Photography Policy
Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to define the use of photographs and other recorded media at St. Luke’s on the Lake Episcopal Church. This policy is faithful to the recommendations of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
General group or crowd photographs: St. Luke’s on the Lake reserves the right to take photographs or video recordings at worship services or any other church-related activities in which individuals are not prominently featured and no identifying information is presented, and to use any of these photos or recordings for fellowship or promotional purposes in media such as, but not limited to, brochures and flyers, the church website, and online photo galleries, without seeking or requiring the consent of each person represented.
In addition to any event or gathering taking place on church property, church-related activities also include gatherings at other locations such as parks, sporting events, mission sites, etc.
Any individual who objects to potentially being photographed as part of a St. Luke’s on the Lake activity should notify a member of the clergy, an usher or event coordinator, or the photographer immediately upon arrival.
Any individual who sees himself/herself or a family member in a group photo online and would like it removed may follow the photo removal procedure given below.
Adult individual or small group photographs: When adult individuals or a small group of individuals are photographed, whether posed or candid, each person will be asked for either written or verbal consent before any use of the photographs is made.
Verbal consent will be deemed sufficient to use an adult individual or small group photo that contains no identifying information. Written consent will be obtained for any photos that contain identifying information.
Photographing minors: When children under the age of 18 are photographed (except as part of a general group or crowd photo as outlined above), the consent of at least one parent will be obtained before their photo will be used in any way. In addition, the following guidelines will be enforced:
Under no circumstances will any identifying information (first or last name, family members, email addresses, school names, etc.) of anyone under 18 years of age be included in or associated with any photographs or videos displayed, posted or published in any way.
All registration forms for events, activities, or programs, such as Sunday school, youth group, VBS, etc. will contain a reference to this policy, a permission request to allow the participant to be photographed in accordance with the policy, and a clear method to allow the signing parent or guardian to “opt-out” of inclusion in any photographs or video recordings. Note that opting-out via an activity sign-up form will apply only to that activity, not as a “blanket” request (see “Opting-out” below). For annual programs, a new photography release form will be requested every year.
Any event-related photos including minors must have already occurred. For example, a photo of a prior-year camping trip could be posted or published, while a photo of youth who are signed up for a future camping trip could not.
Opting-out: Parents/guardians who do not wish for their child’s photo or video to be potentially posted online or otherwise displayed, regardless of the context, should send a written note or email to the church office and St. Luke’s on the Lake will make every effort to exclude the indicated minor from any individual or small group photography. Please note that children may still be included in general group or crowd photos without indentifying information; however, you may always request that any photo be removed from display.
Requesting removal of a photograph or video: Any individual who appears in a photo/video (or whose minor children appear in a photo/video) that has been posted online may request that it be removed for any reason, even if prior permission had been granted, by sending a written note or email to the church office. Please indicate the person or persons involved and the photo or video in question, and it will be promptly removed from the website or other display where it is found.
Change notice: St. Luke’s on the Lake may change the content of this policy without notice, and it is recommended to review this and other church policies periodically. Current copies of this policy may be obtained at the church office or online at www.stlukesonthelake.org.
Online Release Forms:
We ask that you fill out individual forms for each adult in your household. One form will suffice for all of the children in the household. Click the links below to fill out the forms.
Children & Youth Release Form:
https://stlukescfm.wufoo.com/forms/zs6eubp19gma0k/
Adult Release Form: