Sta.sh
After a conversation with a model over the weekend I feel the need to address something I don’t see much about on dA: Model Safety.
With the increase of internet modelling sites such as One Model Place, Net Model, Model Mayhem and similar, it has never been easier to promote yourself either as a model or a photographer and there has been an explosion of want to be talent on both sides of the camera in recent years. Nowadays anyone with an internet connection and a couple of hundred £/$’s can set up an internet account, go out and buy a professional looking camera and call themselves a photographer. Like any trade there are professionals, there are great amateurs and there are sharks.
For the sake of this article I’m going to use the industry standard term; GWC (Guy With Camera), for the sharks. While I don’t want to misalign anyone personally in the trade, it has been my experience that for every two professionals I’ve met, I’ve met a GWC only in it for the girls, the glamour and their own egos. Hopefully this article will help the new model to decide who is who.
Firstly, age is of prime importance. Any model under the age of 18 in most countries (including the UK and US) can only work to lingerie/swimsuit levels and then only if modelling for fashion or portfolio work unprovocatively. A model under the age of 18 can not work to topless/nude levels under any normal conditions. There are of course certain grey areas where artists such as Sally Mann and David Hamilton have blurred the lines and produced art nudes featuring underage models but to a court of law it would be hell to define what constitutes art rather than titillation. Best just to accept that an underage model can’t work nude, ever!
A model under the age of 18 must always be chaperoned by an adult with the legal right to sign a model release form for them. In an industry with so much glamour attached it is the photographers responsibility to insure that he conduct himself in a professional manner and refuse to shoot an underage model unchaperoned. He, after all is the adult and has a responsibility to all children. As a photographer, always treat children with the same respect that you’d want your own child treated.
As a model, adult or otherwise, having a chaperone attend the shoot is always a good rule of thumb, especially when working with a new photographer for the first time. If you feel something is amiss always trust your gut instincts. Even if it does feel right, It might not be. Remember that there are a lot of GWC’s out there only too willing to prey on the naive, the desperate to get into modelling and the inexperienced.
Always check for references when approached by a photographer. Does his style of work reflect how you want to be seen as a model? (Do you want to be a fashion model or a porn star?) Does he have a website? (Is it a generic MySpace one or a domain?) Is his email address a generic hotmail address or does it link to his site? Can he supply references from previous models and will he let you choose who to contact from his past work? (Giving you a list of ten models and their contact details is preferable to him giving you his best mates girlfriends mobile number). Will he let a chaperone attend? (If not, run for the hills!)
Always let people know where you’re going, preferably leave them with the shoot address. Always have your mobile with you charged and topped up if pay as you go. It is a wise precaution to arrange to let someone know when you get to the studio, that you’re safe and all seems above board.
Before the shoot: Discuss modelling levels, that both the photographer wants and that you are prepared to work to. If the photographer expects an art nude shoot and you are prepared to work only to lingerie, say so and do not be persuaded or intimidated otherwise. If the location of the shoot changes at the last moment ask why. Is the photographer trying to get you to a secluded spot and prey on your vulnerability?
During the shoot: If a photographer is making you feel uncomfortable, say so. Do not under any circumstance go along with what he wants because you feel you must. Any professional worth his salt will be as aware of your comfort as you are. Unless pre-agreed beforehand due to difficult costume changes; corsets etc (ideally the job of the chaperone) never let a photographer touch you. If a photographer can’t express his desires through lack of communication skills what are his camera skills like? A photographer should be able to explain what he wants. He should never have to touch you and if he is, he is probably getting off on it. If the communication worries you and the photographer is asking probing, unnecessary questions; “Is this turning you on?” as I have heard from one model. Stop the shoot, pack up and leave. You have a right as a model not to feel uncomfortable.
After the shoot: If it is a portfolio shoot that you are paying the photographer for and he asks you to sign a release form, you are well within your right not to. If it is a TFP/CD (Time For Print/Compact Disc) shoot then it is usual for a release form to be signed by the model. Do not give any more personal details on the form than seem necessary. Usually just your legal name if working under a modelling name, your address and your mobile number are sufficient. If you are under the age of 18 then your guardian/chaperone will also have to sign the form by law or else it is invalid.
Remember that a relationship between a model and photographer is usually business based. It is rare that a friendship needs to be formed, you can leave as friends but you do not need to be ‘friends’! Overly friendly contact before or after the shoot is often a warning sign that things are not quite what they seem. How many web site designers or graphic artists need to be friends with their clients? If you are having regular IM chats with a photographer that you enjoy talking to, that’s fine. If the conversation becomes uncomfortable or intrusive block them. There will always be another photographer round the corner as good as if not better to work with. Friendships ‘are’ made of course, people are people after all but be careful in the first instance. If a photographer turns up unexpectedly at your doorstep, let someone know, give them his details and ask him politely not to in future. If he apologises and leaves all is well. Some won’t and expect friendships to become more. You as the model be the judge here.
Lastly; safety becomes before all things. Always, always, trust your instincts. The greatest photograph in the world isn’t worth it if your personal safety is at risk. Be happy, have fun, make some great art, meet some great people but most of all be safe.
With the increase of internet modelling sites such as One Model Place, Net Model, Model Mayhem and similar, it has never been easier to promote yourself either as a model or a photographer and there has been an explosion of want to be talent on both sides of the camera in recent years. Nowadays anyone with an internet connection and a couple of hundred £/$’s can set up an internet account, go out and buy a professional looking camera and call themselves a photographer. Like any trade there are professionals, there are great amateurs and there are sharks.
For the sake of this article I’m going to use the industry standard term; GWC (Guy With Camera), for the sharks. While I don’t want to misalign anyone personally in the trade, it has been my experience that for every two professionals I’ve met, I’ve met a GWC only in it for the girls, the glamour and their own egos. Hopefully this article will help the new model to decide who is who.
Firstly, age is of prime importance. Any model under the age of 18 in most countries (including the UK and US) can only work to lingerie/swimsuit levels and then only if modelling for fashion or portfolio work unprovocatively. A model under the age of 18 can not work to topless/nude levels under any normal conditions. There are of course certain grey areas where artists such as Sally Mann and David Hamilton have blurred the lines and produced art nudes featuring underage models but to a court of law it would be hell to define what constitutes art rather than titillation. Best just to accept that an underage model can’t work nude, ever!
A model under the age of 18 must always be chaperoned by an adult with the legal right to sign a model release form for them. In an industry with so much glamour attached it is the photographers responsibility to insure that he conduct himself in a professional manner and refuse to shoot an underage model unchaperoned. He, after all is the adult and has a responsibility to all children. As a photographer, always treat children with the same respect that you’d want your own child treated.
As a model, adult or otherwise, having a chaperone attend the shoot is always a good rule of thumb, especially when working with a new photographer for the first time. If you feel something is amiss always trust your gut instincts. Even if it does feel right, It might not be. Remember that there are a lot of GWC’s out there only too willing to prey on the naive, the desperate to get into modelling and the inexperienced.
Always check for references when approached by a photographer. Does his style of work reflect how you want to be seen as a model? (Do you want to be a fashion model or a porn star?) Does he have a website? (Is it a generic MySpace one or a domain?) Is his email address a generic hotmail address or does it link to his site? Can he supply references from previous models and will he let you choose who to contact from his past work? (Giving you a list of ten models and their contact details is preferable to him giving you his best mates girlfriends mobile number). Will he let a chaperone attend? (If not, run for the hills!)
Always let people know where you’re going, preferably leave them with the shoot address. Always have your mobile with you charged and topped up if pay as you go. It is a wise precaution to arrange to let someone know when you get to the studio, that you’re safe and all seems above board.
Before the shoot: Discuss modelling levels, that both the photographer wants and that you are prepared to work to. If the photographer expects an art nude shoot and you are prepared to work only to lingerie, say so and do not be persuaded or intimidated otherwise. If the location of the shoot changes at the last moment ask why. Is the photographer trying to get you to a secluded spot and prey on your vulnerability?
During the shoot: If a photographer is making you feel uncomfortable, say so. Do not under any circumstance go along with what he wants because you feel you must. Any professional worth his salt will be as aware of your comfort as you are. Unless pre-agreed beforehand due to difficult costume changes; corsets etc (ideally the job of the chaperone) never let a photographer touch you. If a photographer can’t express his desires through lack of communication skills what are his camera skills like? A photographer should be able to explain what he wants. He should never have to touch you and if he is, he is probably getting off on it. If the communication worries you and the photographer is asking probing, unnecessary questions; “Is this turning you on?” as I have heard from one model. Stop the shoot, pack up and leave. You have a right as a model not to feel uncomfortable.
After the shoot: If it is a portfolio shoot that you are paying the photographer for and he asks you to sign a release form, you are well within your right not to. If it is a TFP/CD (Time For Print/Compact Disc) shoot then it is usual for a release form to be signed by the model. Do not give any more personal details on the form than seem necessary. Usually just your legal name if working under a modelling name, your address and your mobile number are sufficient. If you are under the age of 18 then your guardian/chaperone will also have to sign the form by law or else it is invalid.
Remember that a relationship between a model and photographer is usually business based. It is rare that a friendship needs to be formed, you can leave as friends but you do not need to be ‘friends’! Overly friendly contact before or after the shoot is often a warning sign that things are not quite what they seem. How many web site designers or graphic artists need to be friends with their clients? If you are having regular IM chats with a photographer that you enjoy talking to, that’s fine. If the conversation becomes uncomfortable or intrusive block them. There will always be another photographer round the corner as good as if not better to work with. Friendships ‘are’ made of course, people are people after all but be careful in the first instance. If a photographer turns up unexpectedly at your doorstep, let someone know, give them his details and ask him politely not to in future. If he apologises and leaves all is well. Some won’t and expect friendships to become more. You as the model be the judge here.
Lastly; safety becomes before all things. Always, always, trust your instincts. The greatest photograph in the world isn’t worth it if your personal safety is at risk. Be happy, have fun, make some great art, meet some great people but most of all be safe.
It's a not uncommon hodge-podge of bad advice & questionable or wrong legal statements hashed together from internet discussions.
The advice about "first time chaperons" is patent bullshit & actually leads many models in to REAL bad situations.
The part about releases is entirely wrong for the UK (where the author lives) and again shows no real-world knowledge of the topic.
Some of the other advice is quite good. And in fact some of the better advice is directly plagiarized from an article I wrote on this topic a year prior to his publishing this.
It's unfortunate that there're so many of these items full of inaccuracies floating around, because people either see the good advice & ignore it because they see so much wrong OR they believe the bad along with the good & get themselves in more trouble,
I cannot speak to the misinformation issues, as I don't have any real knowledge of the laws referenced. I'd have to look them up to know if you were right or if the original poster was right. Honestly, I don't much care because I think that the point that was trying to be made was that a model should never feel pressured to expose more of himself or herself than they are comfortable with. It's all about professionalism and a safe work environment.
"Dubious" would imply that there was some sort of malicious intent to mislead people into false assumptions to their detriment. Allegedly being wrong on a few facts hardly constitutes malice.
Excerpted from an article on the topic I wrote:
Here're a couple of realistic and sensible sets of recommendations for models to stay safe when working off the net: What is Due Diligence in the Internet Modeling and Photography Environment?, By Curt Burgess, PhotoworksWS
Safety In Internet Modeling, By James Glendinning/ SilverLight Esoterica Photography
Now models, ask yourselves this... if you've followed the safety tips in the above posts and you STILL feel the need for an escort, is going to that shoot REALLY a good idea? Also, don't use bad logic when relying on an escort for safety. First, predators/perverts/freaks KNOW models use the escort question as a "litmus test" to judge if a photographer is "safe." We see models say "If I ask if I can have an escort & he says 'yes' I figure he's OK and don't take one." Photographers back this up & say "Since I tell them an escort's ok, 75%+ don't bring one!" The flip side of that is "I take an escort for the FIRST shoot with someone." And of course there're all the stories we hear about where a model takes a girlfriend & the photographer acts badly to them BOTH, or where they're crude to the model REGARDLESS of the escort's presence. Uh... if the freaks you're afraid of were really out there, don't you think they'd KNOW this & tell you an escort's OK, hoping you won't bring one, or behave for the first session? Or that they just won't CARE about the escort? Not to mention Bill Bradford, one of the VERY rare real world examples of a fake photographer who killed a model, also killed her ESCORT. Relying SOLELY on escorts to keep you safe is a BAD idea and it's NO substitute for checking someone out. Safety aside, escorts CANNOT protect you from flakes, jerks, liars, people who don't return photos, etc etc. Notice I am NOT saying "don't use escorts," altho you won't be working with me if you insist on one. I am just saying don't operate under false ideas that escorts will keep you safe from any danger or hassles & therefore you skip doing your homework.
As I say there, it's not the practice that's an issue (beyond that it will limit a model from much legit work, but that's her choice). The issue is the over-stressing of the idea of "take someone with you" without proper explanations of the MUCH more important steps of CHECKING SOMEONE OUT and following other basic safety steps as outlined in the linked articles.
People focus too much on the idea that a) it;'s really that dangerous & scary and b) having someone along is a panacea, so they miss REAL dangers. They also falsely demonize legit pros & legit work where "tag alongs" are not welcome & don't give the balance new models need to understand how to tell legit work from some guy trying to get them alone.
It's the lack of balance & good info I take issue with.
I agree about a model not being pressured, that's stressed in the linked articles (and you can see where sections of this were lifted from them). My point was that when you fill up the information with a lot of "mush" and bad/wrong information it makes the GOOD points less credible.
As for your "implication" I'd refer you to the dictionary:
du·bi·ous
/ˈdubiəs, ˈdyu-/ Show Spelled[doo-bee-uhs, dyoo-]
–adjective
1.
doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt: a dubious reply.
2.
of doubtful quality or propriety; questionable: a dubious compliment; a dubious transaction.
Nothing about malice or intent to mislead. I am VERY precise in my use of language, YOU are reading in to it. I don't think the poster was malicious, I think he's misguided, woefully ill-informed, and parroting a lot of bullshit he read on the internet with no real working knowledge of the topic.
Anyone who would depend on only one failsafe is a fool. But this article did not indicate that you should be dependent upon only one thing.
I question because your statements make it sound as if bringing along an escort is an unreasonable action. I realize you have just stated that you don't take issue with it, but you can understand how it might have come off that way, yeah?
Perhaps I am reading this from the understanding of general guidelines for amateurs rather than a definitive definition of a professional shooting environment. While I think that it could have been a bit more expanded on alternate safety methods, so far as those things are concerned I still don't think they are unreasonable or insisting that taking someone with you will always save you.
As for my misinterpretation of your wording, I apologize.
I've been working in & around this field for some time, my girlfriend is a full time traveling nude & fetish model, I write on the topic, and help run the site where those articles are hosted.
So it's a pretty near & dear topic to me, and I see a lot of well meaning people like this posting "general guidelines for amateurs" who're unwittingly doing more harm than good. Someone might see this, take it at face value, and not seek out better resources.
That's why I posted, and why I take exception to people who post things like this in an effort to help without really understanding what they're doing.
Though I've found that sometimes not having an escort helps a lot on what relaxing a bit is concerned, specially in those horrible first 5 minutes
But then again, nothing beats a good track record and references, lots of them, and all positive.