Model releases |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 09:54
| #1 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chennai
Posts: 156
| Model releases Hiya, How do you go about obtaining model releases for portraits when you are travelling? I find the language barriers difficult. If you obtain a signature on a model release form written in English, and the model doesn't read English, is it legally valid? How do you get around this, apart from carrying a folder full of translated model release forms in a hundred different languages! Thanks, Gertie |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 11:48
| #2 |
| This is just a cameo appearance  Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India
Posts: 38,213
| Doubt that anyone would understand the concept, never mind the language... |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 12:30
| #3 |
| Maha Guru Member  Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York
Posts: 2,238
| Why do you want/need model releases? |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 12:36
| #4 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 487
| A model release is valid even if the person who signs it cant read English. But are you planning to use your people images for commercial purpose(as in advertisements, promotions, etc)? If not you would not need a model release at all, even if you want to sell prints and make money. Also ethically speaking, dont forget to inform your model about where his/her image is going to be used and for what purpose. Though not necessary, you may also consider paying the model, since you expect to earn from the image. |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 12:37
| #5 |
| Account Closed by User's Request  Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands
Posts: 6,009
| Gertie supplies models I think!! |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 12:38
| #6 |
| Infidel Sufi  Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: styx
Posts: 14,206
| and I aint releasing them  Sorry, sorry, offtopic again 
__________________ When I look up, I see people cashing in. I don't see heaven, or saints or angels. I see people cashing in on every decent impulse and human tragedy. -Heller, Catch-22 |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 13:22
| #7 | |
| Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chennai
Posts: 156
| Quote:
Merchant, model releases are necessary for stock photo submissions. Nick, you are right - the concept is a difficult one to explain in a few broken words of a foreign language. This is why I'm asking how other photographers go about it. Arunchs, I'd be pretty pissed if someone asked me to sign something in mandarin for example, then I saw my pic plastered all over the place. Not that I would sign anything I didn't understand - and noone in their right mind would want my face on anything anyway, there's a reason I'm behind the camera! But seriously, its surely ethical as a photographer to make sure the person signing the model release (no matter the language) understands the idea? But how?! Gertie | |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 13:25
| #8 |
| Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands
Posts: 6,009
| Sorry Gertie I've mixed you up with someone else in Chennai who doe supply models/extras my apologies it's obviously not you!! |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 13:28
| #9 | |
| Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 487
| Quote:
I remember reading faqs in some stock/royalty free websites. It goes something like this: Q: I am in a third world country and some of my subjects don't know how to read or write. Do I still need a model release? How do I get it. A: Yes, you still need a model release. Note that the part 'how do I get it' is conveniently ignored This is a pretty tough challenge to workaround. | |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 13:33
| #10 |
| Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands
Posts: 6,009
| Get someone to translate for you would seem the simplest way and get the release form done in a few local languages too! |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 14:35
| #11 | |
| Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chennai
Posts: 156
| Quote:
You've gotta love 'advice' like this!   Maybe there's a niche in the market for a 'Photographer's Phrasebook - a model release request in a zillion different languages for the travelling photographer', lol. Gertie | |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 14:46
| #12 |
| This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India
Posts: 38,213
| Can I ask, broadly what kind of photographs of what kind of people you are speaking of? Lets imagine it is vegetable sellers in a street market... They may well be illiterate. They may well get no further towards understanding this concept than, perhaps it is like the movies and so they should ask for lots of money. Even if they can read and write, in their mother tongue; even if they can speak more than a few words of English, are they going to understand anything about intellectual property rights? Are they going to understand that you might photograph a thousand people and only make money from one? So what do photographers do? take the pics anyway? Make the money (on the few that do make money) anyway? Yes... I guess it is a tough question, ethically and pratically. |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 14:57
| #13 |
| 'sort of hate India' club member  Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Chennai, via Romania
Posts: 917
| Well...I had no idea what a "model release" is til I read this post (and I thought I'm literate and all that)... I think that even if they understand what the signature is for or if they can read the paper themselves, they'd be very reluctant to sign something coming from a stranger on the street. |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 15:08
| #14 |
| Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ...  Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India
Posts: 2,780
| Aah, and this stuff anyway makes me very uneasy to take photographs of people. I just use a few of them on my blog and then too I feel quite uneasy, because in some cases I definitely have not explained that the picture I am taking, I am going to put on the internet. That way, I enjoy to click the lakes and the mountains and paste it anywhere. But then I know I am taking the easy way out. |
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Mar 29th, 2007, 15:08
| #15 |
| Infidel Sufi Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: styx
Posts: 14,206
| I guessed what a model release was. Though I had some naughty ideas with that, sorry  |
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