My dear fans and loyal followers, who I appreciate more than words can convey, often don't realize just how much work it takes to get a woman to pose for me. Though I've been credited often by friends and models for putting strangers at ease quickly and effortlessly, it is a constant struggle. Being located in a small, conservative town, it is already difficult to locate attractive women to model normally, let alone with their clothes partially or completely removed.
Usually, my best photos are with the women I've developed close friendships with, which of course requires a lot of time together in order to develop trust and create images where the model looks truly at ease. Still, they may be reluctant to show too much, and even when they do, it only complicated the matter more. Since they know I deal mainly with web-postings, some of these women do not have online accounts and don't fear the easy circulation that such publication implies. Those incidents are rare. More often than not, my models more active on the internet have a myriad of personal rules and guidelines for how I may use their photos. It's always a compromise.
The restrictions can range from wanting their nipples Photoshopped out of a bra-less t-shirt photo to not being afraid of showing their vagina as long as their face is covered. I've had women hamming it up for the camera naked and posing spread-legged as they enjoyed every moment, only to refuse having any of the images see the light of day. Other times I'm forced to take a photo down days or even months later due to second thoughts, reactions from boyfriends, or an upset phone call from a model's mother.
Realize, this is not a complaint. In all of these cases, I always comply, not because they are my friends, but because it is the right thing to do. I was raised to believe that a person, especially women, have the right to have No mean No, whether it is in the bedroom or in front of a camera.
Don't get me wrong, if a model's restrictions are somewhat silly or based in self-consciousness, i.e. "my face looks fat in that photo," then I will calmly and politely reassure them that I think the image is worthwhile and post it anyway. Still, there are times when I wonder if all photographers have to deal with this constant stream of concern and compromise, of never feeling one hundred percent secure that the images they take are not subject to being veto-controlled by a third party.
And to the models of mine who may read this and think I am referencing them: I am. But don't worry, I still love you and you know I'd do anything for you and will continue to do so.
Alright, enough of that. On with the show.
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Yes Mark I go through the same thing as well. I live and work in a small enough centre that I often get swayed by models request which limits the possible posting of certain images. Sometime its because of their boyfriend doesn't want photos up sometimes its because of their family. I also do comply and have had to retract some images after a change of heart from the model after the fact.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work and I always look forward to seeing more of your work.
I have gone through the same situation, I suppose every photographer who takes nude photos deal with it on and off throughout their entire career. Usually I never have to worry about taking the work done once its up (but will do so if requested) mainly it comes down to the type of shoot/image people see. Some people will have me shoot them nude but like you said they never see the light of day they other issue just convincing models/people in general, a lot of time people think the photos are going to be used in some crazy way, the easiet way for me to make everyone at east no matter what type of shoot it is, is by showing them previous work, once someone see's your type of work, the quality, someone else who has done it before, that tends to make them much much at ease.
ReplyDeleteCameron
(a hand-on-boob shot always deserves inclusion)
ReplyDelete