Model Release Form Explained

Model Release Forms

After you become a model and begin accepting professional, paid, assignments one of the things to expect to sign repeatedly is a modeling release form or agreement.

This piece of paper contains a lot of legal information, and it is important that you understand exactly what it says before you sign on the dotted line.

Never sign the paperwork without reading or understanding what you are signing.

The main part of any modeling release or agreement is the fact that you give the right to the photographer, magazine or whoever is sponsoring the photo shoot to take pictures of you.

Generally this will also include the fact that they have the right to use these photos in their magazine, publications, portfolios, etc.

This will protect the sponsor of the shoot from future lawsuits or problems with models who claim their photos are being used without permission.

What rights you have to the photographs being taken are also often included in the release form or agreement. Most agreements will give you the rights to use photographs in your portfolio.

A few will give you rights to redistribute the photographs in anyway you wish but this is rare in professional photo shoots.