Download these 30 Free Photo Release Forms to help you prepare and print your own Photo Release Form effectively. You can also check out our Employee Write-up Forms and Assignment Forms as well.
Being a professional photographer can be a dream job for many of us and even if it seems an ideal job to just take photos and get compensation in return, there are some grey areas in this line of work. Many professional photographers face legal consequences for using their own piece of work because the client or the model didn’t allow them to showcase their photos or the client can face legal charges from the photographer if he uses the photos for commercial use.
To safeguard the rights and obligations of clients, models, and photographers, a photo release form is signed and it entitles the holder i.e. client or model to use the photos for whatever reasons they want without worrying about getting sued by the photographer. The reasons of course are already specified and agreed upon by the photographer when he signs the form.
Photo Release Form vs. Model Release Form:
Commonly a photo release form and a model release form are considered as the same document but in reality, they are different. In a sense, you can say that both of these forms serve the same purpose but for different parties. For instance, a photo release form is signed by the photographer and it’s given to the client or customer that allows them to use the photos for their own purposes without getting permission from the photographer first. On the other hand, a model release form is signed by the client or customer and it’s given to the photographer allowing him to use or showcase the photos he took without the knowledge or consent of the client. In a perfect deal, both of these documents are signed and kept by the photographer and the client.
Common types of Photo Release Forms:
- General photo release form
- Model release form
- Print release form
- Property release form
- Minor photo release form
- Animal photo release form
- Copyright photo release form
Free Photo Release Forms:
Here are previews and download links for these free Photo Release Forms in PDF format.
Guidelines to create a Photo Release Form:
- Details of both parties:
For a photo release form to be legal and authenticated, it’s important to clearly describe each involved party. In typical situations, there are only two parties; the photographer and the client or model. It is also possible that an organization hires a photographer for commercial shooting but there is a professional model which means the photo release form should be signed by three parties; the photographer, the model and the client. This means this form should include details of each of them. Details such as names, contact information, addresses, and company names are important for a photo release form. - The date on which the form is signed:
You have no idea how many of these photo release forms end up in court just because the signing date isn’t clearly mentioned on the form. You can take all the necessary precautions and still end up in a dispute or legal fight if you didn’t mention the date on which the photos were taken and the date on which the form was signed. That’s why it’s really important to clearly mention photo session and signing dates. - Compensation in return:
If it’s not social service or public welfare, typically when an entity i.e. photographer or the model waives his or her rights by signing a photo release form, they get something in return. In most cases, it’s money i.e., the photographer gets agreed fees for taking photos or the model gets her compensation for giving time to the photography session. This isn’t always the case as in some cases the photographer just gives printouts of the photos taken to the client and this is considered the final compensation. - Purpose of photo shoot:
In any form of the photo release forms, this part here is very important. Basically, this explains the reasons for taking photos or conducting photo shoot sessions. It can be something commercial i.e. a client hiring a photographer to take photos of a new product or it can be a session for creating a modeling portfolio. Whatever the purpose is, it should be mentioned clearly in the form. - Legal aspects and scope of the form:
This part is fairly simple as it explains the legal boundaries rights and obligations of all involved parties as well as the scope of the form and its expiration. Usually when a photo release form is signed, it allows the model or client to use photos for any purpose without ever getting permission from the photographer but in some cases, the photographer can also limit the use of the photos or specify a time period after which the form is considered expired and the client can’t use the photos. - Signature of involved parties:
At the end, the form should be signed by all involved parties making it a legal document. For a photo release form, it’s not mandatory to sign it in the presence of a notary public officer but it never hurts to take extra precautions.
