For US wedding, event, portrait, school and sports photographers who show client photos in a portfolio gallery or an ad. Enter your own gallery's numbers; the answer changes with your state and use.
Sources: California Civil Code 3344(a) — use of a person's photograph or likeness for advertising or selling products or services needs their prior consent, or a parent's or legal guardian's for a minor; liability is the greater of $750 or actual damages, plus profits, punitive damages and attorney's fees; 3344(d) exempts news, public affairs, sports broadcasts and political campaigns. New York Civil Rights Law 50 (written consent, or a parent's or guardian's for a minor; a misdemeanor) and 51 (injunction, damages, exemplary damages if knowing). This is not legal advice.
| People without a release | |
| Under 18 — a parent or legal guardian signs | |
| Form of consent | |
| California minimum per person (Civil Code 3344) | $750 |
| Your exposure |
Gravity Forms, a general form builder, costs $59 to $259 per year and ships no release fields. This is one payment, not a subscription. Check your own gallery here first, free; the free plugin below already collects releases.
Full name of the person photographed* · Your email address* · Your phone number · Date of the photo session or event* · Who is signing?* (I am 18 or older and sign for myself; I am the parent or legal guardian of a person under 18) · Name of the person under 18 · How may the photographer use the photos?* (Portfolio gallery, social media and paid advertising; Portfolio gallery and social media, no paid advertising; Exhibitions, contests and editorial use only; Private delivery to me only, no publication) · Anything you do not want published · Type your full name as your signature*
Above the form: what the signer agrees to and the under-18 rule. Every signed release is listed in WordPress admin, 50 per page. Install: Plugins ▸ Add New Plugin ▸ Upload Plugin ▸ choose the .zip ▸ Install Now ▸ Activate, then paste [gallery-model-release-form] into a "Sign your release" page. Needs PHP 7.4 or newer; works next to any gallery plugin.