“There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment.”— Robert Frank

It is important to compose your photographs, but more important is to consider what your photos are saying. How is what you are capturing a part of the narrative in which we share the learning, activities and growth of the community building process?

Q: What to photograph?

A: Moments which focus on action:

• A spirit of joy and enthusiasm tempered with reverence and dignity.
• A diversity of participants (culture, gender, age).
• Activities (praying, playing music, acting, singing, speaking) along with the reaction or response of the listeners (in the same or multiple photos).
• Moments where the energy of individuals and groups are being felt and expressed.
• Radiant faces which capture the emotion or feeling the individual is communicating. Strive for straight-on, profile, and three-quarter angle shots. Avoid the backs of heads.
• The full gathering as well as individuals and small groups so that individuals are seen in relation to the whole.
• The venue and people coming and going in order to see the larger context of the space and movement in it.

Tips

• Being conscientious of our presence in the environment
• Being ready for spontaneous opportunities
• Reviewing your work on a bigger screen
• Capturing a series of angles
• Keeping a steady hand

Considerations

Local, state, national and international laws may exist pertaining to photographing or videotaping, but may vary from one jurisdiction to the next. Please familiarize yourself with the laws in your location. Typical laws are as follows:

Public Property

It is generally legal to photograph or videotape an activity or person on any public property, with some exceptions made for certain portions of military installations that have national security sensitivity.

Photographing or videotaping a tourist attraction (such as the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette), whether publicly or privately owned, is generally considered legal, unless explicitly prohibited by posted signs.

Private Property

Photography may be prohibited and/or restricted within an area by the property owner. A property owner generally cannot restrict the photographing of their property by individuals who are not located within the bounds of the property.

In order to film on someone else’s property, permission must be received from the owner. Photographing of private property that is generally open to the public (i.e. retail) is permitted unless explicitly prohibited by posted signs.

Some jurisdictions have laws regarding filming while in a hospital or health care facility.

Privacy Issues

Members of the public have virtually no privacy rights when they are in public places. Basically, anyone can be photographed without consent except when they have secluded themselves in places where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy such as dressing rooms, restrooms, medical facilities, or inside a private residence. This legal standard applies regardless of the age, sex, or other attributes of the individual.

Photographing private property from within the public domain is legal, with the exception of an area that is generally regarded as private, such as a bedroom, bathroom, or hotel room. Should the subjects not attempt to conceal their private affairs, their actions immediately become public to a photographer using an average lens or video camera.

Copyright

The above guidelines assume that the photographer or other owner of the image has granted permission to use the photo itself. If a photographer takes a picture of Baha’is at a community activity, that image belongs to photographer and is automatically protected by copyright laws. If he submits the photo to you with a news story, you can publish it on a Web site and in print. The photographer may request attribution (for example, “Photo copyright Jones” or “Photo courtesy of Jones”). But if anyone else wishes to use that photo, in print or on a Web site, they must obtain permission from Jones.

Child protection guidelines

For photos of children that will be used for any public purpose, (newsletters, websites, publicity, advertising, etc.), it is necessary for parents to sign a photo release form.

In instances where participants fill out a registration form, for example, for a Baha'i summer school program, it is recommended that a clause be added about photography in the registration or permission form that parents sign, along the lines of:

"I ___ give permission ___ do not give permission for photographs to be taken of [insert minor's name] during [insert name of Baha'i activity]. I understand that such photographs may be used in publicity or marketing materials for [Baha'i activity], such as newsletters, brochures, websites and news media materials.

Signed (parent or guardian)_______________________________"

For photos of children used on websites, there should be no personal identification of the individual children, such as their names or residences, in related articles or captions, without permission from parents. If they are wearing name tags, it is best to edit out any visible names.

Consent and Release Forms