Photographing people

[abaddon07]

Hi, I was curious about portraits of subjects not inside a studio or controlled setting. If you take a photo of someone on the street or near their home or anywhere similar, what legal issues are there for using their images? Do you need a model release from someone that is not a professional model?

[JDS]

I think by law, you're only required to have a release if you're going to be using the photo in commercial advertising, or something along those lines. It wouldn't hurt to have it in any case, and at least ask permission...

[LaFoto]

Abaddon, browse this very forum high and low, you will find numerous threads on this very topic ... we all have these questions, and they have been asked and answered over and again. It is all here...!

[Big Mike]

Laws and regulations vary from place to place...the best place for legal advice would be to ask a lawyer in your area...or at least a professional photographer in the area.

In general, what JDS said is common. Photo of people in public is OK or "fair use" (news reporting etc.) but for commercial purposes, you will need a model release.

[abaddon07]

Thanks everyone. I'll talk to some people to see what the process is. It's tricky because I imagine one could make a case for what could be considered "commercial" or "advertising" if they wanted to take legal action. Talking to a lawyer or established pro is not a bad idea.