considering social media consent and privacy


As a family photographer, my portfolio is highly dependent on families being willing for me to share their photos. And while I legally own the copyrights to their photos, I believe respecting clients wishes and privacy is paramount to running a successful business and building trust.


When I first started working with families, I did not have anything about social media consent in my contracts. Clients signed their consent to be used in marketing, but as I got busier I noticed more and more parents approaching me about not having their children posted on social media. I could always sense a twinge of discomfort as the parents approached me as they apologized for even asking. After all, they had consented in the contract for me to use them for marketing, and they did not want to seem “difficult” for such a request.


As someone with a public profile who gets thousands of visitors to my social media pages a month, I needed to find a way to provide privacy to my clients while still having the ability to add to my social media portfolios. This is why I added a “social media consent” waiver to all of my contracts - providing clients 4 different options of how or if they wished to be posted on social media. 


I am going to list my wording below, as well as show examples of how to still add photos to social media, while respecting clients and their children’s privacy. I will use 1 extended family album to display how you can do this from just 1 session when thoughtful photos and posing are provided throughout the session. 



Option #1 : I consent to having all persons within the group have their full faces shown.



This is the simplest one - and all photos from the session are fair game! This is typically when I take the chance to show my favorite “classic” family poses and more direct shots I get during a session. And it is the only option that allows me to show any children's faces and direct photos of them. Even with adding my social media consent, about 75% of clients selection this as their option.

Young child in white dress walking barefoot on sandy beach at sunset with soft pink sky in background.
Family in coordinating neutral outfits posing together on green lawn in front of elegant historic building.
A family wearing light colored clothing smiles at each other while standing on a beach during sunset.
A small family sits together on a sandy beach with tall grass and hills in the background during golden hour.
Two young children sit together on white sand beach during sunset with soft pink sky in background.
A family of four poses together on a beach at sunset wearing coordinated light colored outfits.
A group in coordinated neutral outfits stands together on a white sandy beach at sunset with ocean waves behind them.
A group in coordinated cream and white outfits poses together on a grassy lawn in front of a historic building.


Option #2: I consent to having only persons over the age of 18 in the group be shown.


This is a great time to spot light some couples photos from the family session! I always take time to make sure mom and dad get some good couples portraits, as well as any other couples or singles who are present for the session. This allows for some photos to be used from the family session with kids, without eliminating all the portraits if this selection was made.


A happy couple holding hands while walking barefoot along a beach at sunset with pink and orange sky.
A romantic couple shares an intimate moment on the beach at sunset while wearing light colored summer clothing.
A couple shares a joyful moment on the beach at sunset, wearing light-colored casual outfits against the ocean view.
Couple in light colored outfits sharing romantic moment on white sandy beach at sunset.
A couple stands together on a peaceful beach at sunset wearing coordinated light-colored outfits.
A couple embraces and dances together on a beach at sunset with soft pink sky overhead.
A loving couple shares a tender moment while walking hand in hand on a beach at sunset.
A couple sits together on a sandy beach with tall grass and hills in the background during golden hour.



Option #3: I consent to having persons under the age of 18 shown but no distinguishable features.



This is my favorite way of displaying those more organic and candid moments! I try to be extremely thoughtful when I select these photos to post. Even if the childs eyes are closed (like sleeping on mamas shoulder) I still do not post if you can see their full face. You can always mix in the couples shots with these photos if you are wanting to display more photos than just the candid moments from a session.


A tender beach scene at sunset with figures in white dresses sitting together on pristine sand by the ocean.
A heartwarming black and white photo of a tender parent-child moment together on a sandy beach.
A person in a flowing white dress holds a child while standing on a peaceful beach at sunset.
A touching black and white moment between parent and child sitting together on a sandy beach at sunset.
An adult and child share a tender moment at the beach during sunset while standing in the surf.
Black and white photo of someone in a flowing dress standing at the ocean's edge looking out at the horizon.


Option #4 - I do not consent to having any persons within my group having their image of any kind shown on any social media platforms.


This selection is always a little bit of a bummer to come across my screen - especially when I get some incredible and marketable photos during their session. But understanding that clients privacy and their trust is more important than my portfolio is how you grow a respectable and flourishing business. 


I should note, that while this is specific for social media only, I try to respect this across all marketing avenues as they are often shared on to social media. While this is an online blog that I do not consider “social media” - it will be shared to my social media profile to gain traction and readers. For that reason, I specifically selected a family that consented to being posted to social media. That is up to you as an individual business, but I try to respect that across the board if I know without a doubt that it could end up on a social media platform in some capacity. 


Final Thoughts


For clients, I hope this makes you feel more comfortable and confident that your photos and their privacy will be respected as you wish on social media. 


For photographers, here is exactly how this shows up on my contract if you would like to add this to your contracts as well!


Please select the following regarding social media marketing consent. If no selection is made, it will automatically default to option 1.


______ 1. I consent to having all persons within my group have their

full faces shown.

______ 2. I consent to having only persons over the age of 18 within

the group have their full faces shown.

_____ 3. I consent to having persons under the age of 18 shown but no

distinguishable features (i.e. no direct photos of the face).

______ 4. I do not consent to any persons within my group having

their image of any kind shown on any social media platforms.





Location of Photos: Rosemary Beach, FL

Type of Session: Extended Family

Photographer: Whitney White Photography

Photographer Bio: Whitney White is a professional photographer who services Destin, FL and 30A, FL. She specializes in large families, small families, maternity, couples, and intimate weddings. She is a native of the Panhandle of Florida, and loves that she gets to be a professional photographer in the town she spent most of her childhood. The beaches of the Emerald Coast hold a special place in her heart, and she is thrilled for the opportunity to be a part of your special memories in the place she most cherishes!