May 23 2008

What is a model release? – Download a Generic Model Release

Posted on: May 23, 2008 (43) Comments

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A model release is a formal agreement between the model and the photographer about usage of the images where the model appears. When a model signs a model release he or she acknowledges that images or movies with him or her in them will be used for commercial purposes around the world.

The images and movies cannot be used for just anything, and the agencies that sell images, known as stock agencies, have a long set of “user rights and restrictions” that protects the model and the photographer from abusive usage of the material. The restrictions are very tight, so abusive usage almost never happens.

Most professional or international models have signed model releases many times, but for new models this aspect can feel a little uncertain. When you are asked to sign a model release, take your time to read it through and ask any questions you may have to the photographer or film-maker on the set. Even though the model release is written in a very formal language, try to remember that basically this is just a contract that formally allows the photographer to use the pictures he is taking of you.

You can read and download my model release forms here:

Universal adult model release for all agencies (word document)

Universal minor model release for all agencies (word document)

Universal property release for all agencies (word document)

If you are a stock photographer and looking for a model release template or form that you can use with all microstock agencies, feel free to use this one. We have had all our images approved on all microstock agencies using this form. Remember to remove “Yuri Arcurs” and my logo and replace them with your own.

   

(43) Comments... What do you think? If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my RSS
  1. Aldo Padilla said on September 28th, 2008 at 5:21 am   (Quote)

    That’s great of you to share. I love your work.

  2. Rene said on October 19th, 2008 at 10:42 pm   (Quote)

    Thanks Yuri. I was looking for this.
    Great work btw !

  3. Helle said on October 30th, 2008 at 12:53 am   (Quote)

    Thanks Yuri
    I hope the model releases ork for Fotolia and StockXpert (those I like the most)

    Great information on your website – and man …….. you have a lot of pictures *ss*

  4. Mette said on November 3rd, 2008 at 1:58 pm   (Quote)

    Hello Yuri!
    Thank you for sharing you model-releases with us! On question, in the minor release, what goes here: (on the line)……… (“Model”) hereby grant to ____________________________ and Yuri Arcurs (collectively, the….. Is it the stockcompany???
    Sorry for not understand….

  5. Kyle Tunney said on November 4th, 2008 at 4:37 pm   (Quote)

    Thanks for Sharing Yuri!

  6. Günay said on December 10th, 2008 at 2:06 pm   (Quote)

    Thanks for sharing. It will really help me.

    Regards.

  7. Dook said on December 14th, 2008 at 7:27 pm   (Quote)

    Yuri, thanks for releases. But, I have one question, and since you live in not English speaking country, you may know the answer.I have to give release written on domestic language to my models, since they do not speak English, and also the one on English. And to be completely safe it must be certified by notary public. do I need to certify every single release by notary public, or just one that I will carry with me and show to models. And, also, does this mean my release will contain two pages, one English written and the other on domestic language? This is not clear to me. Thanks!

  8. Steve Hill said on December 18th, 2008 at 2:05 pm   (Quote)

    Thanks for sharing! This will definitely help keep things organized for people-shots across different microstock sites.

  9. MM said on January 25th, 2009 at 5:25 am   (Quote)

    I was so happy to see the link to the generic model release on the home page! But, OUCH, I never activated the word-stuff in my Mac. What about .pdf?

  10. Jason said on February 5th, 2009 at 12:11 am   (Quote)

    Does this release work for Getty and Corbis as well?

  11. Rikke said on February 20th, 2009 at 12:06 pm   (Quote)

    Hej Yuri.
    På modelrealese for voksne er der et felt hvor der står id with picture, skal der bare være et foto af modellen? eller skal det være et billede-id i form af kørekort eller pas???
    Tak for din hjælp
    Rikke

  12. dmitrystudio said on March 16th, 2009 at 9:24 am   (Quote)

    Thanks, Yuri! Good work !!!

  13. Valery Rybchenko said on March 18th, 2009 at 12:33 am   (Quote)

    Yuri, many thanks for sharing model release and keywords tool with Russian language,
    greeting from Ukraine!

  14. ALEXANDER said on March 23rd, 2009 at 6:39 pm   (Quote)

    HI YURI,
    I WORK MOST IN FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY, NOW I START A LITTLE WORK IN STOCK AS WELL.
    IV BEEN SEEING YOUR WORK ALL OVER :) GRATULATIONS FOR THAT !!
    I WONDER FROM WHERE YOU GET YOUR MODELS ? ARE IN DENMARK SPECIAL AGENCYS FOR STOCKMODELS BASED ?
    ALEXANDER

  15. Rahul Tiwari said on April 4th, 2009 at 11:26 am   (Quote)

    Thanks for sharing. It will really help me.

  16. Craig Wactor said on April 5th, 2009 at 8:43 pm   (Quote)

    Hey Yuri, thanks a bunch for the files! Makes it so much easier than trying to write my own. It’s a great thing that you are giving back to the community like this!

  17. Brandon Seidel said on April 6th, 2009 at 12:15 am   (Quote)

    Thanks!

  18. Allen said on April 14th, 2009 at 1:26 am   (Quote)

    Yuri,
    Thanks so much for sharing these releases. Now all I have to do is get up the nerve to start working with more models. One question I have is ‘Is the copy of the photo ID required for most/all agencies?’ I’m thinking if I’m out somewhere and get a good shot and just ask someone to sign the model release don’t really think they’d be willing to give me a copy of their driver’s license.

    Allen

  19. Dook said on April 14th, 2009 at 3:34 pm   (Quote)

    Allen,
    you do not need models ID for referance, justi his/her picture. It can be taken during the session.

  20. Fábio Salles said on April 14th, 2009 at 8:45 pm   (Quote)

    I am new in this work -microstok- Thanks so much for your help. i am brazilian and hear is very dificult information about this work. Thanks Yuri and thanks internet

  21. Oliver said on April 15th, 2009 at 10:59 pm   (Quote)

    Is an image on the model required for it to be valid? I don’t see a field or indication of that on Yuri’s releases…

    Does one has to do a new release for every single shoot with the model, or is one release enough, and can be reused?

  22. Sushil chandak said on April 19th, 2009 at 7:28 pm   (Quote)

    It’s really your hard work helps a lot of new photographers and new comers in photography business. Thanks

  23. Mike said on April 29th, 2009 at 11:53 am   (Quote)

    Very useful, thanks!

  24. Linda D said on May 4th, 2009 at 4:35 pm   (Quote)

    Yuri, You have a very informative website, thank you for sharing, it’s good karma! I have a question for you or anyone reading this, how do you change the picture box details from Yuir’s to mine?

    Thank you!

  25. Linda D said on May 4th, 2009 at 6:19 pm   (Quote)

    Okay, please ignore my above post, after a couple of days scratching head I actually figured it out…right after posting my question! ;)

  26. Jeffrey B Krushinski said on May 10th, 2009 at 2:07 pm   (Quote)

    Whats the “ID with picture” box at the bottom ?
    If thats for the model, how does one get a models ID copied out in the field when you’re away from your scanner?

  27. Gia said on May 10th, 2009 at 10:06 pm   (Quote)

    Thank you to Yuri and Greetings to all.

    Could someone drop a few, what is the Property release for? Model release is understandble.

    Thank you guys.

  28. Pedro Monteiro said on May 19th, 2009 at 9:55 pm   (Quote)

    Thanks Yuri.
    in 10 min i learn more about photografh then in 6 month
    Pedro

  29. Alex said on June 2nd, 2009 at 10:12 pm   (Quote)

    Yuri is a great source of inspiration for young fotografers, its amazing that he is sharing a lot of “secrets” among his community. Keep up the good job!

    Alex

  30. Damian said on June 17th, 2009 at 9:34 am   (Quote)

    Hi. To today my models signed six different documents. Thank you for your universal model release. Greeting from Poland.

  31. Shawn said on June 19th, 2009 at 2:49 am   (Quote)

    Yuri,

    Thank you for your work. Just what I was looking for.

    -shawn

  32. Christian said on June 30th, 2009 at 5:15 pm   (Quote)

    Thanks Yuri, this helps a lot. Thanks so much for sharing!

  33. Karen said on July 3rd, 2009 at 8:14 am   (Quote)

    You’re awesome, Yuri. thank you for sharing. I am wondering, will this work for istockphoto, too? I think they only accept model releases from their own site….

  34. Alexey said on July 3rd, 2009 at 10:58 am   (Quote)

    I don’t quite understand the issue of the release form.
    If I shot a random guy on a street I can’t sell his photo unless he signed a release form?
    Do all the celebrities sign release forms to all the paparazzi?

  35. Jen said on November 21st, 2009 at 9:34 pm   (Quote)

    Alexey: I don’t quite understand the issue of the release form.
    If I shot a random guy on a street I can’t sell his photo unless he signed a release form?
    Do all the celebrities sign release forms to all the paparazzi?

    No… but those are considered editorial pictures. Microstock is commercial, and so the pictures require release forms.

  36. Yuri Arcurs said on November 22nd, 2009 at 2:03 pm   (Quote)

    Editorial and newsworthy print do not need releases.

  37. cagri özgür said on December 15th, 2009 at 12:05 am   (Quote)
  38. Aldo said on January 12th, 2010 at 1:39 am   (Quote)

    Thanks for sharing these model release forms, I hope i will put them to good use soon. I’m hoping to walk away from this deployment with some awesome shots. Thanks again.

  39. Trancerapid Photography said on January 14th, 2010 at 1:00 pm   (Quote)

    Many thanks for sharing!
    Exactly I was looking for.

  40. Alex said on February 23rd, 2010 at 8:56 pm   (Quote)

    Unfortunately Dreamstime rejected this MR as it misses information about the law to be applied, It should be either the countries law, US or international laws.

    It depends as usual from the reviewer, some images passes, some others not, by the same release

    Alex

  41. Rahul Tiwari said on February 27th, 2010 at 9:56 am   (Quote)

    Thanks, Yuri! nice work

  42. Lisa Cabrera said on March 12th, 2010 at 8:27 pm   (Quote)

    thanks for sharing Yuri! Love your work!!!

  43. Osiblog » Example model release forms - blog about technology, webdesign, software development, whisky, linux and graphics said on June 23rd, 2009 at

    [...] forms”. Yuri Arcurs was kind enough to share some example contracts which can be found on his website. contract example (taken from Yuri Arcurs [...]

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