Consent
Any photo intended for publication or promotion by McGill must be accompanied by a photo release signed by the person (student, faculty, staff or member of the public) who is the subject of the photo. Members of the media must obtain permission from the Media Relations before photographing on campus.
Use of a person's image in a manner that is incidental to the photograph of a public place (someone who happens to be walking on campus as a photo is shot of the Roddicks Gates) or a crowd scene where there is no single dominant figure do not require a photo release.
Any photograph of a child under the age of 18 requires a photo release form signed by a parent or legal guardian.
McGill-owned photos should not be altered in any way without express permission. Photos taken from events which include subjects should not be used in marketing or advertising campaigns without permissions provided by subjects.
All photo release forms must contain the photographer's name, the subject's name (please make sure it is legible), the date that the photograph was taken and the signature of the subject. A copy of the photo release should be kept on file by the person who has assigned the photographer.
Safety guidelines
There are special guidelines for photography taken in laboratories. For the purpose of this discussion a “laboratory” includes any teaching or research facility containing hazardous materials (chemicals, microbiological agents, and radioactive agents) or involving the use of hazardous processes (x-ray, laser labs etc.). This does not apply to “dry” labs such as computer, language, or music laboratories.
Personal protective equipment
All persons shown in photographs taken in laboratories are required to have the appropriate personal protective equipment. Specifically they should be wearing a lab coat, buttoned to the top, and safety glasses with side shields. The complete policy on protective equipment requirements in the laboratory is available here. As well, please note that open shoes and shorts/skirts are not permitted to be worn in laboratories.
Housekeeping
Maintaining order in labs is essential. This includes proper labeling and storage of hazardous materials. One should avoid overloaded shelves, chemicals stored on open shelves, chemical containers on the floor, hand-written labels, large objects stored on higher shelves, blocked doors, obstructions in front of emergency equipment (first aid kits, extinguishers, eye washes and showers, etc), electrical cords across walkways, etc.
Freelance photography
For those departments or faculties looking for a photographer, we would be happy to recommend a freelance photographer to suit your needs and, who is already in the McGill pay system. If you hire a freelance photographer independently, please let us know so that we may pool resources. All staff who have acquired photos of McGill events, people or scenes should make them available to the McGill community. For more information, contact: info.communications [at] mcgill.ca.
All rights for images taken by a freelance photographer under our standard work-for-hire agreement (below) will reside with McGill University. Attempts should be made to have a signed agreement before photos are taken. However, should you wish to purchase a photo from a photographer who was not commissioned by McGill, please try to obtain all rights.
