4 types of release forms for photographers.

If you want to publish photos of a person, place, or item, it’s important to get the owner’s permission. Learn about different types of release forms and their uses.

Some of the most common types of release forms include photo, model, property, and copyright release forms. They’re all designed to protect a photographer’s work and outline publishing rules for the photos.

Photo release form.

A photo release form is a general form that gives the photographer a client’s permission to publish and use a photo for their own purposes. Any time you want to publish a photo for commercial use, you need a photo release form.

Model release form.

If you take a picture of a model, you need their permission to use their likeness. A model release form gives the photographer permission to use and publish images of models and protects them from any legal issues.

Property release form.

If you take a picture of someone’s property — whether an object or piece of land — you’ll need their permission to publish the photo. A property release form works similarly to a model release, except the owner permits you to use images of their property in your photos.

Photo copyright release form.

When your photo looks so good someone else wants to use it, you’ll need a photo copyright release form. This form maintains the photographer’s ownership of the image but allows a third party to reproduce the photo for their own purposes. It should also include a description of how the third party can use the image, including how many times it can be reproduced.

Protect your work.

For any form, always make sure you and the client sign the document to make it a legal contract. To simplify the process, use electronic signature software like Adobe Acrobat Sign. That way, you can simply email the photo release form, and everyone can sign it with the click of a button.

Discover what more you can do with Acrobat Sign to simplify getting permission from your photography clients.