Model release

[Psychedelic]

People are usually sensitive about their age, and this is compounded by the huge increase in identity fraud. Because I work with musicians and dancers I have considerable opportunity to photograph them with their permission. However I don't know their ages and they almost certainly would not tell me - their attitude would be 'I am an adult, why do you need my date of birth?'.

 

My suggestion is the that the model release just declares:

 

I confirm that on this date --/--/-- I am over the age of 18 (or 21) and I am legally able to sign on my behalf.

 

(This would still protect underage models and those with mental disabilities).

 

 

 

[Guest]

If people don't want their age known in stock, they are pretty useless to you. Age or rather age bands are a significant search parameter in stock, same goes for ethnicity. 

 

Your last points don't make sense, a minor cannot sign a release - their parent or guardian does that. if a person cannot legally sign an agreement, the agreement is void.

[Ed Endicott]

You can indicate "minor" or "adult" on the release without having a model provide a date of birth.  That's acceptible and that feature is built in to many model release apps available for tablets and mobile devices.  An adult will need to sign for anyone under 18 years of age.

 

Geoff is correct though, you should be providing an age range in your keywords so that buyers can find the images they are looking for.  Some agencies go so far as to provide contributors with a key such as

 

young adult => 20-30 years

adult => 30-40

etc.

[Robert Brook]

Since models are essentially actors, and the content is often fictional, the age range could, under some circumstances, be how old they look in the image. 

 

If you want a model to pretend (for example) to be a young businesswomen, why is it ok to pretend to be a businesswoman but not young?

[RedSnapper]

 the age range could, under some circumstances, be how old they look in the image. 

 

 

Indeed....I often work with models who are 18+ but who look convincingly 15-16-17...great for illustrating sensitive issues affecting younger teenagers

 

km

[Psychedelic]

 

 the age range could, under some circumstances, be how old they look in the image. 

 

 

Indeed....I often work with models who are 18+ but who look convincingly 15-16-17...great for illustrating sensitive issues affecting younger teenagers

 

km

 

That is certainly true, Cary Mulligan at the age of 22 played a schoolgirl in An Education. She was so convincing that she said the crew treated her differently when she was in school uniform, refraining from swearing in front of her and being more respectful.