UKC

I know some of you might not of ventured your photographic work towards fashion but I recently have worked with a photographer who was a climber and although his photographic work was mostly landscapes/urban scenes, he asked me to do some fashion shoots (I'm a freelance makeup artist). I organised the shoots using my venue, my models and my makeup ideas and I invited him to come take the pictures... None of us got paid for the shoots as it was meant to be a portfolio building shoot...

I didn't get a choice to see the first shoot pictures prior to him putting them up on his website, so on the second shoot I asked to see the pictures before hand, which I thought was fair but was told in an email after the shoot to 'F*CK OFF' and I have now been blocked off FB...

I am proper sure that this is not the normal behaviour of a working professional and therefore can only assume that he had ulterior motives to use the pictures and not advise me if he did and therefore not having to pay myself nor the model if he sold any images...

It now looks like I will have to draw up a contract for any further shoots to protect all parties involved with the shoot...

What Photographer release forms do you use that protect yourselves?? As the MUA release form I was sent was pretty much a copy and paste off the internet...

I muchly appreciate your comments... :0)

In reply to Mita:

Sorry to hear about this.

Even when I did some non-chargeable shoots with other professionals (production/lighting design in my case), I still had contracts in place with all concerned, as well as model releases and 3rd party and professional indemnity insurance.

Contracts are probably the most important thing, I don't mind the money it cost me to have a good solicitor to sort them out for me (copy and paste jobs really won't work when you actually need them).

In reply to Mita:

Hi Mita, that's appalling, he sounds like a right tit (assuming we're hearing the whole story?)

Anyway, as Andrew says, you might be best to draw up your own model release form, perhaps with some legal advice. My main client owns the copyright to my work and has never required model release forms of me whilst the others all provide their own model release forms specific to their own requirements.

There are plenty of templates online for you to use if you do want to go down that route, but bear in mind many of them may be US specific too and therefore subject to their legislation rather than our; I wouldn't know if that makes any difference.

FWIW, if I was doing some editorial/documentary photography, then I generally wouldn't give the subject any sort of power of veto over the work as I want to be as objective as I can through the photography, whereas they may have their own agenda to push. If there was other creative input however (as per your situation) then it goes without saying that they would get a say as to what final images to use.

Sorry you had a bad time with that particular photographer, we're not all like that.

In reply to Tom Last:

All I wanted was to see the pics before hand and I get told I'm being arsey... I advise that I want the MUA release form to be changed to say I get the 20% he said I would get if he sold the images to which he said I'm being anal... I've been in business long enough to know what contracts should & should not say...

It's just that I've known this person for some years now and were at one point climbing buddies but he isn't at all being professional in this situation... My models also agree with me and I have also had them look at all the messages he's sent and they also disagree with signing anything before he changes the forms, which now he won't as he's also deleted the models...

I do hope he sees this thread as he is also a UKCer and may want to give his side of this story...

In reply to Mita: Hi Mita, long time no see. My youngest daughter (22) is now a professional photographic model so your paths may cross, be nice to her if they do.
Al xx

In reply to Al Evans: Hey Al, hope you're well... I always try my best to be 'nice' but you of all people know I take no shite... :0) x

In reply to Mita: That's the Mita I know, but Jo really is a nice young thing, I'm well by the way.

In reply to Al Evans: I'm sure if our paths cross we'll both be 'nice'... I'm glad you're well... :0)