DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 

DPChallenge Forums >> Business of Photography >> Selling photos that happen to include car plates
Pages:  
Showing posts 1 - 18 of 18, (reverse)
AuthorThread
 07/29/2011 02:36:10 PM · #1
What are the guidelines for selling art photos that happen to include park cars...do I need to get rid of the license plates?

I took a picture for a local bank of their downtown location that they are going to have hanging inside... it will be 20x30 so some of the parked car plates may be readable. Fortunately, it only looks like one of them.

If I need to get rid of it, I don't want to just blur it into a blob...I'll have to figure out how to greek the text.

07/29/2011 02:38:53 PM · #2
Originally posted by Neil:
What are the guidelines for selling art photos that happen to include park cars...do I need to get rid of the license plates?

I took a picture for a local bank of their downtown location that they are going to have hanging inside... it will be 20x30 so some of the parked car plates may be readable. Fortunately, it only looks like one of them.

If I need to get rid of it, I don't want to just blur it into a blob...I'll have to figure out how to greek the text.


Just swap around two or three of the alphanumerics...
 07/29/2011 02:52:10 PM · #3
To me, having license plates in a photo is no big deal. I know there are a number of people that think it's an identity risk of some sort, but that makes no sense. Do they cover up their license plate number while driving around? Or when they park their car in their driveway?

Just one of my pet peeves :)
 07/29/2011 03:00:20 PM · #4
Originally posted by Cory:
Just swap around two or three of the alphanumerics...


+1, or just swap a letter into the numbers to make an impossible numeric arrangement. It is unlikely to be an issue, but better safe than sorry.
 07/29/2011 03:37:07 PM · #5
Originally posted by giantmike:
To me, having license plates in a photo is no big deal. I know there are a number of people that think it's an identity risk of some sort, but that makes no sense. Do they cover up their license plate number while driving around? Or when they park their car in their driveway?

Just one of my pet peeves :)


+1

I think you make a valid point here. Same is true for taking photos of people's faces... They do not bag their heads while walking around downtown do they?
 07/29/2011 03:45:05 PM · #6
It would be awesome if the plate read "ASSMAN"
 07/29/2011 03:53:49 PM · #7
If there is no reasonable expectation of privacy, there is no issue. Period.

Of course people can make issues out of non-issues, but you have to ask yourself how much risk are you taking that the person with the right car in the photo 1) sees the photo 2) is upset about it and 3) decides to make a fuss.
 07/29/2011 04:18:30 PM · #8
Originally posted by Spork99:
It would be awesome if the plate read "ASSMAN"


Isn't that Slippy's plate??
 07/29/2011 05:01:51 PM · #9
Well that's why I'm asking if there's any known rule / law about this? And I wondered what others have done in this situation.

I don't know exactly where it's being hung...a public area or a personnel-only area.

07/29/2011 05:15:06 PM · #10
Originally posted by Neil:
Well that's why I'm asking if there's any known rule / law about this? And I wondered what others have done in this situation.

I don't know exactly where it's being hung...a public area or a personnel-only area.


Well, the official answer will come from a guy wearing a suit for about $250. The unofficial answer is I am unaware of any law that deals with this.
 07/29/2011 05:21:20 PM · #11
I think I'll just fix it to be safe :)
 07/29/2011 05:25:32 PM · #12
it doesn't matter, at all. expressions of art are protected by the first amendment, and that is what this is: a work of art.

if it was a photo of a particular car, where the make, model, and brand identity was not only highly visible, but a large part of the description of the image, and if that image was going to be used commercially to advertise a product other than the car, or if the image was to be used commercially as a mass-produced product (such as a calendar or coffee mug), then the car manufacturer could probably come after you for trademark infringement.

if the car was parked in a drug zone and the image was used in an article about suburban kids coming to the hood to buy drugs and the license plate was not only visible but recognizable (ie, "ASSMAN"), and the owner of the car was known to be a clean-cut, no-priors person, then that person could go after the publisher for slander.

if it is obvious that you had to trespass to take the photo, them the property owner could come after you for trespassing.

if you have questions about stuff like this, you really should put down your camera and go buy bert krages' Legal Handbook for Photographers. you can read my synopsis here which also has a link to his site.
 07/29/2011 05:26:32 PM · #13
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Originally posted by Neil:
Well that's why I'm asking if there's any known rule / law about this? And I wondered what others have done in this situation.

I don't know exactly where it's being hung...a public area or a personnel-only area.


Well, the official answer will come from a guy wearing a suit for about $250. The unofficial answer is I am unaware of any law that deals with this.


I have suits worth that much and then some... surely you are NOT referring to a lawyer... their suits are much, much, more expensive than that.

Ray
 07/29/2011 05:58:58 PM · #14
What Skip says (as usual) ...

The Photographer's Right pamphlet you should always carry with you, and the direct link to his Legal Handbook for Photographers.

Also, my usual plug for Nolo Press -- they publish law books for the non-lawyer, including books on copyright and IP law, business, taxes, etc..
 07/29/2011 06:32:11 PM · #15
Originally posted by RayEthier:
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Originally posted by Neil:
Well that's why I'm asking if there's any known rule / law about this? And I wondered what others have done in this situation.

I don't know exactly where it's being hung...a public area or a personnel-only area.


Well, the official answer will come from a guy wearing a suit for about $250. The unofficial answer is I am unaware of any law that deals with this.


I have suits worth that much and then some... surely you are NOT referring to a lawyer... their suits are much, much, more expensive than that.

Ray


Hehe. It was lost in the internet translation. I meant the lawyer was wearing a suit and he'd hand Neil a bill for $250... :)
 08/09/2011 11:54:55 AM · #16
Originally posted by Cory:
Just swap around two or three of the alphanumerics...


+1 - I have done the following for calendars, but don't have any idea if it was necessary. I agree with the comment that if something is publicly displayed, and the picture is taken from a location with public access (without a super-telephoto lens), there is no right of privacy.

What I've done - convert a 0 to an 8, convert an 8 to a 6 or 9, copy a digit/letter from the plate and paste it over another one, remove a leading or trailing digit/letter. I like the idea of putting a letter or a number where it cannot be normally for the sequence - making it obvious to anyone knowledgeable about the state's license plates number scheme that it is not a valid number. To me, the key to changing the license plate to an invalid number is that it does make it more difficult for the casual annoyer to track the car to a person or location. (Some states use numbering schemes that narrow down a car's registration to a specific county and may give a hint as to the registrant's name.)
 08/09/2011 01:05:27 PM · #17
Originally posted by dtremain:
Originally posted by Cory:
Just swap around two or three of the alphanumerics...


+1 - I have done the following for calendars, but don't have any idea if it was necessary. I agree with the comment that if something is publicly displayed, and the picture is taken from a location with public access (without a super-telephoto lens), there is no right of privacy.

What I've done - convert a 0 to an 8, convert an 8 to a 6 or 9, copy a digit/letter from the plate and paste it over another one, remove a leading or trailing digit/letter. I like the idea of putting a letter or a number where it cannot be normally for the sequence - making it obvious to anyone knowledgeable about the state's license plates number scheme that it is not a valid number. To me, the key to changing the license plate to an invalid number is that it does make it more difficult for the casual annoyer to track the car to a person or location. (Some states use numbering schemes that narrow down a car's registration to a specific county and may give a hint as to the registrant's name.)


Yes, that's basically what I've done. I just got back the photo and I'm delivering it to a gallery today...I haven't seen the final yet though because I am afraid to open it and potentially add a kink to it (it's a 20x30 print ordered from WHCC--who packages it like it's going into space...takes a very careful hand to unwrap it!). Once I've delivered it, it's their responsibility...and they are the ones framing it.

I'll update this when I get to see the large print (the large print is one reason I wanted to change the plate numbers...that and the fact that it will be hanging in a public place, in a bank).


Message edited by author 2011-08-09 13:06:19.
 08/09/2011 01:36:27 PM · #18
Originally posted by dtremain:
Originally posted by Cory:
Just swap around two or three of the alphanumerics...

What I've done - convert a 0 to an 8, convert an 8 to a 6 or 9, copy a digit/letter from the plate and paste it over another one, remove a leading or trailing digit/letter. I like the idea of putting a letter or a number where it cannot be normally for the sequence - making it obvious to anyone knowledgeable about the state's license plates number scheme that it is not a valid number.

This is kind of funny because I go out of my way to take pictures of (interesting) license plates ...

Maybe the thing to do is to take a bunch of pictures of the most common state plates in your area, then cut out and save a set of all the letters and numbers (create a font) in that style and coloration ... then you can make the plate say anything you want, e.g. "PIX BY NEIL" ... ;-)
Pages:  
Current Server Time: 08/13/2025 07:01:36 PM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 08/13/2025 07:01:36 PM EDT.