Selling sports photos

SoccerShooter

Question: Do I need to get a model release if I shoot at outdoor public soccer games and offer them for sale on the internet? I would hand out business cards at the games with a website. I have gotten myself out there by offering them for free to whet their appetite and now I have a club interested. They may promote my pics on their club site.

Thoughts?

A prime example is I wanted to enter this in a contest. I have permission from the 'kicker' but the other two I don't know who they are... am I out of luck?

[IMG]http://<a href="http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x5/pcuBecky/CU NATIONALS/?action=view&amp;current=Shea.jpg&quot; target="_blank"><img src="http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x5/pcuBecky/CU NATIONALS/Shea.jpg&quot; border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]

Ann McRae

So, the need for model release is dependant on who you sell the photo to.

There are some great resources here, in a sticky in the Mind Your Own Business forum.


Not sure about the contest - is it a contest for prize money?

Before you enter it, crop nice and tight to the action!

ann

KED

SoccerShooter wrote:

Question: Do I need to get a model release if I shoot at outdoor public soccer games and offer them for sale on the internet? I would hand out business cards at the games with a website. I have gotten myself out there by offering them for free to whet their appetite and now I have a club interested. They may promote my pics on their club site.

Thoughts?

A prime example is I wanted to enter this in a contest. I have permission from the 'kicker' but the other two I don't know who they are... am I out of luck?

[IMG]http://<a href="http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x5/pcuBecky/CU NATIONALS/?action=view&amp;current=Shea.jpg&quot; target="_blank"><img src="http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x5/pcuBecky/CU NATIONALS/Shea.jpg&quot; border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]

You are off to a hell of a start -- that is one spectacular shot (with some mad cropping and exposure adjustments). I used to be a lawyer, never worked in copyright law, but my instinct is that if you shot legally (i.e. no permission required) at a public venue, then you wouldn't need a release. If you plan to turn that shot into a Times Square billboard, you might want to double-check my advice.