What is the etiquette for posting pictures of people, people you don’t know but have photographed in the street? I’ve seen lots of wonderful photos on WordPress, portraits of strangers. Most people who take direct face to face shots, ask permission to take the photo, I know.
Today as we were sitting having coffee, I noticed a young man sitting on a table outside the café; he was very handsome, with long, shoulder length hair, and was sitting with a friend, chatting, drinking coffee and smoking. I just knew that at some point he will appear in one of my novels; not the one I am writing now, but some day, this man will be a character. I don’t know what his name will be, I don’t know how he will relate to other characters, or even what part he will take in the action.
Because I had my camera with me I took a photo of him through the window, just as a reference for me when I come to write about him. As I was going through the photos I took today, to find one to write about here, I came across the picture of my future character; I wondered fleetingly whether to post his picture and write about him, but it didn’t seem quite right somehow… so you will just have to wait until I write him into a story to find out who he is, and I hope my powers of description will allow you to ‘see’ him!.
Lois Elsden 
Its a good question, Lois… my son wondered about that too.
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If it was a picture of someone looking foolish, or doing something stupid, or if the picture could somehow compromise someone it would be clear; but this picture I have is just of a good looking young man, relaxing in the sun on a busy high street!
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Then I would say thats fine
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It is a very gray area and can get you in alot of trouble.
If you really wanted to use his photo then legally you should have asked him to sign a model release (or got his details to send him one.)
So people can get funny and its these people that will be the death of SRL camera’s because most people think that owners of such work for the press (and you know how low peoples opinion of the press are).
I am afraid that fail safe answer is to NEVER use the image. 😦
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That is my thought, Adam… especially as it is just a photo of him, it’s not as if I was taking a picture of a monument or something and he happened to be in it… it is definitely a pic of him… which I will keep to myself although me will appear in print at some point!
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If it were a monument then you could get away with blurring his face and any identifiable features.
Its a shame, Photography used to be fun but like everything, there are too many out there who want to ruin things.
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My understanding is (and I stand prepared to be corrected) that if you are in a public place you can be photographed by anybody. However, you may not use somebody’s image for commercial purposes without their express written consent. Photos of children should never be published anywhere without consent of parents/guardians, commercial or not. I’m not sure when a child becomes an adult, but in Girlguiding members make their own decisions about consent when they are 14.
I always wonder how many family photo albums I appear in, in the background. I have two photos taken in Vienna on different days at opposite ends of the city, and there is a man in the background of each who I think is the same man. Remember when photo development shops used to show people’s photos in the window on a conveyor?
When I was four, we went on holiday to Tenerife. In the next Thomson’s brochure there was a picture of my dad, brother and me paddling/playing in the sea. Wouldn’t happen nowadays.
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Gosh fame! Thanks for that, Karen… I’m sure you’re right! if the bloke had just been in the picture I think I wouldn’t have any worries, but it was a full on picture of him (looking like a beardless, young Robert Reynolds!)
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When photography first started pagan cultures thought if you took a persons picture you somehow captured their soul. Maybe they were onto something.
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Do you mean that I now posses this person’s soul? Oooh! intriguing… I think there’s a story here!
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Be careful what you wish for. There’s usually not a happy ending!
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OK, David… I relinquish his soul…He’s free!
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