Question of the Day: Why do so many villages you visit look empty? PLUS my tips for avoiding crowds while traveling in France.
There are several reasons, but the biggest one is a veritable landmine for any creator these days: image usage rights and regulations.
In France, there are many legalities regarding posting the image of someone else, especially if under the age of sixteen.
Rule 1: You cannot publish images of anyone while in private spaces unless you have written permission to do so.
Rule 2: Images of a group or street scene in a public place (if no person is individualized and within the limit of the right to information) are allowed, along with public events, a public figure exercising his job (like an elected official), or an image illustrating a historical subject.
I know that some of the members in this community are also part-time content creators, French-influenced brands, or perhaps you are just a budding YouTuber. So, this is definitely something to consider.
So, I prefer to play it safe and wait until people (especially children) have moved on from the area or are mostly unrecognizable.
Other reasons why the villages look or seem empty in my shots at times (and considerations for your travel plans if you want to avoid crowds):
° I prefer to travel off-season
° I prefer to shoot during the lunch hour when everyone is eating
° I prefer to visit locations at their lowest visitor time of day and week
° I travel mid-week and not on the weekends
° Or... the village really is that empty!
Content creation is a bit of a scary place to be these days, and its difficult to keep up on the new lawsuits, legalities, disclosure rules and regulations, especially internationally. Would you like to learn more? I suggest following @robertfreundlaw. He's based in the States but the FDC often sets the bar for regulations worldwide.
Disclaimer: This post is just for educational and entertainment purposes and not meant to be professional advice. Merci!
