DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

The Back Side Of Model Releases

Jun 25, 2012 by Udi Tirosh 1 Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

The Back Side Of Model Releases

Last summer I was traveling in Central America and as a photographer, it was obvious to me that I will take this as an opportunity to add photos to my portfolio.

In the past, I’ve already licensed, sold & published some of my photos and was sure that I know all the details & restrictions about licensing a photo and whether I need to have a model release (written permission to use my photos for any purpose) or not.

When I arrived to the beach town Puerto Viejo I started photographing surfers and tourists and since I knew that I was not gonna start signing each and every one of them on a model release form, I made sure to photograph them from angles that did not reveal their faces. I assumed that this was my subjects will not be recognizable and I won’t need a model release. Boy I was wrong (:

Months passed by and I got an email from Getty Images (the biggest stock photos agency in the world). They want to use some of my photographs commercially – including the two photographs included here, and they asked for the model release.

Since there were no faces in the photographs I sent Getty an email about it and asked them how come? Their answer surprised me, and I think they will surprise you too. Sit back and enjoy learning from my mistakes for the next time you are taking photographs of strangers.

Regarding the tattooed girl, Getty claimed that with this unique tattoo she would be completely recognizable to herself and anyone who knew her. Regarding the surfer they claimed that the fact that one can see at least 1/3 of her face, hairstyle, swimsuit & the type of surfboard – all of those work together in varying amounts to make her unique.

You may say that Getty they are over cautious but I learned my lesson and next time I’ll make sure to sign each subject on a model release. Each subject that I think I may want to use commercially of course.

Hope you can learn from my story and won’t find yourself in the future get upset like me and start looking through the Internet for a tattooed girl from Costa Rica without a face by shares in Facebook, forums about tattoos and the Google picture search tool and if somehow you do recognize one of these nice ladies, please tell them that I am still looking to them. (or just leave a comment on the post)

So, where can you get a model release? Good question! You can find a good model release form in this link.While it looks pretty intimidating, make sure you explain in friendly words what the form is all about to the model and consider offering them some compensation if the photograph is ever used.

If you don’t want to carry a bunch of papers around, there are even a few iPhone and iPad apps that you can use to sign your potential model so your don’t really need to go for the Costa Rican beach with a bag full of paper. I would recommend you to check easy release app which is approved by most of the stock agencies.

About The Author

Guy Prives is a photographer based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Guy discovered his love of photography during a long trip to South America, and now this passion to capture the moment with a click of the camera has been with him ever since. Check out more of his work at his website and Facebook page.

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Filmmaker shot two DSLRs side-by-side for two years to make this amazing panoramic timelapse of LA This London time-lapse shows night and day side-by-side Instagrammer posts side-by-side photos showing the difference between real life and Instagram posing [NSFW] See every Godox X system studio strobe in this side-by-side comparison

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: Guy Prives

About Udi Tirosh

Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

« Developing Paper With Red Wine
Quick Tip: Carabiners Quick Release Strap »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Insta360’s new teaser says they’re entering the gimbal market
  • Users report blurry photos from Samsung Galaxy S23/S23+ cameras
  • Whale with severe scoliosis captured by drone video
  • Photographer builds 11-foot electronic waste skull to show Bitcoin’s impact on climate change
  • Fuji’x April X Summit reported to be cancelled

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy