Blog: The model has regrets

I was contacted today by a model who shot with me when she was in Australia three or four years ago.  She was really upset that I had posted some of her nude images in my galleries, when we had discussed and decided not to ever post them anywhere.  She asked me to remove them and delete all the images we made together, and send her written confirmation that I had done so.

I was shocked, really stunned, because I remember her very well, I remember both our shoots together, and I remember she had asked me not to release her images.  So I replied right away, asking her for the URL because I was sure I wouldn't have ever posted anything without her permission.

And then I went digging.  I found her model release, where she gave me permission to publish her nude images (along with her criteria, identification and tagging preferences, etc).  So I was in the clear.  And though it was a different facebook account at the time, I had a log of all our chats, so I went through those as well, and found where we had discussed releasing two images, and she had agreed (they were cropped to not reveal her face, and they were not named).  Later, I found where I had told her the two images were my most popular ever (at the time) and she was delighted, and asked for high-res copies of them, which I provided.

So I was feeling a lot better, my heart rate had plunged to a mere 50% over normal by this point, and I emailed her again, explaining what I had found, and I asked her what she wanted to do from here.

She replied, apologized a few times, and explained that she had forgotten about granting permission.  She explained that she was anxious that these images still existed, and asked if I wouldn't mind deleting them.

We're still in negotiations about this.

I was really upset at first, that I had apparently done something I promised not to.  As a photographer and human being I don't want to make people unhappy.  It was an enormous relief  to have had the documentation to clear myself, and I think it's probably caused a great deal of relief on her part as well, to know that I hadn't forgotten or turned evil on her.

It's the first time my model release has saved my ass.  I'm sure it won't be the last.