February 12, 2010..............................................................................HOME................................................"Please Release Me...Set Me Free"
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A lot of photographers dream about selling their photographs. One of the hurdles in their way: the photo release.
A release is one of the necessary evils the professional photographer deals with every day. Now don't misunderstand... not every photograph you sell requires a release. Editorial use doesn't technically require a release, so a shot of someone at a county fair eating cotton candy that the local newspaper wants to run will probably fly without a release. On the other hand, if you shoot someone eating cotton candy at a car dealer event, and the dealer decides to run an ad in the local newspaper, that's no longer editorial use and a release is required.
Releases generally fall into 3 categories: model, minor, and property. Model releases are the general purpose release you get an adult to sign. A minor release is the same thing except a parent or legal guardian signs on behalf of the minor. Property releases are for tangible objects, such as a recognizable building ( even your neighbors house if you get picky ) something like a famous painting. Try using a picture of THE castle at you know who's Magic Kingdom in an advertisement without a property release and a very pissed off Mickey Mouse may come banging on your door.
You're better off having a release if you ever remotely think the picture might sell. The hassle is you never seem to have the d#*m release form with you when you need it. Or you don't have a pen. Not to mention that you're in Mexico or Italy and need a release in the native language. Unless you've really done your homework, you are outta luck. They are just a chronic nuisance.
Enter Easy Release. An app for the iPhone.
Easy Release is an elegant solution that is paperless and penless. The app takes you through a data capture workflow that forces you (I mean reminds you) to ask for all the important release details you really should include, but often let slide by. It then allows you to snap a quick picture of the model with the phone camera, and finally captures signatures by letting the people sign with a finger stroke on the screen (sounds tricky but it actually works reasonably well). Once the data is collected Easy Release generates a very slick PDF document and will email it as well as store it on your phone. There are multiple options in the latest version that let you customize your release. Add a logo for your firm for instance. Feeling scholarly? Jump right in and reword the legalese to your heart's content. You'll be impressed at the document generated and so will the end party buying your image. Trust me on this. Showing a client you are on top of your releases and being able to produce them instantly on request says a lot about your professionalism.
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And you never go anywhere without your iPhone, right. So now you will always be ready to secure a release. 24/7/365. I think it is a no brainer if you are serious about selling your photographs, and well worth the $9.95 price of admission. Check out the website at www.applicationgap.com or just take my word for it and click "buy" in the iTunes store. You can thank me after you need the first release... and have it.
BTW, I loved writing this blog on my new iPad. Don't get me started. ; D
Mark Alberhasky is a Nikon Mentor for the Mentor Series Worldwide Photo Treks.
Join him as he travels and share his enthusiasm for photography and learning.
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