Im an Englishman living in Paris. Do I need a model release form for my street photography?
France has the most restrictive laws on photography and privacy anywhere on the planet, even serving politicians are immune from public scrutiny, for their affairs, sexual and otherwise, ( think Giscard Desgtaing here, and his women and bags of diamonds, from business men and his corrupt practises in government contracts, that saw a bicycling buddy given contracts and a job he had no qualifications for at the public purses expense ), and then some , In France you are not even allowed to take photos of anyone if the consent is not obtained FIRST, if the intent, or consequence, is the sale of these at ANY time, So yes, you will be liable if you sell, and it can cost more than you earn, add lawyers fees, and privacy laws, and any defence in law, becomes very dear. My advice is don’t bother, the country is a sh!thole, and all the good shots are available from libraries anyway. so holiday snaps, yes, but working photography, waste of time….
