Jack Reznicki on Copyright

Very interesting podcast. I especially liked the interview about copyright. I would like to chime in on high school sports photography. I have been doing this since 2007. The details will vary from school district to school district so it will be up to the photographer to do his/her homework. I suggest they contact a media person at the school district office. In my district the parents sign a release at the beginning of each school year that gives permission for their children to be photographed at school events. I obtain explicit written permission from the school principle to photograph events and, as a courtesy, I obtain permission from the head coach of each sport I cover. I make my photos available to the school yearbook and the athletic booster club for free (for me that is something I do as a community service but I am in a market where if I wasn’t doing it no one would be covering many of the events). I should add that I also shoot for a weekely newspaper. As a matter of professionalism I do use conservative judgement in putting things like cheerleader photos online, conversative from the standpoint of being careful what makes it to the web when they are doing their tumbling routines. I’ve never had an issue with a parent. I have had many mothers come to me in tears thanking me for being there. If I was in a different market I could see where the experience could be the opposite. One last thing, in my state the state athletic association claims copyright to images taken at championship level events including playoffs…even if they never have an “official” photographer at the event which is a whole other burr under my saddle…but I digress.