Street scene model releases

Bystander · May 9, 2005

If you do street photography, how do you handle model releases? Very often it is difficult to get a release from someone in a street shot. If you don't have a release, can the photo be used for anything except "editorial" purposes? So much great photography has been taken in the street -- I wonder if Henri Cartier-Bresson had releases for his street photos (of course many of them did not feature recognizable people..)

Nir · May 9, 2005

laws are obviously different in different places but where i shoot, anyone in public is fair game unless the shot can cause them embarrassment.

Chase · May 9, 2005

And are there any good basic and generic forms online as model releases....i wouldnt mind keeping a few of those in my camera bag.

Andy · May 9, 2005

even in public, you cannot use my likeness for commercial gain - say, to advertise a product.. *but* if you catch me in the street, and you put me in a book of fine art shots on street photography, and the book has an "educational" twist to it, well you can use the image without a release.

as always, ymmv and you should consult an attorney on such matters. there are lots of great resources on the 'net on this, google is your friend here, too...

legalities of street photography

more here

dan heller's site is good

some interesting things are copyrighted....

Andy · May 9, 2005

Chase wrote:

And are there any good basic and generic forms online as model releases....i wouldnt mind keeping a few of those in my camera bag.

here's one

Bystander · May 10, 2005

Thanks
Thanks for your helpful replys. Andy thanks for suggesting that I post my question here. I belong to a stock photo site that is very conservative re: street photos -- what I've read here so far is liberating -- Thanks again.

wxwax · May 20, 2005

Hey Andy, the second link doesn't work anymore. Is the article still alive somewhere? I want to Hall this thread, wouldn't mind capturing whatever that link had.

Street scene model releases

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