Does anyone know the rules regarding taking photos of dogs in the show ring? Either still photographs or video. I'm having a (not quite) heated discussion with someone and we can't find the details anywhere. Is it allowed? or do you need permission? If so, whose? The club? the judge? the dog owner/handler?

Strictly speaking you need the permission of the judge, the owner AND the handler... but no-one ever asks :d

Debs

Linda,

Have you looked in the schedule for the show, I think each show has it's own individual rules on photography & filming.   However, permission has to be sought from the owner of the dog before it is allowed to be pictured on a public website, likewise film too.

We have looked at several schedules and can't see it anywhere, which is why we are having this 'discussion'. The friend is in another breed and can't see there being a problem as they do it all the time, but don't ask. They only do their own dogs though. I said that I wouldn't want my dogs to be photo'd without my permission. You don't know where the pics would end up. Mind you, I don't suppose I would know if they weren't put into publication somewhere.

The BBC films and broadcasts dogs being shown at Crufts, and they certainly don't ask all the owners personally! They do however ask if you're doing Discover Dogs and they want to film you and your dog individually. I would imagine for filming classes they have the permission of the show organisers and the judge of the class.

Crufts is different though, isn't it ;) :D I mean, you'd be daft not to want people know that you were there, wouldn't you :) Though I seem to remember that it states somewhere that if you don't want your dogs to be photographed you don't have to allow it. Though that could just have been by the food companies

Linda,

It's amazing what comes back to you eventually (I should know!!! ;))so I wouldn't say you'd never find out.  Friend of mine has just bought a breed book and discovered her dog plastered all over one section, ok she knew the photographs had been taken years ago but not what they were taken for...so it does come back to you!

The KC rules don't allow flash photography whilst judging is going on(but with modern digicams & high speed film flash except inside in dim light should be a thing of the past), but there is the Human Rights act & Privacy Act & to be totally safe before publishing any photograph of someone else(or their dog)there consent should be obtained.

My KC year book is still in the car from my last judging appointment I'll dig it out when I get back this afternoon

I should imagine that every event has its own rules about photography - sometimes only accredited photographers can take pictures and they may be expected to use release forms. However, it is up to individuals to decide whether they want to be photographed and to check the likely use of any pictures taken. Unlike in France where they have very particular privacy laws about photography, there's little you can do to stop yourself being pictured at a public event or control how your picture is used but equally, a sensible professional photographer always carries credentials and, with the exception of the paps, will not be interested in taking pictures of reluctant subjects!

As a professional photographer let me tell you how it is
Video:  from outside the ring you can video your own dog but you should ask permission before videoing anyone elses dog. (KC). An exhibitor is perfectly entitled to ask for videoing of their dog to cease and I have myself done this on one occassion (the whole class insisted it was stopped, not just me, as the videoer was of dubious repute)
Stills: From outside the ring you can photo graph anydog EXCEPT at certain shows where they cleary stipulate in their own rules that there is to be no photography without owners consent.
under our KC regs you cannot come into the ring until all judging is finished & even then you must ask the judge if they are still in the ring. problems occur at shows like Crufts where either lay people who dont know the rules, or, more commonly, foregn exhibitors crowd into the ring during judging....this is allowed in may other countries so they dont realise its different here. Whilst working in Europe in the summer I was amazed at people going into the ring as the judge was going over a dog, & photographing it without anyone being atall bothered!!
i think thats what you asked for? Regarding publishing images, well thats a whole different ballgame &  I have a whole book dedicated to the subject, so certainly wont be able to answer it here tonight!

Thanks! It has certainly been of help. I have had photographs taken of my dogs in the past and really wasn't bothered too much. Until I saw an awful one on the net. It was removed very quickly though. ;) I've read quite a few schedules over the past couple of days and photography wasn't mentioned in any of them.

Gosh! Aren't we well served with professional photographers on the board? ;)

PS. My specialist subject is boring for England on copyright issues.

It's mentioned in quite a lot of detail in the Crufts schedules -it explains who can take photos and of what and at what times, when permission is needed, what the photos can be used for etc.