Permission to photograph airplanes in public

Generally there are two rules about invasion of privacy, to wit:

1) If you are publishing news, you have a lot of leeway. Unless you
can be shown to be deliberately holding the person up to ridicule, you
can publish just about anything you want. If you're the New York
Times, this right is pretty much absolute. If you're Private Pilot
magazine, it's pretty much assured. If you're a personal blog, you
don't have a lot of recourse if someone complains.

2) If you are selling advertising, you don't have any leeway at all.
You want written releases from everybody for everything.

I've worked on several magazines and books, and I've never heard of
anyone getting permission to photograph a plane. Still, it has
occurred to me from time to time: I wonder if his wife knows he's at
this fly-in with that pretty girl? So I would ask permission myself it
the individuals were recognizable, but I don't most photographers do.
The same way, I always tell people I am working for a magazine, though
often enough I do it *after* I've gotten the quote I want to use.
Alternately, I use the quote without identifying the source, making
sure that nothing in the quote would identify the speaker without
question.

As it does with so many things, the web makes a cock-up of the
publishing rules. Use good taste, and be prepared to take down a
picture if anyone objects (and have some such statement on your
copyright/information page).

Good luck!


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

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