Hi. I kinda have a strange question.

Someone (another cake decorator) asked me to give her some of my photos for her "portfolio". I am not sure exactly what this "portfolio" is used for. I don't want her to pass off my work as hers, but maybe she just gathers photos to use as inspiration...kinda like how we save other people's photos into our favorites to go back and look at them for inspiration.

I am not quite sure what to think of her request. Should I just give her the pictures? If not, how would you respond in a respectful way?

TIA!

It does sound strange.

Usually a portfolio is your own work that you're showing to others.

I think I'd just forget to get to it. If she inquires again tell her you don't have any pictures to spare.

A portfolio is a showcase for the artist's personal work. Being in an artist's portfolio insinuates that the work that's shown there is by the owner/presenter of the portfolio. I have always kept journals and sketchbooks of works by other artists that I admired or would be inspired by but not in my portfolio.

Ask for more details.

If she is passing this work off as something he/she can do - will this person be able to duplicate the quality of your work?

Are you getting royalties for your photos??? I don't think it's very professional to have someone else's photos in your portfolio, but what do I know?? I would not , it's OK if you make a cake copying someone else's design but making sure you give them the credit, but using another decorator's pictures for YOUR PORTFOLIO to me it's a no no!!

Perhaps she wants them to display as examples of what she could do? That puts you in a tough position. You don't want to insult her, but I certainly wouldnt want my cake pics in someone else's book being represented as their work. You could ask her how she will be using them so you "have a better idea of which pictures to give" her. Play dumb and and even make a joke of it, as in " ... oh my goodness! Your cakes are so fabulous! Why would you need any from me when your work is really nice?"

Just a suggestion..

To me a "portfolio" is a collection of someones own work. I wouldn't be willing to give my photos to someone else for "their portfolio". I guess if you really wanted to give them to her and had them all water marked with your name at least she couldn't claim them as her work.

That´s funny. I was just reading a topic here about a CC member whose picture could be found in someone else´s website under that other decorator´s portfolio. Very fishy.

Do yo know this person well? To me it seems like a very strange request. I would personally not do it. A portfolio implies that the cakes were made by the person who shows them and I would definitely not want someone to take credit for the cakes I have made. We all know how much effort we put into these babies.

If you feel like you have to say yes, then watermark all your pictures so that when she shows them people who see them will automatically know that those cakes were not made by her.

If you don´t want to do it I would say something like: It really flatters me that you would want to use some of my creations in your portfolio but I´m planning on creating my own portfolio too and I want people to know that my designs are unique. Thank you anyway.

Good luck.

I would thank her for the compliment, and say no. By definition a portfoilo is: "...representative of a person's work: a photographer's portfolio; an artist's portfolio of drawings."

Oops, double post deleted

Yeah, that is kinda odd. I'd say no. BUT if you're considering it, I'd ask if she's going to just use it for ideas. Perhaps direct her to here for ideas (if she doesn't use it already.) I just don't like the idea of someone passing off work that isn't theirs as their own. Maybe you could just say that you're not being mean, but that you've put a lot of time and work into building YOUR portfolio, and that you really want your personalized work to be associated with YOU. Thank her for the flattery and wish her luck on building her own. Who's to say she can even do the work she's planning on presenting. Is it someone in your area? Because if so, why would you give YOUR cake designs to your competition?

I'd give her a big fat "sorry but no"

A portfolio is when you gather your own work to show to potential customers not gather other people's pictures.

Or you could be nice and give her some and water mark your pictures with your name on them right across the pictures of the cakes.

I agree that to be nice you could give her some photos, but definitely put a watermark across the ckae so that everyone knows they are not hers. Tell her ahead of time that all your photos are watermarked. After hearing that, she may not want them at all. Then you would know that she was going to try to pass them off as her own work.

I, like everyone else, would be hesitant as well. But if you decided to give her a copy or two (physical), maybe you can print with a watermark or your name somewhere on them? "Work of Klundberg" or something like that.

If you don't want to do it, I'd tell her directly your answer and why. Or even ask her what her intentions are. I'd like to think she would understand.

eta: Ok, someone beat me to the watermark idea.

Thank you all for the replies! Everyone pretty much summed up what I was feeling, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being unreasonable.

If she asks again I will offer her the watermarked photos and go from there!

Thank you!

haven't read the other responses yet but here's what I do with all my photos. I use the paint program on my computer and write my website name across the photo. I use snapfish.com and have them printed up the same way and I have a small photo album in my purse this way if I lose it and someone finds my photos they know who made the cake and no one else can use them.

So my suggestion....print your photos with your watermark on them....name & phone# or whatever so people can identify you. And then if she asks again I would give her those. It's not like she can show them to anyone and claim them to be hers with your info all over them. And then she probably won't want them any more.

I also have my dream book.

It's random pictures sent to me or recipe/picture combo I've found on the net. It's with my books to look through. The very first page reads loud and clear they are not my work and I don't know where some of them came from.

When someone has me try it I take it out of the "wish to make someday" book, snap some shots of the cake and it goes into my portfolio.

On weeks I don't have a cake to do I make one and donate it.

Late reply, I know, but depends if she's using the word "portfolio" correctly. For purposes of this response, I'm assuming she's talking about something like the "dream book" (cool name!) described above, since your work wouldn't be in her portfolio. I'd tell her I'd be super flattered if she ever wanted to use my designs as inspiration and refer her to your cc profile, where (I'm assuming) everything is watermarked within an inch of its little cake life.

I'd clarify what she meant and how she intends to use it. With proper credit given, I'd have no problem with it.

I have pics in two 3-ring binders. One is clearly labeled as cakes made by me. The other is clearly labeled as cakes NOT made by me but are printed from the internet or taken from magazines as ideas for brides. I only print internet photos (1) of cakes I feel I can re-create (2) with the original website link and credit to the person who created/posted the cake.

at least she asked you.