Automatic Protection: As soon as a photographer captures an image and it is fixed in a tangible medium (such as a digital file or print), copyright protection is automatically granted. This means that the photographer owns the copyright to the photograph without needing to register it. However, registration with the U.S. Copyright Office offers additional legal benefits.
Rights of the Photographer: Under U.S. copyright law, the photographer (as the creator of the photograph) holds the exclusive rights to:
Reproduce the image,
Distribute copies of the image,
Display the image publicly,
Create derivative works (such as modifications or adaptations of the photograph).