A Digital Photographer's Guide to
Model Releases: Making the Best Business Decisions with Your Photos of People,
Places and Things
Reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher
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Author: Dan Heller
Wiley Publishing
Released: March 31, 2008
Pages: 288
$30 USA
ISBN-13: 978-0470228562 |
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Strengths: Comprehensive
information about model releases. Full color and additional hints abound
through the book. Excellent model photographs highlight nice examples. Vertical tabs at the side of each page highlight main part
of the section. Nice yellow like sticky notes are strategically placed
throughout the book and the pages, to portray tips and highlight specific
concerns or ideas that are relevant to the chapter/ pages or text.
Weaknesses: None.
Novice/Intermediate/Advanced |
Introduction
Taking
photos of people, places and many types of visuals, for publication, is commonplace. However in many lines of work, the necessity and
use of model release forms is misunderstood, to say the least. Sometimes the nuances are not quite
understood or well defined in many cases, by photographers or the places of
business themselves. The book Model Releases: A digital Photographer’s Guide,
helps to clarify the meaning of much of the process and update advanced in
print media and more in recent years.
The
author has been a freelance photographer and photo industry analyst. His works
have been featured in publications from news and business media to fine arts
books. This book is the result of over five years of his research to model
releases. He is well versed in the changing trends that have transformed books,
the press, music and much more, in recent years. His knowledge is transmitted to this book in a very readable
and understandable way.
The
seven-part book covers a wide range of important topics within its 288 pages.
The titles of the parts of the book highlight the necessity of model releases.
These are : Everyone’s doing it; So what’s wrong; What’s a model release;
Understanding “use”; Analyzing the need for a model release; Dealing with photos of property; The
business of Licensing. The book makes it much easier to clarify when releases
are needed and not needed. What
buyers need in the way of model releases, and those who don't need releases are
summarized. Also included is information for marketing and licensing all your photos, whether
they have been released or not. Also the author does the best he can in
accumulating years of information and distilling helpful information in one
book.
The book
is relevant to those in the United States and abroad. The author helps to
define in clear terms, what should be initiated and followed through, under many situations and
circumstances. He is clear and concise so that misinformation does not occur
and clarity of the releases are understood. The well illustrated text is a very
comprehensive book available on the subject, covering everything you would to
know about model releases. The releases pertain to people, places and
additional circumstances. Much has changes in light of a photographer's role in
the creation of photographs that may be uses on or in conjunction with the
internet, with digital photography. newspapers, books and magazines.
Conclusions
This
important book is both insightful and a pleasure to read and understand. The
book is useful for everyone from professional photographers whose work involves photography to those amateur
photographers who take vacation
pictures on vacation, take photos of at their children' s teams/games, schools
or more. This book also includes information about models themselves and what
they can learn about their rights concerning how they can protect themselves
and when that is not possible.
The importance of this
book is highlighted by the fact that a well known GPS technology firm “stole”
(or should we say “did not secure properly”), music from my daughter’s
business/ firm. Whether it was on purpose or not, she had to set them straight
and went through the proper channels. This was an interesting event and it
served to highlight what should and needs to be done in the way of copyrighting
materials. In addition, a firm in Africa wanted to use one of my photographs
for their greeting cards. To make a long story short, I had to find that person and that firm, after they used my photographs, as the individual did not forward my
payment. If I would have had the information from this book beforehand, I would
have knowN the proper course of action to take to protect myself with the
transaction. This book would have let me know, in advance, the proper
procedures so that the situation would have not occurred. Now I am better
prepared. And you will be too if you read this well prepared book.
Whether you are in
business, work with photographs whether your home, business or personal use or
involved in possible interactions with businesses, this book is well worth reading. There is something to be
said for knowing and understanding your rights, as well as the rights of clients and businesses. That way
you can make the best decision about your photos that possible will end up in
businesses, books or other forms.