Stock Photography: Adding Sensitive Issues restrictions to your RM or RP images
At some stage during your new stock photography career you’ll progress from shooting landscapes, your cat, small objects on a white background and begin submitting people shots. These are the money spinners, the real sellers.
At first the prospect of hiring professional models will seem daunting. So many people cut their teeth by shooting the people around them. Their wife or girlfriend, their kids, their parents etc. The added bonus being that they are always going to sign a model release aren’t they? ;)
Just do a search at the many stock libraries around on the net and you’ll see them a mile off.
Nothing wrong with that at all. But in their eagerness to make sales many fledgling shooters are unaware what their images may be used for. Its not all honey and roses out there in the world of publishing and advertising but there is a way to ensure that your loved ones don’t end up advertising something you’d rather not see..
The Sensitive Issues restriction
Over and above any defamatory uses of your images which would be upheld by law, many people are unaware that their images could be legitimately used in various industry sectors which they may find offensive. Such industries as:
- Tobacco advertising
- Alcohol advertising
- Datelines
- Chatlines
- Sexual products and manuals
Lets face it. These industries advertise and need model released imagery as much as the next image buyer. They also buy stock. Next image bought could be yours.
Its only a matter of time before somebody spots a shot of their teenage daughter smiling on the beach advertising on a tampon or cigarettes in (insert country where you can show tobacco advertising in the media) or their teenage son on a new range of condoms. Its going to happen eventually.
Worse still, is that if the image is model released and royalty free there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.
If its not defamatory use (implied drug abuse, alcohol abuse or anything likely to be unflattering to the model depicted) its fair game.
So if its a shot of your daughter smiling at the camera and its used in such a way that it does not imply association with…. its fair game.
Even worse than worse still is if you sold that image of your loved one on a microstock site for a measly $1.
Think about it for a second. It might be a long shot but do you want to take that chance?
So many people are quick to shoot but don’t realise the ramifications of unlimited use royalty free images with their unrestricted nature. Especially the beginners who often cut their teeth on microstock sites.
So can anything be done? What are my options?
- Yes. License your people images as rights managed. Not only could a model released rights managed people shot pull in a large licence fee but like any rights managed image, you can add restrictions for sensitive issues use!
Back to Alamy again and a shot of the add restrictions dialogue in the edit image screen:
I’ve set this to restrict all sensitive uses - click to see the detail
And that’s all there is to it. Your image is now restricted from use by those industries which may cause embarrassment.
PP
