Model releases

Since this forum has just started, and that topics for model releases

have always been scattered, I say we gather all the info concerning

them on this topic. So please share your own pre-fabricated model

releases or talk about the different laws concerning them here!

Then we'll have 1,981 places to look instead of only 1,980!

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Here's the link to the first 1,980 of them - <a href="http://www.google.com/custom?q=model+release&sa=Google&cof=L%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.photo.net%2Fgraphics%2Fanimated_photonet_logo.gif%3BAH%3Aleft%3BAWFID%3A1a028422fd3461a7%3B&domains=photo.net&sitesearch=photo.net"> Model release posts on Photo.net</a>

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Best solution would be for someone who knows what they are talking about (and that's not me) to write a static content article for photo.net. Ideally this would be an IP lawyer.

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Of course people won't read it before asking the same question again, nor will they even bother to look for it.

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Sorry if this sounds a bit cynical, but it comes from many years of experience!

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Please feel free to post or discuss your favorite release, just don't expect it will stop repeat questions and don't expect people to search out this thread, because they won't!

Bert Krages has posted the most valuable opinions on this subject, IMO. In particular, his points re "valuable consideration" and the amount of legal verbiage in a release are worth considering.

 

In my view, most photographers use overly complex releases in an effort to protect themselves from every possible harm, forgetting that the point is to simply reduce your risks to a reasonable level.

For reference here's the link to Bert Krages' website, which has a couple

of valuable tidbits and a description of his excellent book, the <em>Legal

Handbook for Photographers</em>.<br>

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<a href="http://www.krages.com/lvaserv.htm">http://www.krages.com/lvaserv.htm</a><br>

Bob, I agree that a static conent article on this subject would be a GREAT idea. I'm looking forward to it! (Even tough it probably won't happen soon)

I really don't want to end up in Bob Shell's situation, so my model release has a couple of different purposes, one of them being that I word my model release in a way that tells people "The model signed this without any coercion and I was a perfect gentleman."<br>

Working in the adult industry, shoots with can sometimes pose a potential threat because it would be fairly easy for a model to contact the police and mention they were sexually assaulted by the photographer.

Bob Shell's problems had very little, if anything, to do with releases. I don't think releases cover having sex with a model who is taking illegal drugs and her winding up dead in the studio.

 

I'm not making moral judgements here, just pointing out that there are some activities that the world's most watertight release won't help you with.