Sell People Photos as Stock without a Model Release

“I’m happy to report that the easiest and fastest way to make a Thai person smile is to simply point a camera at him!” – Professional Photographer Rich Wagner
Thailand’s on my mind this week as I get ready for next month’s Photo Expedition there with professional photographer Rich Wagner. Read Rich’s report about the fun of photographing Thai people last year by clicking here.
Today, I was looking through some of my pictures from last year’s trip and found these two, both taken at the Doi Suthep temple, on a hill above Chiang Mai:

Thai girl in traditional dress during a ceremony to celebrate the king

Detail of temple carving and bells inside the temple
They’re different because the first one has a recognizable person in it (and no model release), so it can only be sold as editorial or fine art.
The second one has no recognizable people and can be sold as stock (and, in fact, has sold for me with two different agencies).
But the great thing is, you can now sell photos of people – without a model release – through a lot of different online stock agencies. You just have to make sure you designate the photos as “editorial” when you upload them to each site.
This is great for a place like Thailand, where people are generally open to having their photo taken, but it’s not always appropriate to ask for a release.
For more details about model releases and the difference between editorial and commercial photography, check out these issues in our archives:

When you need a model release
How to sell people photos without a model release
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.  Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]