Photo Use Policy
Most photos on this website were taken by the webmaster, John Hilty, although some photos belong to other people as indicated on the web pages where they appear (the name of the other photographer, if any, will appear in the 'photographic location' section of a web page). To use the photos of these other photographers, contact me at: john@illinoiswildflowers.info about which photo(s) you want to use , and I will forward the e-mail address of the corresponding photographer(s) to you. You will have to obtain permission from them in order to use any of their photos.
My photos (both web-based and larger copies of the originals) are available at no charge from the webmaster for non-commercial uses. Examples of non-commercial use as defined here include, but are not limited to: 1) using photos for homework assignments or to teach courses at non-profit schools and universities, 2) using photos for educational and/or research activities at no additional charge to members of the public, 3) using photos for government-related or non-profit organization-related publications that are available to either staff or members of the public at no additional charge, whether they are printed or available online, 4) using photos for non-commercial blogs and websites, and 5) using photos for non-commercial personal use. It is not necessary to contact me by e-mail seeking my permission for these non-commercial uses, although attribution credit should be provided as 'Photo by John Hilty, Illinois Wildflowers,' or a similar format should be used (this is not required for non-commercial personal use, however). Occasionally, I allow non-profit organizations, especially if they are small and local, to use my photos for limited commercial purposes for which there may be a small charge for newsletters, a fund-raising event, or other purposes. If you wish to use my photos for such purposes, then you should send me an e-mail seeking permission to do this.
For commercial uses, my smaller online photos are currently available for $5 per photo, while copies of the larger original photos are currently available for $30 per photo. If several photos are requested at the same time, then it is possible to negotiate a quantity discount. Examples of commercial use, as defined here include, but are not limited to: 1) a for-profit business using photos on behalf of a financial contract with another organization, whether this organization is a branch of government, a non-profit organization, or another for-profit business, 2) a for-profit business using photos in its normal business-related operations, such as: distributing literature to clients, or potential clients, for the ultimate purpose of making money; labeling plants or seed packets at a for-profit nursery that will be offered for sale to members of the public; providing advertising services to clients at an ad agency; publishing and selling a book, newspaper, magazine, other document, or an e-document that contains photos to members of the public, libraries, and other organizations, and 3) using photos at a blog or website that is primarily commercial. For these and other commercial purposes, you should send me an e-mail indicating which photos that you wish to use. Payment can be made either through Paypal on the home page of this website or by check.
While adhering to the above guidelines, the smaller web-based photos can be downloaded directly from the website, while copies of the larger original photos can be sent to you by e-mail from the webmaster. Because there are many gray areas between 'non-commercial use' and 'commercial use,' as I have discovered with the passing of several years, it is okay to send me an e-mail that describes the purpose for which the photo(s) will be used and asking me whether or not this is a non-commercial or commercial use, should you be uncertain about this. In addition, sometimes people and organizations wish to use the text from my website for their blogs, websites, or other purposes. Under the 'fair use' provision of copyright law, it is permissable to quote sections of text without any requirement to contact the author or provide payment. However, you should use a citation to indicate the source of your information. If you wish to use more text than what the fair use provision normally allows, then you should send me an e-mail at: john@illinoiswildflowers.info