UPR PARIS 2019

SAMEDI 28 SEPT. 2019

We are thrilled to bring you the first Urban Photo Race in Paris this coming September! After Berlin and London, Paris is a long due international stop for the UPR.

In collaboration with Photo Club Paris Val-de-Bièvre we’re very excited to be organizing this first edition in such a photogenic location. We know how much fun it is to participate and explore new cities, so we invite you to participate in the ultimate street photography challenge.

Get yourself a ticket and join us in this street photography adventure and race to the finish line.

The UPR PAR takes place in several locations in Paris. Take note of the addresses and their opening times below on Day Schedule.

• CP1 - La Lingerie (Grands Voisins, 74, avenue Denfert-Rocherau, 75014 Paris)

• CP4 - Ecole de photographie Spéos (SPÉOS l'annexe, 5 rue Bouvier, 75011 Paris)

  • Please mind the correct address above, DO NOT SHOW UP at SPÉOS, 8, rue Jules Vallès, 75011 Paris

• CP1 - 10:00 - 11:00

• CP2 - 13:00 - 14:00

• CP3 - 16:00 - 17:00

• CP4 - 19:00 - 22:00

For this first Paris edition we’re doing only the classic race format.

• M - (12 Hours / 6 Themes) - This is the UPR classic race format, from 10:00 to 22:00.

Every country has its own rules and regulations concerning the newly released privacy laws. The following are some guidelines on how to approach Street Photography in the scope of participating in the Urban Photo Race. We remind you that as a participant you are solely responsible for the photos you make and how you make them. You can read more about this on our Terms & Conditions.

• The good news: Photographing people in public places is not forbidden - it's afterwards that things get more complicated, depending on what use you will make of your photographs (artistic, commercial or photo-journalism approach) So: the question of the image right intervenes when publishing and not whilst shooting!

• If a person asks nicely or less nicely to delete photos that a photographer has just taken in a public place or to stop shooting, pedagogy, tact or politeness are necessary to adapt to its behaviour. Because: basically, you are in your right.

• If people are not recognisable, there is no problem regarding publishing, commercial or other. Crowds: if no one really stands out, no problem, again.

• If people are recognisable, make sure they are not caught in degrading situations. Ex: photo of a homeless person sleeping on the floor, taken without its knowledge. Any image that harms the human dignity of a person must therefore be subject to an explicit (and written) agreement of the subject for dissemination, otherwise the photographer might be sentenced. But the notion of dignity is rather vague and often subject to the judge's interpretation...

• Tripod photos are very complicated regarding law and are best avoided. Not that it does really matter because most street photographers won’t work with a tripod. Unlike traditional shooting (handheld) tripod shooting requires a temporary "privatization" of the place where it is installed. One often falls into the realm of arbitrariness, with prohibitions whose exact justification is not always known (never?). And be careful, the street is a public space but some parts might be privatised, like the cafe terraces in summer, which legally encroach on the space of the street.

• Also, it is better to avoid taking pictures in train stations. A priori, there is no proper law prohibiting these but there is a lot of supervisory staff that will make your life hard. They are often poorly informed about current laws and rather inflexible when it comes to taking photographs.

• Be careful also when photographing children. In our time, parents are understandably very concerned and don’t like strangers to take photographs of their offspring. So better ask the parents before shooting.

• Pictures on which we see architecture: if the architect has been dead for more than 70 years, no problem. Otherwise, an authorisation by the architect would normally be needed. But it is really very unlikely that an architect claims his rights. An exception: the Eiffel Tower when it is lit or flickers, the light show is protected (this applies to other buildings whose lighting, artistic, is recent).

• Any commercial use requires a written permission by the person/s on the photograph. No exception. When it comes to minors, parental permission is required, unless the person/s is/are not really recognisable.

• Non-commercial use, exhibitions and websites: If a person wishes to prohibit the publication of an image, it will have to demonstrate not only that it is clearly identifiable, but that it is indeed the main subject and, above all, that it has been prejudiced. And this proof is the responsibility of the person photographed. This point is essential because it is the person photographed who has to prove that it has suffered harm. Simply recognising oneself on a photograph is not enough to prohibit its publication.

We are also preparing the exhibition to take place in a beautiful Art Déco Builduing during the "mois de la photo".

• Exhibition - Annexe de la Mairie du 14ème (12 Rue Pierre Castagnou, 75014 Paris)

• Dates - The exhibition will run from November 7-17

• Schedule - Opening and awards ceremony November 7 at 6pm.