Lessons
Pre-Show
05:48 2Introduction to Microstock
19:26 3Learn What Sells
1:04:55 4iStockphoto Trends
17:07 5Model and Property Releases
09:15 6Cropping and Composition
31:14 7Shoots That Work
14:23 8JPEG vs. Raw
10:08Lesson Info
Model and Property Releases
So we talked. We touched on that earlier before I break. It's important to whatever company you're going to sign up with. Download their releases. They haven't in pdf form. Download those suckers right out of the gates. Says you're accepted to print out a slew of them and keep them in your bag. Trunk of your car. What have you always wanna have them with you? We talked about earlier. For model releases, anytime you have a recognizable face, you need a model release. This grants licensing permission for the photo for that person's likeness, and it transfers the rights to you to use their likeness as a photographer. And then with your agreement through the stock company, that image can be can be sold. You will need to get a picture of a photo I d to submit along with ease Model releases for Istock photo. The reason I stopped does that. I'm not sure if all the other ones require photo ideas. Well, but I thought does that just across the board, because if you shot somebody so you shot this...
pretty lady and her likeness, her face was used in an ad for cigarettes or alcohol. or what have you been? There may be some point where somebody needed to prove that she was at least 21. So to kind of cover all the bases on that and be safe about it. I saw it. Just requires a copy of the photo I d across the board. So you will have to do that. How do you do that? When you're out and about taken IPhone picture, take a smartphone picture, take a picture with your big camera. So that's that's suitable to submit as well. I mean, nobody's gonna be traveling around with Xerox copier in their trunk. Eso just take a picture of it. But that's definitely something that you need to tell your models before they come out to your shoot or your studio is a Hey, bring bring your photo I d. Because I got to submit it for this model release. And they're all just one pages or not. Two pages. This is These are the exact forms that I stock uses and the other companies or similar. Now, if you have a model release from way back win, it's like 10 15 years ago or what have you then you would need Teoh get in touch with the Istock folks or whomever and asked them if that model releases gonna be accessible and they will take it and they will pass it by their attorney is what's gonna happen with that. And the attorney will evaluate it and say, Yeah, it's got all the necessary pieces of information or No, it doesn't. And at that point, there's nothing you can do. You can't submit that. So look to see if there's a clever crop he can do to hack off half of their back off half of their head. But they are very strict about these. Mama releases Property releases is a little bit more of a gray area. If you're shooting anything on private property, it's best to ask. The person who owns the property is gonna appreciate it. And if they say no and if they're rial, you know, horse's rear end about it, then that maybe the universe just letting you know that Hey, this isn't the best kind of situation. There may be another location that's better for you, so take it in that essence. Take it with a grain of salt. If you want to shoot this fabulous shot of grocery carts and a line with a showed up the field, you know, with this great shopping mall. And if they won't sign a property release or you get thrown off, just know that there's gonna be a better opportunity for you somewhere else. It's It's a softer way to take that rejection and that no, then just getting all angry about it. But do you ask so supermarket shopping mall of museums really, really museums. And don't just ask the security person. Okay, don't do that. Go into the place of business. Asked to speak to somebody of authority. Don't just ask the rental cop that may be hanging around in the parking lot because you may not get an informed answer. You may get a No, you don't need one, or you may get it. No, I'm not gonna sign one when that may not be the accurate answer. So try to find some authority, figure at that establishment air shows, and sometimes you can set up properly releases for that in advance. If you know there's gonna be event happening, you can get in touch with them and get all of that paperwork candles beforehand so often times it can be part of getting a photographer's pass to some of those events. But if you've always got this stuff with you and you kind of err on the side of just trying to get it anyway and asking for it, then then you'll be fine. And again if you send in a photo. Teoh any of these companies, the inspectors are on top of all of this. So if you don't have a property release and they know that you need one and they're going to tell you and unfortunately you may not be able to submit that photo if they really do stay on top of everything, just like the Eiffel Tower we were talking about. You can shoot it all day long in the daytime and submit those a stock images, but you cannot submit a photo of it at night because the light designer has a copyright on the lives. You would never know that, but the inspectors do any questions on the's model releases and proper releases. Yes, yes, we have, ah question from earlier asking if you, the parent signing model release for a child, do you need just one parent, and then would you get that parents identification? Yes, that's a great question. And thank you for asking that. Yes. So if you're dealing with minors, no babies, what have you then you would definitely get the legal guardian to sign the model release. And you would need a photo idea the legal garden. Just as as a matter of course. You also need a witness. So both of these releases have a witness area, so you just need to have somebody else sign off on it. And basically, that's just, you know, maybe somebody else in your crew or another model that, you know, you've got in your studio heavy. And that's basically just saying somebody attesting to the fact that yeah, that person signed it and she was cool with it. And yeah, that really is her. All that. So somebody else's wondering if you could talk a little bit about what happens if you're traveling in another country and you're doing kind of street photography. Um, have you done any of that as faras model release of go And what? Is it different, or can you use the same relief everywhere you go Great questions. You can use the same release. You just have to have the guts to ask. You should ask them, right? You should ask him. Yeah. So it's just like the story about me with that beautiful lady. At the end of that, That pier dock, you know, in Chicago should have asked her. And when she get practicing doing it, it won't feel so weird. But it does feel weird, you know, at first, but just to smile, you know, try not look menacing. When you go up to strangers, smile and be a personable and be polite and be ready to accept no is an answer and move on and again, try to take that in a lighter tone and just think, Well, I must be going to find I must have another opportunity that's gonna work out even better in my immediate future for that. But for foreign countries, you definitely need to learn a little bit of the language to be able to communicate. And that's just a part of being a good traveler, anyway. Is trying to learn a little bit as much as you can, how to communicate in that language to respect that country in that country's people. In their language, you can't seem that everybody speaks English because I just don't. And even if they do, they will treat you with more respect because they will feel that you're respecting them and their their country. Question Megan. Yes, With the property releases, I know you're saying with people, if they're blurred out enough, you don't need the release for them. But what about properties? Like if you were to take a shot of the Eiffel Tower at night, but it was super, super, super blurry. Would you still need it? Does that make sense? Does the same rules apply to properties as it does with people? Yes, but for the Eiffel Tower, it's not a matter of a property release system, matter of the lights. So you have to do some priest serious special effects to may think that not recognizable. But I went on a part on proper releases. It is a bit of a gray area, so it yet if you can disguise where it was, then you could probably get away with it. But to be on the safe side, it's better to ask. But then again, if nobody's around, or if nobody's ever gonna be able to figure out where the thing waas you know, then it's not such a big deal. But if you're shooting, you know, an air show and the Blue Angels go by and people look at the date thing to be pretty easy to figure out what airshow that shot at. So let's be careful. You know easier your your inner tuition in your inner guide to kind of guide you on that. But model releases air much more strict on those, and they are property releases. So just know that don't worry too much about property releases. I guess that's the best advice I think you on that.
Class Materials
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Ratings and Reviews
Christopher Lawrence
As much as I love CreativeLive courses - I was somewhat disappointed with this one. What caught my eye today (11/15/17) was that the class was being broadcast for free. I made the (incorrect) assumption that it was actually being "taped" today. This material is quite old. I wish CreativeLive would put the original "broadcast" date in their materials - or, if they do, make it easy and clear to find. I also found that this instructor was not as professional as others. She frequently used words like "pissed off", etc. when talking about models and companies. She also came across as being "short" with the hosts when it came to answering student questions. I'm not a prude by any means, but when I am paying for a class, I always hope for, and expect professionalism. I am still giving this course a "thumbs up" because most of the information that I received was good, but I just wish it was a little more current. Chris
Nawalescape
For a starter, it is a good course, I am not sure if it's up to date, like what Cynthia said below, but it sure gave me a push to consider this project seriously, those saved images lying there in my hard desk should get out there with benefit.
user-038780
I really enjoyed Lesa's webinar. It gave me the encouragement and information I needed to apply to iStock. My photos were accepted on my first try, and I owe a lot of that to this class. Thanks Lesa!