Youth Sports Photography

[bob williams]

HD, I have all the same concerns as you do and here are some of the answers to those questions I have gleened off of the internet, from articles and such. Keep in mind that I don't particular trust anything I read on the internet, nor are these from any sources I can verify as reliable. Lastly, please not that this is my paraphrasing of what I understand thus far---so that adds another layer of unreliability --Enough of the disclaimer, you get the point. Here goes:

In sporting events like this what are the legal ramifications of taking the kids pics and posting them on the web?


Do you have to get permission from the parents for this?


Or Just permission if you try and sell them?

For public events on public property such as city parks, city ball fields etc, There doesn't seem to be any restrictions for photographers. It seems that you basically have the same rights as the press; nor does there seem to be any distinction between adults and children (this may vary from state to state or city to city). For example, if a photographer takes a pic at a public event and on public property and sells that to the local newspaper then that seems to be acceptable and legal. There is no distinction if you choose to sell that photo on your website provideing it doesn't violate other laws---such as child endangerment, porn, etc. (gray area, I know)


If the event is on school property then that property belongs to the school system/district and can be managed by them as they see fit, including who is allowed on that property and for what reasons---basically, tresspassing rules apply.

If the league gives you permission, does that mean the parents consent as well?

Most parents usually have to sign a document that says they will abide by the rules, policies and decisions of the league during league events---this would include acceptance of who the league chooses as authorized vendors.

I know that in our school system they send releases home if they intend to post any ones pic on the web.


Not long ago a school in Texas wouldn't allow Al Jazeera to take pictures of a game. They said it violated the children's rights

Refer to the first answer: On school property, the school makes the rules.

This spring at my daughter's softball game I was asked by several parents if I had a web site, sold pic's etc....


I started to post them on a secure web site and give the other parents the links, but decided not to since I did not have any other parents permission and didn't fully understand the law in this regard.

Through my formal education, Itook many undergraduate and graduate level law courses and the one thing I learned is that very few people "understand the law" unless they are very specialized in a specific area----even if they do, the ultimate decision is commonly made by a jury who often makes decisions based on thier feelings and not on the law or the evidence. So regardless of how rock solid your legal counsel is; if someone wants to make this painful for you, they can.


I really don't have anything that would or should make you feel more comfortable on this. But I do have a discussion point:


Kid pictures are taken often by professional photogs. These pictures could be class photos, individual school portraits, team photos etc. They are commonly published in yearbooks, school newspapers (including websites), local papers, local flyers etc----as a parent, i don't recall ever signing a release for such photos---how about you? One may argue that these shots aren't taken for commercial purposes,I would counter thatsomeone is making money from them. Is this argument legally defensable---probably not, but It is fun to argue.


Hopefully, there is someone else out there that can offer something more concrete.


Bob