Volunteering and Photos

[teedlepeep]

Thanks Guys,
Your responses make a lot of sense. The shelter I volunteer with and do photo work for is the same way Michelle, they are happy with what I give to them and make no demands. So I (perhaps naively) assumed that all my experiences would be similar. When I got that email I figured I would touch base here so that I wasn't shooting from my arse, if I was the one out in left field.
This organization is not national, more regional at times but based solidly in the area I am in ... which is New England .. a bunch of small close states In addition to attending events they sponsor, one project we had talked about was doing a collection of portraits of some of their clients that would be exhibited in the New England states. It's a long term project, no time constraints right now, edit in my own time etc. Just a nice side project for a worth while cause.

[sk66]

I'll play devils advocate here.

Was this a job they needed done as a "work for hire" and you "volunteered" to do it for free? As a "work for hire" I believe they would own all rights, and your "volunteering" shouldn't change that.

Are looking to potentially benefit personally from your "volunteer" work? Is it really "volunteer work" then? (Yes, we can go zen with this and argue NOTHING is ever done without personal gain, but that's not the point)

I can see where if I were running a big brother/big sister/social rehab type of org that i would not want to allow uncontrolled use of images in order to protect my organization and clientele.....there are other considerations which may factor in other than your potential loss of rights/profit as a photographer.

[DogHeadGod]

I think SK66 is right... if you are commissioned, paid or otherwise, to take photos for them they would own the rights.

[teedlepeep]

This is true volunteerism. The only personal gain, is that the shots they use of mine give photo credit and a link to my website. It's possible networking not a huge gain. I try to do some type of volunteer week for a few hours every week. This one is based in the town I live in and not cleaning cat crap for a change.

Frankly, if an organization was looking to hire a photographer and wanted me to do the work at no point do I hear myself telling them that "it's ok, don't bother to pay me, I"ll just do this for free, cuz hey that's the kind of person I am ... Oh yeah and while you are at it, let me give you every single shot I take and you can have some one of your people edit them and yeah ok, then please give me photo credit for it" Let's be real ....

[sk66]

Originally Posted by teedlepeep

This is true volunteerism. The only personal gain, is that the shots they use of mine give photo credit and a link to my website. It's possible networking not a huge gain. I try to do some type of volunteer week for a few hours every week. This one is based in the town I live in and not cleaning cat crap for a change.

Frankly, if an organization was looking to hire a photographer and wanted me to do the work at no point do I hear myself telling them that "it's ok, don't bother to pay me, I"ll just do this for free, cuz hey that's the kind of person I am ... Oh yeah and while you are at it, let me give you every single shot I take and you can have some one of your people edit them and yeah ok, then please give me photo credit for it" Let's be real ....

Don't get too twisted, I was simply trying to show a possible "other perspective".

From what you said, giving them the pics and sole rights wasn't going to eliminate the giving of credit/links, so how does it change anything there?

And personally, I can see where if there were a charitable organization that I wanted to help out by volunteering was looking to get some pics and was considering having to pay for it, that I might volunteer to do it for free so the money could be used elsewhere.
I can even see where I would consider giving them sole rights to said work....That would be a very large gesture as I would expect to get paid quite well for the same in another situation, but it's not about the money.

I certainly understand if the request is beyond what you are willing to do. I would suggest a contract that gives limited rights to both if there is a reasonable concern on their part as to what you might do with the pictures. Or tell them to pack sand...