Toronto Photography Meetup Group

Hi guys... I would like to ask your advise on this...

We ( me and a videographer) covered a beauty pageant for kids for about 4 hours... everything went well for the event until the next day.. though I understand the sentiments of the parents of the child who has not won, one parent "demanded/requested" that all pictures and videos of their child be removed on the documentation as they are making a formal protest on the complaints committee and possibly sue legally ( thats according to the organizers who were told by the parent)

now, parents are requesting copies/prints and video of the pageant... the videographer is having a hard time editing the parts/scenes where that kid is included since most of the time she is on that scene.

my question is.... can they do this? I mean... would that be unfair to other parents ( who's kid did not win in the contest also) who wants to have their copies ?

again.. any "advises" is highly appreciated on this... you guys been always helpful to my photography endeavor...

Most proper events will have contestants sign a photo-video waiver so their images, etc. can be used in whatever promotional material, use. Even so, your agreement to shoot was with the organizer. There is no direct contract with the parents. What would they sue for? What are their damages? Sounds weak to me.

Unless they can show you or establish some proper legal entitlement to those images, why dont you just give them a price list for what they are asking for.

I think if you were contracted by the organizers of this event to shoot and record the beauty pageant; you should just fulfill your contractual obligations and be done with it. What I mean by that, is that you should deliver the images and video as agreed upon to the pageant organizers and walk away.

Spending numerous hours trying to cut one person out of the images video at a sacrifice to any other parents and their kids who would like to see images and video of the event would probably fall outside of the contract. Then you could suggest the organizers go to an outside source to re-cut the video, or you can charge them extra for these edits.

It really depends on the contract really. If you entered into some sort of contract with the organizers that includes an unlimited amount of edits for any reason. Then you have an obligation to fulfill that contract.

But as Chopper said, your obligations are to the event organizers only. Ensure you are meeting the obligations you have agreed upon with the organizer and don't worry about the parents.

I would strongly advise against being in contact with the parents in any way. Deliver all images and video to the organizer and let them distribute them to the parents. That way if they distribute images that are later found to be unlawful in some way, it's not on you; because you did not distribute them.

@chopper and bartimus

thanks for the sound advise... you were both right about the fact that my contract is between me and the organizers ONLY... I already submitted ALL my high res pictures from the pageant to the organizers WITHOUT removing any pictures of the kid with pending complaints...


and I just had a communication from the committee yesterday that the complaint has been resolved..I was given the go signal to give any copies or prints to any parents who wants a copy

thanks a lot again guys.. next time I'll be more cautious and take a closer look again on the contract so that I won't feel any uncertainty in my part as the photographer of the event...

again .. thank you..