Lynsey Stone Photography CHEAT LIE AND CAN RUIN YOUR BIRTH EXPERIENCE!!!!! Dallas/Ft Worth Texas

While it is completely fair for her to hold a copyright to the images, Stone's has other issues. She told clients who had signed contracts and paid for their sessions that she was moving and would not be able to do their births. No refunds were issued despite requests and with ample time of a cancelation clause.  Turns out, she didn't ever move.  Additionally, she has not shown up to births that were booked, showed up drunk and fell asleep in the hospital at another, and left in the middle of another birth before baby arrived without saying a word.  She might be popular because she's #1 on google search, but she's extremely shady when it comes to this important day.

I agree with both comments above. If no contract was signed saying that the client was entitled to whatever it is she feels she was cheated out of, then the photographer is not in wrong standing. There are very few professional photographers that give away all the rights to the photos because it is their work...much like an artist of a painting. Lynsey Stone has an EXTREMELY high reputation in the dfw area and this is the first time I have ever heard anything negative about her work or service. I would encourage anyone who is concerned with Lynsey's reputation to do further research rather than base your decision off of one client's opinion, especially one that does not understand copyright laws. When you pay a session fee to most photographers, you are paying for the talent, experience, creativity, time and equipment...not for copies of "your" photos.

Lynsey Stone is an excellent professional photographer who takes great pride in her product. Your friend's expectations of what a professional photographer provides and does not provide are way off the mark.

She seems to want the quality photographs of Lynsey with the attitude of a buddy taking snapshots. It's just not going to happen.

There are a few things that are obviously missing from this report - the first of which is an understanding of copyright law. I am not the person described above nor do I work for the person above, but I think that I should respond to this review with some truth. First, you said in your review that the photographer retains all copyrights, which means that SHE has the right to do whatever she will with those photos including post them on her own website. Any posting outside of her knowledge or without her permission is considered a violation of copyright law. She basically made a copy for your friend and didn't actually sell her the copyright to the photos to make any changes or display them anywhere which this woman deems inappropriate. This is a basic part of copyright law and there is no contract required to secure that the copyright stays with the original owner. There should have been something in writing if the copyright was transferred which doesn't sound like the case. Second, I reviewed the website that you posted in association with this report and I see no "private" photos of which you are speaking. I see joyful photos of babies and their families but I do not see any photos that would be deemed inappropriate or offensive in nature to include anyone's private areas. Your friend obviously should have known that the photos would be displayed on her website as there are many many families and their photos displayed there and I am assuming that they were not put up after your friend paid. Your friend should have had a better understanding of copyright law before using this or any professional photographer. This is simply good, solid business practice in this field and from what you are describing this woman who owns this business did nothing wrong. Hopefully your friend's lawyer would tell her the basics of copyright law and this will be resolved shortly. Assuming that you know all the facts in the case, it doesn't sound like there is much legal standing against this photographer. Of course, I am not an attorney so I am not the authority on the fact, but this is all basics of copyright law and could easily be looked up by you or your friend online on any reputable lawyer's website or legal dictionary.