BEST PRACTICES

Photographing and Filming in Public Areas (e.g., outdoors, lobbies, and hallways)

A reasonable effort should be made to obtain a written model release when photographing or filming in a public space.  This is especially important when an individual or group of individuals is the focus of the photography or video.

Written consent is not necessary when photographing or filming in a public space on campus in a manner that does not focus on an identifiable individual or group of individuals.

Photographing and Filming in Restricted Areas (e.g., classrooms, labs, and student housing)

A reasonable effort should be made to obtain a written model release when photographing or filming in a restricted space.  This is especially important when an individual or group of individuals is the focus of the photograph or video footage.

 Keep Your Subjects Informed

 The more information you can provide your subject, the more comfortable they will likely be with the photo or video shoot.

 Inform your subject(s) of:

  • The photographer’s/videographer’s name
  • The department or client the photographer/videographer is representing
  • The intended use of the photos or video and the potential collateral uses in the future
  • The subject has the right to opt-out of the photo/video shoot and has a duty to inform the photographer/videographer immediately if they choose to do so

Subjects Under the Age of 18 

Extra effort should be made in obtaining model releases for subjects under the age of 18.  Since they cannot legally provide consent on their own, consent must be obtained from their parent or guardian. 

Storage of Model Releases

There is currently no central repository for storing and safeguarding model releases.  It is recommended to keep a digital copy of the model releases with the image or video files they are associated with.

Confidentiality

The use of photo captions or metadata that identifies the students name, except for news or published stories, is strongly discouraged.  Additionally, do not include information from protected areas such as age, race, sex, national origin, religion, disability, pregnancy, medical condition, marital status, or sexual orientation.

UF MODEL RELEASE FORM

Click here to download the UF Model Release Form.