Publishing photos of people

In the press and on socal networks other rules apply for celebrities than for other people. Photos and selfies with celebrities can be posted and published on social networks if they don’t show the celebrity in a very private or embarrassing situation. This is how this matter is generally handled.

I presume you got permission from him to publish the picture?

I’d have been pretty silly not to

the press and on socal networks other rules apply for celebrities than for other people.

Nonsense in this case. Of course you cannot publish pics of a celebrity, obtained during a private consultation or other similar situation. If Germany allows this, it would be unique. Also the person publishing it would never get any repeat business. It is like that crooked hairdresser stealing Neil Armstrong’s hair. May be legal but would be crooked.

I have been dealing with these things many times, and (contrary to you, I guess) I have some experience with it.
If you disagree how about some reference, sources? Always happy to learn something new after a life in Journalism and PR.
German courts have regularly ruled that posting/publishing pictures of celebrities is legal under the (above) restrictions. And in the US it’s the same.

From a website that deals with photographer rights:
Celebrities in public view can be photographed. Laws apply as with any other person. THe phoptographer is free to use the photos for private and educational purposes. He can even use the photograph for his website if the shot does not hurt in any way the celebrities public image. That means if the subject is not private, embarrassing or malicious nor misleading.

I would consider the above photo “public” and not private. It is also clear that the guy had NO problem with his picture beeing taken, and as a celebrity (today) he knows that it will be posted.

I have made many celebrity photos which were issued in magazines and on websites. Neither the legal departments of the magazines nor the celebrities even had a problem with that.

I could not take YOUR photo and publish it. I promise that I will not.

I could not take YOUR photo and publish it. I promise that I will not.

Hmmm did I sign a model release for the 2015, Dresden, photo, which you published? Not that I care, but this does illustrate the confusion well.

BTW the likely key phrase is “in public view”.

For example, take EDNY c. 2013. Lots of pointing a big £3500 Nikon at someone… Not published here AFAIK but just walking up to people (like myself sitting there) and aiming a big camera at them and clicking away, is legal (in the UK, at least, so long as it doesn’t show people in a denigrating way etc) but is questionable. You aren’t the only person doing that however… it happens from time to time, and maybe in public view, maybe not. The key is how far the photos go, of course. If they are to end up on social media etc then everyone in the photo should agree to it.

The regs are very country-specific but the ethical position isn’t.

I have been dealing with these things many times, and (contrary to you, I guess) I have some experience with it.

Indeed you have.

Aero 2013? Although i was there as a journalist i probably did some private pictures of people i met. None of those were published. My original answer was about celebrities.

Alexis wrote:

i probably did some private pictures of people i met. None of those were published. My original answer was about celebrities.

Alexis wrote:

I could not take YOUR photo and publish it.

Which leads to the question of how do you classify someone as a celebrity?

For that matter, what counts as publishing? Commercial magazine? Social media? Club newsletter? When the caption includes your name? etc.

To my mind, once a person becomes part of the subject of a photograph rather than as part of a scene then the picture becomes of a personal nature and permission should be sought to take the picture, let alone ‘publish’ it. It worries me way that so many people today seem to have absolutely no problem whatsoever with taking pictures of people doing all sorts of things and posting them to facebook et al.

I have- of course – never published a picture of somebody that would have needed permission. If i make a photo of people I know sitting in a cafe and put it on my private FB page that can only be seen by my friends, then this is absolutely legal and ok.

When you have journalistic credentials and do pictures at a trade show, then of course you can publish these pictures. The level of “privacy” determins if this is legal. Chuck Yeager standing next to his ariplane on an airshow: No problem. Chuck Yeager in his underwear in his private trailer on the parking lot: not ok ;-) A portrait of Chuck Yeager: legal. A portrait of Peter: not legal (but doesn’t well anyway ;-))

Here’s some examples of my people photography: http://www.airwork-images.com/gallery.php?gid=118

The Airline Captain in the cockpit? I flew in the cockpit as a journalist/photographer. I can publish this photo in aviation magazines and sell it too.

There’s simply different laws for public people (Airbus CEO at press conference, Politician …) and celebrities (actor, musician, soccer player). And then there’s the grey zone in which the Paparazzis work, which I find unethical aswell.

The last, and only, time I was ramp-checked in France I asked the gentlemen concerned to pose for a photo with my Maule after they had checked a representative sample of my paperwork and talked about this and that. They agreed, and even kindly offered to cuff me for the picture (which offer I thought it prudent to decline). However, they asked me not to share the photo on Facebook…

Incidentally, one of the officers carried a Taser as well as his standard issue SIG SP 2022. I did wonder afterwards what advice, if any, the various NAAs might offer in relation to carriage and use of high voltage weapons on GA aerodromes. Arguably, standing next to a few hundred litres of aviation gasoline, it might be safer and kinder to use the pistol.