UPDATE : Take Your Photos Down

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Ugh.  I've been so busy and have thousands of photos to go through, catch up my challenge ( yes I've kept up with the weekly challenge to myself just not the posts)

Anyway, I finally posted some photos to FB from a family event from the July 4th holiday last night.

Today, I got an formal/ informal  ' cease and desist' order from the parents of some of the children in the photos. Yes, at least one parent is an attorney if not both.     I never even thought about the legality of posting someone else's children to the internet.  I dont even know what the laws or etiquette  would be about that issue; taking photos, posting, as your own work.  Especially when they placed their children into the family photos in the first place. 

The situation: My niece and brother-in-law asked if I had my camera with me ( of course I did) and would I take  take photos of her newborn son and another nephew visiting from Arizona,   A family gathering with some photos, event situation.    Only then ( when asked) did I go to my car and bring my camera out for photographs.  The baby was not cooperative and neither was the tired new mother.  For about 3 minutes I took some photos and I thought several came out really cute.

My niece also had her friends at the event and their two beautiful children that were placed with my two nephews into the photos.  They were there and saw what I was doing  yet they never objected and even help pose their children for the ' family' shots and even posed themselves into a few photos.   Actually, most of the good photos had their children in the family group shots.    Actually, none of the good ones of my own relatives came out except images with the other children in the photos.  So, there are none to share with my family members on FB unless sent in private message.  Certainly now, I will not send that way either in case they are posted by someone else in the family for fear I would be sued.  

I'm a tad embarrassed- very embarrassed. It is odd that recently, I work on photos but dont post because I second guess each shot--'not good enough, could be clearer, same ol' subject, etc'   I finally post something only to get a notification to immediately remove from the internet even though the subject was never brought up at the time and they inserted their own children into family photos anyway.  

I never publicly or otherwise state " I am a photographer' or offer my services for sale. I present myself as a hobbyist/enthusiast. .  

Feel free to put your input, Pro or Con, into my situation. Maybe I could have a better understanding

[F, Calla & Luca]

How sad. I guess everyone is paranoid nowadays. Despite their threats I think people in a public place do not have a right to privacy but then I am not a lawyer.Although legally I am not sure you have anything to fear, for family/ friend harmony I guess you have to do it : (

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Ha!   I am also becoming so paranoid. First, the incidence with the Bald Eagles last winter and now this.

For harmony, I think it will be strained but I'll just chalk it up to being ...what does Laurie call it....." Being Aunt Betty"?    

Yes, I am now an Aunt Betty  :) 

[Sue]

If you are not using the photos for commercial gain you should be OK, but this could be a strain on your relationship with the parents.

A lot of people just don't want their kids pictures on FB for privacy reasons.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

My children are grown and would not allow me to post any photos of them.. even though they post some really horrible images on their own pages. Ones that certainly embarrass me but heaven forbid I do the same. 

I really was presumptuous  though and now will think about others before I post anything. 

[BG and Gavin]

How awkward. I know some people do not want images of their kids on FB and I understand that.  I guess in future you could ask if they are ok if you post to your fb page. This is a different situation but when we developed Gavin the Therapy Dog fb page, I came up with a photo release that everyone has to sign saying they agree that the photo be posted to fb and that they can retract their consent and the photo will be taken down at any time.

PS I saw the photos and they were not only cute, but really well done. Congrats on that.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Yes, I should always ask and think I made an error.  Lessons learned.  I did go to the mother's page. Ha, her kids are her profile picture  :)   So much for that " Privacy Issue"    I know pros do use a release. I never gave it a thought. Now, I will never stop thinking about a release.  

Thank you for the compliments, BG  

[DJ & Chance]

I am sorry this happened, Joanne.  

My understanding is that you can post photos of people without their permission unless for commercial purposes.  But that does not mean that some people won't be upset--as you discovered.  I will say that this person could have contacted you privately without using threatening lawyer language.  

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I was contacted privately and the photos were down by 7:30 am.  :)  

I do think a lot of this is my fault. I just never gave the kids and privacy thing a thought. A new generation. I never faced this with my own children because we did not have internet wayyyy back in the stone age.  

[Carol and Banjo]

Oh no.....I saw the images and they were wonderful and fun!    I've been thinking lately that we're all losing our privacy.   Example:    DH and I were discussing a neighbor/friend recently and wondering how old he was.   I just popped his name into search and viola! - we found his age.    It's so easy to "look into" people's lives now.     I'm thinking if I were a parent of a young child, I might feel very protective of their images being out there.    Image recognition is a Google specialty.   I do understand how they feel.    I also feel badly that you were attacked by one of the parents.   A bit strong I think.   A simple request would suffice I think.         It's a crazy time we live in.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

It is crazy.  Google face recognition is crazy creepy. I so get it all now, 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Sorry this happened to you! I agree that it would have been a whole lot better to just ask you to take the photos down. 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

That's harsh! If they didn't want their kids pictures posted from a family event, they could have just asked you privately to take the photos down. And that would have been the end of it.  Oh, I forgot, they're lawyers so they have to complicate everything. I also think there's a disturbing lack of privacy these days but I don't see how a "cease and desist" order applies here. You shouldn't be embarrassed.  So sorry, Joanne.