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I hoping to get some feedback on getting releases for sensitive situations. The work I’m doing with the FEAR Project is getting a bit sticky in terms of respecting my subjects, being ethical, maintaining journalistic mores, and covering my ass. If (ever) I get to work with minors it will be even more…difficult from a legal and ethical perspective. I suppose you might say ‘subject beware’ but considering the nature of the project (sexual violence), the issue of re-traumatization (not desired), and not wanting to get sued (me or the client publication) I’d like to know what you or other photographers you know do.
In terms of the release, these are the things the project is doing/needs to be covered for; FEAR, first, is for education and advocacy for exhibits/educational multimedia videos/print sales/likely a book (eventually). These are commercial uses. FEAR is done in a documentary fashion and is available for editorial use—but the work could be used for sexual violence and drug or other social issue stories. I’ve had publications shy away from some released images because they are too ‘risky’. There is also a commercial (advertising) component which I’d like to be able to exercise.
Some of the situations I’ve been in are parties with random, drunk and/or high people. Tracking them down and releasing them is epic. Party hopping is even harder, but can provide great images. This is only one example.
Two people I’d be interested in getting in touch with are Nicholas Welsh (check out his book ‘Spring Broke’ that both Sabine Meyer and Angelika Holloway helped with and referred me to) and Lauren Greenfield who’s been doing the Girl Culture work.
Who else out there is working with similar situations? How do you work your releases. as in, what do you cover yourself for, how do you manage odd semi-public situations, what are your strategies, etc. And, for the moment, this is in the United States where everyone wants to sue. For instance, look at VII and the piece on a Parisian emergency room. There are a lot of identifiable patients in there. I’m dealing w/ an ER right now and because of HIPPA (right to privacy) I’ve been through soooo many legal hoops it’s crazy.
Thanks in advance.
tim matsui
www.fearproject.org
by
Tim Matsui
at
Thu Apr 07 11:14:44 UTC 2005
(ed. Jun 9 2006)
seattle,
United States
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