the same individual, the image can no longer be evaluated under the same criteria once that person’s role or position changes.

When a job transition occurs after the shoot, the existing profile image reflects the previous organization and title.
In such cases, the image no longer represents the subject’s current state, and continued use under the same premise may result in a representational mismatch.
The same applies to promotions or changes in position: the moment the role changes, the image shifts from representing the present to recording the past.

This issue becomes even more pronounced when an individual occupies multiple roles.
For example, using a profile image originally designed to represent a CEO as an image for a speaker, author, or external expert introduces a change in representational premise.
Although the individual is the same, the role being represented differs from that assumed at the time of shooting.
Reusing the same image in such cases may result in a conflation of roles.

In this sense, a profile photograph does not represent “the person’s face.”
It operates on the premise of how that person is intended to be recognized.
As long as the role and context remain consistent, continued use is natural.
Once that premise changes, however, the image can no longer be evaluated according to the same standard.

The purpose of this chapter is not to prohibit use or require prior authorization.
Rather, it is to clarify that even photographs of the same individual become subject to new judgment the moment their role or context changes.
This standard serves as the starting point for determining whether continued use remains appropriate.

A business profile photograph is a result in which three distinct rights operate simultaneously:
portrait rights, copyright, and usage rights.

These rights are often conflated in practice, but they are legally and conceptually distinct, and each operates within a different scope.
This chapter outlines the minimum framework necessary to distinguish these rights and to understand how they relate to one another in the context of profile photography.

Portrait rights refer to the personal rights of an individual concerning how identifiable images of their face or body are photographed, disclosed, and used.
These rights apply not only to the act of photographing itself, but also to the purpose and context in which the resulting image is used.

In business profile photography, the use of portrait rights is premised on the purpose and scope agreed upon at the time of shooting.
However, use beyond that scope—particularly when the purpose or context changes—may constitute an infringement of portrait rights.

Portrait rights operate independently of image ownership or copyright attribution.

Photographs are creative works protected by copyright law.
Rights to creative elements such as composition, lighting, direction, and shooting method belong to the photographer who created the image.

Payment of a photography fee may imply possession of the final deliverables or limited usage, but it does not, in itself, constitute a transfer of copyright.
Unless otherwise agreed, copyright remains with the photographer, regardless of who appears in the image.

Copyright and ownership are distinct concepts.
Possession of image files alone does not grant the right to exercise copyright.

Unlike portrait rights or copyright, usage rights do not arise automatically under law.
Usage rights are established through agreement between the parties during the shooting process, and define how an image may be used—specifically with regard to purpose, duration, and media.

Usage rights do not equate to ownership, nor do they grant unrestricted freedom of use.
Any use beyond what was agreed in advance may result in infringement of copyright or portrait rights.

Accordingly, the scope of usage rights must be clearly defined at the design stage of the shoot.

In profile photography, portrait rights, copyright, and usage rights operate concurrently.
These rights may overlap, but they remain independent of one another.

Having portrait rights does not automatically permit all forms of use.
Likewise, holding copyright does not grant unlimited authority to change the purpose of use.

Most confusion arises when these rights are not clearly distinguished and images are used according to informal convention.
For this reason, image usage should not be judged through a single right, but at the intersection where all three rights apply.

The cases discussed in this chapter are not intended to assign blame to specific users or to highlight exceptional misuse.
Rather, they describe a structure in which profile photography has long been conducted without shared standards.

Because no standards were established, the very notion that something might be misapplied never fully emerged.
This chapter examines common situations through the lens of actual usage flows—situations that arose not from intentional misuse, but from the absence of shared criteria.

In professional services such as design, composition, or consulting—where fees are based on labor and expertise—it is uncommon to begin a transaction by asking only about cost.
Instead, purpose and scope are clarified first, and fees and conditions follow accordingly.
In photography, however, this questioning structure has often been omitted, with transactions beginning before purpose or responsibility are defined.

It is not uncommon for images originally produced as profile photographs to later be used in different contexts.
The issue is not that the purpose of use changes, but that such changes are rarely recognized as matters requiring discussion or agreement.

Because the image itself remains the same, the assumption arises that the purpose of use must also remain unchanged.
As a result, no distinction is made between the original intent and the current application.

The problem, then, is not the change of purpose itself, but the structural failure to recognize that such a change should prompt a question.
This is less a case of standards being incorrectly applied than of standards never having been shared at all.

Payment for a photography session generally presupposes a certain scope of usage.
In practice, however, fees and usage rights are often treated as a single, indistinguishable concept.

Clients are rarely informed that limitations exist, and photographers often fail to articulate them clearly.
As a result, clients are never given the opportunity to ask what should be asked, and the assumption that payment equals unrestricted use becomes normalized.

This normalization is not the result of explicit agreement, but of silence on both sides.

There is a common perception that once an image has been publicly disclosed, it may be freely used.
However, public availability and permissible use are not equivalent.

A publicly disclosed image remains valid only within the specific purpose and context under which it was originally shared.
Nevertheless, users often judge images not by contextual relevance, but by whether they appear visually successful.

As a result, images are reused in entirely different contexts without maintaining representational validity, and their functional role collapses.
This is not a failure of intention, but a failure of context—one that arises because contextual criteria were never articulated.

Image resolution and file specifications are not options to be selected after shooting.
They are conditions determined at the design stage, based on intended use.

In practice, however, these elements are often perceived as adjustable file attributes rather than as design constraints.
When this occurs, the issue is not one of negotiation or cost, but of physical limitation: the image was never designed for the later application.

Such situations illustrate how the absence of standards results in fundamentally different design decisions from the outset.

Many of the recurring issues in photography are not problems of misuse.
They are the outcome of transactions that begin without questions, and of practices repeated without shared standards.

Photographers did not explain the criteria.
Clients did not know what questions to ask.

The standards presented in this document are not intended to impose new rules.
They function instead as a minimal framework for reintroducing into photography the same questioning structure that already operates in other professional services.

Profile photography is not the work of the photographer alone.
It is a collaborative project in which the photographer and the client share a common objective and work together toward a result aligned with that goal.

The usage standards described in this document are not rules intended to restrict the work.
They are the minimum agreements required for a shared project to be completed successfully.

Photography is not a result that emerges by chance.
The clearer the purpose of use, the more precise the design becomes.
And the more precise the design, the clearer the result.
Standards are not devices that limit freedom, but prerequisites that increase the quality and likelihood of success.

Where no standards exist, no questions arise.
Without questions, design becomes simplified, and simplified design is more likely to deviate from the intended purpose of use.

Many of the recurring issues in profile photography have not resulted from overly strict standards, but from the absence of any standards at all.

This document was not written to prohibit certain uses.
It was written to clarify the premises on which a photographic project should begin.

When standards are clear, the greatest benefit does not belong to one side alone.
Clients receive results aligned with their intended purpose and usage.
Photographers are able to fully exercise their professional expertise.

Standards are not defensive measures designed to protect photographers.
They are design tools that allow clients to reach their desired outcomes more accurately.
Without standards, photographers cannot apply their expertise effectively, and clients are unlikely to receive the results they expect.

Sharing standards does not mean imposing control or limitation.
It is a signal that work is beginning on the basis of trust.

As the saying goes, professional results begin with professional requests.
When photographers design as professionals, and clients commission as professionals, the work becomes more than a transaction—it becomes collaboration.

Such collaboration is possible only when both parties share the same standards.

This document does not provide answers.
Instead, it identifies where questions should begin.

When questions about purpose of use, context of application, and expected outcomes are shared before the shoot, a profile photograph becomes more than an image.
It becomes a tool that performs a defined purpose.

Usage standards are not restrictions.
They are a shared starting point—an agreed line from which photographers and clients can look in the same direction.

This appendix is not intended to provide legal definitions.
It was written to clarify how key terms are used within the standards and context of this document.

Each term functions as a reference point to support shared understanding and agreement prior to a photo shoot.

① Profile Photography vs. Advertising Photography

(Profile vs. Advertising)

Profile photography refers to representative images used to identify and introduce an individual or organization.
Such images do not perform persuasion or argument.
They function as baseline images that establish trust and representational validity.

Advertising photography, by contrast, refers to usage intended to generate direct or indirect economic or commercial benefit.
In this context, the image functions as a persuasive tool designed to encourage selection or action.
Even when the same individual appears, an image is classified as advertising photography the moment its purpose of use changes.

This distinction is not a matter of style or visual quality, but of the role the image is designed to perform.

② Purpose of Use

The purpose of use refers to the premise defining what an image is intended to be used for.
It takes precedence over the type of medium or placement, and is the primary factor determining the image’s character and design criteria.

When the purpose of use changes, the applicable standards and conditions change accordingly—even if the image itself remains the same.

③ Scope of Use

The scope of use refers to the set of conditions under which an image is permitted to perform its intended role.
This includes purpose of use, media context, method of use, and file specifications.

Scope of use is not a concept that expands arbitrarily after shooting.
It is a standard that must be considered and agreed upon during the design stage, prior to the shoot.

④ Original Image

An original image refers to the base image file generated during the shooting process.
It precedes retouching or design adjustments made for specific usage purposes.

An original image is not, by itself, a deliverable intended for immediate use.
Whether original images are provided, and how they may be used, depends on the agreed purpose and scope of use.

⑤ Final Image

A final image refers to a completed image that has been selected, retouched, and formatted according to the agreed purpose and scope of use.
In this document, delivery of photographs refers, in principle, to final images.

A final image is not simply a photograph that appears visually successful.
It is an image designed to perform its intended function.

⑥ High-Resolution File

A high-resolution file refers to an image file designed and produced from the outset to support large-format printing, physical output, or expanded usage across multiple contexts.

High-resolution files are not optional outputs generated after shooting.
They are the result of physical conditions determined at the shooting stage.

Accordingly, images designed for web or digital use cannot, in principle, be retroactively converted into high-resolution files suitable for large-format output.

This appendix is not intended to replace legal counsel or serve as a legally binding contract.
It is provided as a reference example illustrating how the Profile Photography Usage Standards presented in this document may be translated into contractual language and structure.

The actual content and format of any agreement may vary depending on the purpose of the shoot, scope of use, and mutual agreement between the parties.

Article 1. Purpose of the Shoot

This shoot is conducted for the purpose of producing a business profile image.
The resulting images are intended to serve as representative images for identifying and introducing an individual or organization.

Use of the images for advertising purposes—including persuasion, promotion, or action induction—is not included within the scope of this agreement.

Referenced Sections: 1.1 “Business Profile Image,” 1.4 “Key Criteria for Distinguishing Purpose of Use”

Article 2. Scope of Purpose of Use

The delivered images may be used solely for the following purposes:

• Official websites and organizational introduction pages
• Profile pages and internal or external official communications
• Other business profile uses agreed upon prior to the shoot

Any use beyond the above—particularly for advertising, promotion, campaigns, or printed materials—constitutes a change in purpose of use and requires separate discussion and agreement.

Referenced Sections: 2.1 “Scope of Media Use,” 2.4 (1) “Change of Purpose”

Article 3. Scope of Use and Media

The scope of use is limited to the media and methods agreed upon prior to the shoot.
Even when the same image is used, changes in placement or functional role
(e.g., from an introduction page to a main banner, pop-up, or promotional area)
constitute a new subject of evaluation.

Referenced Sections: 2.1 (5) “Distinction by Placement and Role Within the Same Medium”

Article 4. Maintenance of Representational Validity

The delivered images are designed based on the role, position, and organizational affiliation of the subject at the time of shooting.

If changes such as job transitions, promotions, changes in position, or role adjustments occur such that the images no longer accurately represent the current state, reshooting or image renewal shall be regarded as a natural update process.

Referenced Sections: 2.2 “Validity of Representation,” Chapter 3 “When the Image Is Used by Another Party”

Article 5. Scope of Delivered Files

Deliverables consist of final images selected, retouched, and formatted according to the agreed purpose and scope of use.

Provision of original files or high-resolution files may vary depending on the purpose and scope of use, and files not agreed upon in advance are not included in this agreement.

Referenced Sections: 2.3 “File Specifications and Resolution,” Appendix A “Glossary of Terms”

Article 6. Changes to Conditions of Use

If any of the following changes occur after the shoot, such use shall not be considered an extension of the original agreement:

• Business profile use → advertising use
• Web or digital use → large-format print or physical output
• Use in new media or social contexts beyond those originally agreed

In such cases, additional discussion, agreement, or reshooting may be required.

Referenced Sections: 2.4 “Changes to Conditions of Use”

Article 7. Relationship Between Rights

The delivered images involve the concurrent operation of the subject’s portrait rights, the photographer’s copyright, and the usage rights defined by the agreed purpose.

Payment of the photography fee may establish usage rights within the agreed scope, but does not imply transfer of copyright or unrestricted expansion of usage.

Referenced Sections: Chapter 4 “Standards for Portrait Rights, Copyright, and Usage Rights”

[Role of Appendix B]

This agreement example is not intended to restrict or control usage.
It serves as a reference illustrating how the standards presented in this document may be reflected in contractual language and structure.

The purpose of this appendix is not to prepare for disputes after the shoot,
but to support shared understanding of purpose and conditions before the shoot begins.

When standards are needed in individual working contexts, this example may be referenced directly.

A profile photograph is not completed at the moment it is taken.
It is completed only when its purpose is defined,
its standards are shared,
and that agreement is organized into responsibility.