07/12/09 13:17 Model Advice
Model Advice
I recently had a model ask me a very good question
via email on this site, which was “When is it okay to
sign a model release for a TFP shoot?” She also had
some questions about provisions in the release.
Recall that a model release gives the photographer
the right to commercially exploit your images. In a
TFP shoot, the premise is that no one is getting paid
-- everyone is doing the job in exchange for the
final product. The prints or images. By getting you
to sign a model release, the photographer is
kind
of cheating on this deal, because it allows him
to make money from your photos. (There are countless
websites that will pay money for a set of photos of
an attractive model in lingerie or swimwear. These
days, most photo shoots involve at least one look in
swimwear. You get the picture.)
But the real question is whether there’s anything
ethically questionable about the photographer asking
for the release on a TFP shoot. The short answer is,
“no.” Whether or not you should sign it depends on
your relative bargaining power compared to the
photographer. If you’re an unknown model and the
photographer is well known and very good, it might be
worth it for you to sign the release to get a chance
to work with them. Just be sure to ask them what they
intend to use the photos for. You may even want to
demand that your photos not be used in association
with anything that you would consider offensive or
defamatory, including ads related to alcohol,
tobacco, infectious disease, medications and drug
use, sex and sexual orientation.
On the other hand, if you’re pretty much in the same
place as the photographer careerwise and neither of
you is doing the other a favor by working together,
why should the photographer gain the unfair advantage
of having the right to sell your photos? At the very
least, it’s open to negotiation.
Without getting into the specifics of her other
questions, suffice it to say, model releases often
contain confusing language and legal jargon (i.e.,
“for the use of your image for all time and in any
medium now known or hereinafter devised…” ) , but a
lot of it is standard fare and should not cause undue
concern. For instance, the following phrases should
not cause alarm if you see them:
These are standard terms in any model release worthy
of being signed. To see a standard model release
Click Here
Tags:Model Release, TFP Shoots