Model Release Q's: Specifics

[Brandonsfocus]

Aloha,

I've got this question that has been nagging at me in the back of my head for some time.

If I were to say...take a picture of someones shoes on their feet ;) from around the mid-calf down, would I need them to sign a model release form if the picture was published in a book or magazine?

Now...if I took that said person with the photo of their shoes from mid-calf down, and added a small interview if questions relating to that person, would I need a model release form signed by that person?

Now.......what if that person with the photo of their shoes from mid-calf down, with an interview from them, and their name printed as well, would I need a model release form signed by that person?

Thanks for the help!

Mele Kalikimaka,
Brandon

[JasonSTL739]

Aloha,

I've got this question that has been nagging at me in the back of my head for some time.

If I were to say...take a picture of someones shoes on their feet ;) from around the mid-calf down, would I need them to sign a model release form if the picture was published in a book or magazine?

Now...if I took that said person with the photo of their shoes from mid-calf down, and added a small interview if questions relating to that person, would I need a model release form signed by that person?

Now.......what if that person with the photo of their shoes from mid-calf down, with an interview from them, and their name printed as well, would I need a model release form signed by that person?

Thanks for the help!

Mele Kalikimaka,
Brandon

Name printed or information that would allow someone to know who it was, you'd need a release. Just an image without their face = no release.

I'd love to know how you'd have that kind of image with an interview about that person... seems pretty strange.

If in doubt, just get a release. Releases are easy to get.

[RGearHead]

Name printed or information that would allow someone to know who it was, you'd need a release. Just an image without their face = no release.

I'd love to know how you'd have that kind of image with an interview about that person... seems pretty strange.

If in doubt, just get a release. Releases are easy to get.

Huh, how do YOU go about asking/getting someone to sign a release??i have never ..done this , and would be rattled if some one just came up to me out of the blue wanting a release ..not sure what i would say ...:confused:

[JasonSTL739]

Huh, how do YOU go about asking/getting someone to sign a release??i have never ..done this , and would be rattled if some one just came up to me out of the blue wanting a release ..not sure what i would say ...:confused:

Depends on the situation - if just in public it can be a little strange.

I would just state I'm a photographer that shoots stock photography, and need a release in order to use the images. Offer to send them prints - or at least a digital copy of the image - in return for their release. Don't talk money. Very high quality looking business cards go a LONG way towards comfort, as does the lack of being a creepy photog.

If a private shoot, a release is basically part of the game for us. We get one signed always even if a private glamour shoot, commercial, whatever. It is just standard policy in the studio.

[Brandonsfocus]

Thanks for the comments. Much appreciated. As strange as this may seem, there is a direction where I'm taking this, and for the sake of the internet and information traveling quite fast, I'm being as vague as I can without giving details to the specific project.

If this goes somewhere, and I'm at a point where my ass is covered enough to to share info on the project, I will of coarse, be more than happy to share what is going on. So until then, I'm simply trying to iron out the technicalities of a Model Release for the questions posed above in my first post. I suppose, I'll simply take the defensive strategy with that also, and get a release signed by every person that I shoot in the future.

[RGearHead]

ok, i here ya, asking for a release in Chicago , would be a trip. YOU WANT WHAT!!.lol...

[Brandonsfocus]

LOL...I bet. Not to mention you guys are buried up to your eyeballs in snow at the moment :p

The North Shore of Oahu is a bit more different, as everyone here runs around half naked all day long, as well as the collective mind frame is dramatically laid back.

[amfoto1]

I'd say 'Hi, I just took your photo... Would you like a complimentary copy of it? If so, read over, sign this form and give me your address. Here, I have a pen you can use.'

But, actually I'd usually chat them up in advance, before shooting or asking for the release. For one, people are more suspicious of you if you try to sneak a shot of them. Although there's a time and place for a candid shot, it's usually better to get permission up front, even if it's just showing them your camera and getting a nod that it's okay to shoot. Actually, I feel this is a great way to meet interesting people, to get to know more about them and what they are doing. Overall this makes for better pictures, too, I think.

Also, surprisingly often I find people are pretty savvy about what a release is, and anxious to sign it in hopes of getting 15 seconds of fame.

If they ask for $10,000 an hour modeling fees, I say 'Sure, soon as I get a $20,000 an hour shooting assignment and need a model that looks just like you. Meanwhile, what I'm doing here is purely on spec, I have no way of knowing if or when I might actually sell the image. This form just makes it possible that might happen. No guarantees so I really can't pay any modeling fees for this one.'

Of course, there may be times when you have a brilliant idea and need a professional model and paying some fees makes sense. Or trade for prints or digital files for the model's portfolio

If someone clever presses for a percentage of the image sale, I'll simply tell them no, can't do that either... If I tried to do that with all my photos, a lot of which simply will never sell for very much or at all, I'd spend all my time on bookkeeping and not have time to shoot any more photos.

A royalty payment arrangement might be appropriate in some very limited cases, though.... Such as a famous person or place or thing, especially if you have a very specific usage in mind already and can better predict what the outcome might be.

When dealing with a group, each of whom has to sign, there might be one or two hold outs. On the other hand there are also usually one or more perfectly willing to participate. If the holdouts see the participants having a good time, they usually come around eventually and ask to get in on the fun.

Sometimes someone will simply turn you down. Keep chatting with them anyway and get to know them without any further mention of the release or any pressure to sign. They often change their mind and ask to sign once they get to know you a little better.

I've also had the 'suspicious type', usually a parent or guardian of a minor I want to photograph, who is reluctant to sign. If I really want the images, I go ahead and shoot, if they okay it, and send the form with a self-addressed envelope home with them to read at their leisure consider. So far I've never *not* had one of these show up in the mail, signed, a few days later.

Sometimes you just can't get a signature and will not be able to use any images commercially. It's up to you whether to go ahead and take some shots or not, with permission.

[Brandonsfocus]

Thank you for that. Solid advice and tactics. I am not in the mood to be all sly about taking pictures, nor is there a need too. There are plenty of creeps (with a camera or not) and with the community that I live in, ones personal image, is just about everything. North Shore, unfortunately, is very 'L.A.' in a sense where people can be rather judgmental with all that he-said-she-said nonsense.

The last thing I need is being the weirdo with a camera. There are already a few of those running around up here.

I am positive that I will encounter each type that you listed above. Not to worry though. This project that I'm working on has no dead line, so I can take my time in compiling enough of what I need.