From Marilyn Bakker, Lifetime Learners Institute, Norwalk Community College, CT
We are thinking about taking a lot of digital photos of students in classes, etc., for use in our publications and on our website. It would be a big nuisance to ask everyone for permission to use their photo. Does anyone have experience to share on this subject?

From Don Tritschler, Explorers ILR, Salem State College, MA
Whenever newspeople use photos, they get the names of everyone in the picture on the spot, unless the picture is of a general subject (a crowd) or is simply an example of what's going on in the crowd (the Times Square sailor and the lady in 1945). I don't think you are required to get permission. Could it be because the people are appearing in public? You should ask a lawyer about that. Good hunting,

From Beverly Hincks, Encore Seniors' Education Centre, St. Lawrence College, Ontario
Re Marilyn Bakker's question regarding photo permissions. We have wondered the same thing. Maybe anyone with great ideas could respond to the forum, rather than just to Marilyn so that we, and others in the same boat, can learn from your experience. Thanks.

From Merle Allshouse, ASPEC, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL
It's been my experience that if it's a group, etc., classes meeting, then the permission is sort of implied by being enrolled. If it's small group, of two or three students, I would seek permission and names so I could identify the individuals.

From Marilyn Bakker, Lifetime Learners Institute, Norwalk Community College, CT
Marilyn here again. After others in this forum confirmed that this is an interesting question, I went to Google Groups http://groups.google.com and searched on photographs privacy permission. Near the top of the list of 2,000 messages, there's an interesting 18-message thread titled "Model Releases for Everything?" Further down (today it's message #33, but that will change) there's an entry by Stanley Moore re: photos in my web. Because it seems like a simple sensible explanation, I saved it as an html file, attached. I'm still concerned about some web-related issues. More to follow, in another message.

Marilyn again: I'm thinking today, based on reading (earlier message), that since our people aren't minors, and are always wearing clothes, and because we are non-profit organizations, we don't have to worry about using some photographs without permission. I wouldn't worry about (1) print without names; (2) print with names; or (3) website without names. What worries me is (4) website with names. There's a link on the main page of our website www.lifetimelearners.org to "Photo albums." On the page that includes college students, we have not attached names to the photos. But on the other pages I (webmaster) made a great effort to attach names to the photos.

Why? Partly for community building, but also because this is a way for people to share their own photos with family and friends. Instead of emailing photos all over, our members can simply tell others to go to our website and pick a photo off. That's the good news. What might be bad news is that the names are also picked up by the big search engines. People wanted by Interpol would be easily found.

Today I'm thinking that when I go around to classes with digital camera in hand, I'd better announce my intention and ask if anyone doesn't want their picture taken. If I had to get permissions from everyone, I'd just abandon the whole project. Further thoughts anyone? MB