Photographer
p51
Posts: 163
Olympia, Washington, US
I just got the strangest e-mail ever from this site last night. Someone who saw my portfolio here is a model not logged in as a model. She and her husband are looking to have a baby, and THEY WANT PHOTOS OF THE CONCEPTION! Yes, that's right, they want someone to shoot them getting her pregnant! Crap, what kind of nut wants something like THAT? My wife and I are also trying for a baby (for several months now), but the last thing I'd want is to know someone was photographing the conception! What would they do, haul THOSE photos out with the family albums??? What the hell is wrong with some people? The strangest thing is they claim not have asked anyone else, that my nudes look, "Natural" and that's what they want. I have responded to them that they should look elsewhere in MM, as someone would do it, but I have to draw the line somewhere... (and before anyone asks, NO, I didn't keep thei e-mail address)
Model
~*Isabel Aurora*~
Posts: 5778
Boca del Mar, Florida, US
When the kid turns 18 the parents are going to pulll those pictures out and show everyone!
Photographer
Benjamen McGuire
Posts: 3991
Portland, Oregon, US
if it was a payng job it shouldn't be a big deal imo
Photographer
Hugh Jorgen
Posts: 2850
Ashland, Oregon, US
Im interested! Waves Hello! (:------- Hj
Photographer
p51
Posts: 163
Olympia, Washington, US
Cspine wrote: if it was a payng job it shouldn't be a big deal imo Oh yeah, they wanted to pay, but I have a line I won't cross. I think shooting nudes of a baby is wrong as well, but that's my stance on it. I frankly never got the whole, "Natural" deal many people have with pregnancy. Sure, a nude of a pregnant woman can be beautiful and I'd take something like that, but to me, this is porn, just with married people. I wrote the woman back saying to come look me up AFTER the conception and we'd talk. I guess I'm the only one who thinks that was just a little too much. I didn't even tell my wife about this. She thinks what I do is something to be tolerated at best as it is...
Photographer
Gary Davis
Posts: 1829
San Diego, California, US
You're probably not the only one to think it's too much, but the question in my mind is why you feel the need to be so judgemental about it, and to make it worse, do it in front of the entire internet community? Someone has a different opinion than you, that's life. Get over it.
Photographer
JM Dean
Posts: 8931
Cary, North Carolina, US
Sounds like an excellent GWC opportunity
Photographer
Dev
Posts: 53
Clearwater, Florida, US
JM Dean wrote: Sounds like an excellent GWC opportunity I was trying to find the way to comment on this without sounding bad.. 100% agree GWC material.
Photographer
Glamour Boulevard
Posts: 8628
Sacramento, California, US
p51 wrote: Oh yeah, they wanted to pay, but I have a line I won't cross. I think shooting nudes of a baby is wrong as well, but that's my stance on it. I frankly never got the whole, "Natural" deal many people have with pregnancy. Sure, a nude of a pregnant woman can be beautiful and I'd take something like that, but to me, this is porn, just with married people. I wrote the woman back saying to come look me up AFTER the conception and we'd talk. I guess I'm the only one who thinks that was just a little too much. I didn't even tell my wife about this. She thinks what I do is something to be tolerated at best as it is... You are not being asked to shoot nudes of a baby. Also, doing what they wanted would only be porn if it were shot like porn. You can shoot sexual acts completely artisticly. It is a challenge but it can be done. On a side note, I know a guy who videotaped and photographed a newlyweds honeymoon night as they consummated their marriage. Got paid extremely well,too. This also brings to mind the premise behind shakepeare`s works. Thought is what makes things bad.
Photographer
p51
Posts: 163
Olympia, Washington, US
Gary Davis wrote: You're probably not the only one to think it's too much, but the question in my mind is why you feel the need to be so judgemental about it, and to make it worse, do it in front of the entire internet community? Someone has a different opinion than you, that's life. Get over it. Oh, I am over it, I just wanted to see if anyone else thought that was pretty screwy. Cearly, they don't.
Photographer
MarkMarek
Posts: 2211
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
p51 wrote: Oh yeah, they wanted to pay, but I have a line I won't cross. I think shooting nudes of a baby is wrong as well, but that's my stance on it. I frankly never got the whole, "Natural" deal many people have with pregnancy. Sure, a nude of a pregnant woman can be beautiful and I'd take something like that, but to me, this is porn, just with married people. I wrote the woman back saying to come look me up AFTER the conception and we'd talk. I guess I'm the only one who thinks that was just a little too much. I didn't even tell my wife about this. She thinks what I do is something to be tolerated at best as it is... I understand the line you have drawn for yourself, I suppose mine is placed elsewhere. I wish I got approached by someone to document their conception. One can take pictures of a model anytime, but how many had a chance to document something this intimate. That would be the most unique experience I would never let go if I was you. Mark
Photographer
Bill Tracy Photography
Posts: 2322
Montague, New Jersey, US
I'm pretty low I guess as I would do just about anything for a buck - LOL! I had a line somewhere...now if I could only find it...hmm. So far the worst thing someone paid me to shoot was this gay man who wanted shots of himself pleasuring himself. He paid me well - with money.
Photographer
p51
Posts: 163
Olympia, Washington, US
Bill Tracy wrote: I'm pretty low I guess as I would do just about anything for a buck - LOL! I had a line somewhere...now if I could only find it...hmm. So far the worst thing someone paid me to shoot was this gay man who wanted shots of himself pleasuring himself. He paid me well - with money. Funny you'd bring this up. I had a guy ask me to the very same thing last month for a gay website. I politely turned that guy down as well. I suppose if this was my only source of income, I'd be doing all these shoots. When I was doing art fulltime, I did all kinds of stuff I didn't think was right...
Model
Kristina Raquel
Posts: 4
West Palm Beach, Florida, US
WOW!! THATS NUTS! some people are just nuts...have nuts for brains, Im sorry that happened to you! Kristina
Photographer
S W I N S K E Y
Posts: 24376
Saint Petersburg, Florida, US
i think your nuts for not taking the gig.... they didn't ask for porn, just the act of making love...it could be done tasrfully..not sure i would have turned it down...theres a bunch of way more uninteresting, uninspiring and unesthectic things you could be shooting.... like roll up security shutters...ugh...
Photographer
Moraxian
Posts: 2607
Germantown, Maryland, US
Oy... I got a similar email once from a guy asking if I could photograph he and his wife having sex. He said what he wanted to do was have take her to dinner, get her "tipsy", suggest the idea saying he knows a photographer, and then I show up and take the photos. Aside from the fact that I find his idea revolting in that he'd be using a drug to make his wife more open to suggestion, there are other considerations, including the model release, which his wife would not be competent to sign if she were inebriated (or even tipsy...). If you can't pass a sobriety test, you can't sign the release. Again I say Oy!
Photographer
area291
Posts: 2525
Calabasas, California, US
p51 wrote: What would they do, haul THOSE photos out with the family albums??? Maybe the Generation-X/Y has figured a better way to explain the birds and bees to their children and are merely planning ahead!
Photographer
S W I N S K E Y
Posts: 24376
Saint Petersburg, Florida, US
area291 wrote: Maybe the Generation-X/Y has figured a better way to explain the birds and bees to their children and are merely planning ahead! rich man..that avatar is FREAKIN me out..... (dont go changing it to a picture of your mom either)
Photographer
Sophistocles
Posts: 21320
Seattle, Washington, US
Here's my question - if they've been trying for a while, how do they know that the specific sex act you photograph was the one that conceived the child? Knowing that the odds were pretty slim that the shoot would be "the one," I'd probably take this gig with the proviso that we were shooting couples-nudes, and not sex. That is, no sex happens. We're just doing nudes. From your description, I suspect that's not what they want, though.
Photographer
Greg Rice
Posts: 550
Saint Peters, Missouri, US
p51 wrote:
Oh yeah, they wanted to pay, but I have a line I won't cross. I think shooting nudes of a baby is wrong as well, but that's my stance on it. I frankly never got the whole, "Natural" deal many people have with pregnancy. Sure, a nude of a pregnant woman can be beautiful and I'd take something like that, but to me, this is porn, just with married people. I wrote the woman back saying to come look me up AFTER the conception and we'd talk. I guess I'm the only one who thinks that was just a little too much. I didn't even tell my wife about this. She thinks what I do is something to be tolerated at best as it is... Wow what a moronic statement! I honestly don't even know where to start here.... First Babys are born nude you dolt! Second what the hell can be more "natural" than pregnancy I mean that IS how we all came into this world.. Third your closed minded view on "porn" well if you think a nude of a pregnant women is porn then how do you justify any nude at all? and the last thing I will comment on is your final statement the fact that your wife feels your "photography" is just something to be tolerated shows me alot about how you have said views... This post smells like a prime example of western culture! Open your eyes and your mind.
Photographer
Kentsoul
Posts: 9739
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
I hope you directed them to me...I've photographed couples making love [which is really all the conception is] on numerous occasions [see my avatar]...Some of my most powerful and best-received images have resulted from these shoots. I realize I think differently about these things than most, but I rather think the idea of a couple being photographed making love to conceive is really romantic...Something of a "love letter" to the child they want to have or even a "magic spell" or "fertility ritual"...I think I'd really enjoy meeting/working with people so interesting and thoughtful.
Photographer
Benjamen McGuire
Posts: 3991
Portland, Oregon, US
Chris Ambler wrote: Here's my question - if they've been trying for a while, how do they know that the specific sex act you photograph was the one that conceived the child? Knowing that the odds were pretty slim that the shoot would be "the one," I'd probably take this gig with the proviso that we were shooting couples-nudes, and not sex. That is, no sex happens. We're just doing nudes. From your description, I suspect that's not what they want, though. yea on second thought yer right, they probably just want sex pics.
Photographer
PDXImaging
Posts: 1476
Lake Oswego, Oregon, US
Maybe it IS the water in Olympia... LOL Do they still make Olympia beer btw?
Photographer
Kentsoul
Posts: 9739
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
Cspine wrote:
yea on second thought yer right, they probably just want sex pics. ...and the problem with that is?
Photographer
p51
Posts: 163
Olympia, Washington, US
Melvin Moten Jr wrote: I realize I think differently about these things than most, but I rather think the idea of a couple being photographed making love to conceive is really romantic...Something of a "love letter" to the child they want to have or even a "magic spell" or "fertility ritual"...I think I'd really enjoy meeting/working with people so interesting and thoughtful. It may be romantic tyo make love to convieve a child, that much is certain (it feels SO much differently for me now that we're trying to have a chile of our own), but I guess I just dont get why something that to me should remain between two people who love each other, to share that with a stranger (the photographer), and likely other later on. I can't help but think of the possible kid. You KNOW they're going to hear about this when they get older. Can you imagine ANYTHING more embarrasing than to have those photos brought out for any reason? Sheesh, I went on dates in High School and had the girl's parents pull out the "nakes baby on the rug" photos, and they girl wanted to crawl in a hole and just die from the ebbarrassment. Could you imagine the parents bring out conception photos at a time like that? I guess that's where I was coming from. I find nude couple shot good, if they're done artistically, this is just something I didn't want to be a part of.
Model
Lady Bronze
Posts: 3775
Los Angeles, California, US
I dont find it offensive at all. Some people are fascinated by the birthing process, and by the creating of life itself (conception). They may want it for personal use, or for a book. What they are doing can be sucessfuly argued as art. Different strokes for different folks.
Photographer
Kentsoul
Posts: 9739
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
p51 wrote:
It may be romantic tyo make love to convieve a child, that much is certain (it feels SO much differently for me now that we're trying to have a chile of our own), but I guess I just dont get why something that to me should remain between two people who love each other, to share that with a stranger (the photographer), and likely other later on. I can't help but think of the possible kid. You KNOW they're going to hear about this when they get older. Can you imagine ANYTHING more embarrasing than to have those photos brought out for any reason? Sheesh, I went on dates in High School and had the girl's parents pull out the "nakes baby on the rug" photos, and they girl wanted to crawl in a hole and just die from the ebbarrassment. Could you imagine the parents bring out conception photos at a time like that? I guess that's where I was coming from. I find nude couple shot good, if they're done artistically, this is just something I didn't want to be a part of. Actually, I can think of many more embarrasing things than a photograph of two people who love each other expressing those emotions in a way that's as old as humanity...but that's just me.
Photographer
studio36uk
Posts: 22898
Tavai, Sigave, Wallis and Futuna
Moraxian wrote: Aside from the fact that I find his idea revolting in that he'd be using a drug to make his wife more open to suggestion, there are other considerations, including the model release, which his wife would not be competent to sign if she were inebriated (or even tipsy...). If you can't pass a sobriety test, you can't sign the release. You EXPECTED to get a model release? Really? Somehow, I don't think that was the plan. ROTFLMAO Studio36
Photographer
studio36uk
Posts: 22898
Tavai, Sigave, Wallis and Futuna
PDXImaging wrote: Do they still make Olympia beer btw? No, the horse died. Studio36
Photographer
MediaVisual
Posts: 188
Orlando, Florida, US
Kristina Raquel wrote: WOW!! THATS NUTS! some people are just nuts...have nuts for brains, Im sorry that happened to you! Kristina Jeeezus Christ why dont you just offer him a breast to cry on,,,, Some people ARE nuts, And some actually have nuts! It's ok to stand by your personal moral standards, but dont judge someone elses. It's not nice,,It's NUTS.
Photographer
Vegas Alien
Posts: 1747
Armington, Illinois, US
That would be an interesting thing to take on. With the way I direct during a shoot and aptitude under the sheets myself, I'd surely bring new vibrancy to the couple's love life. I have a million ways I could continue at this point, but will elect to shut the hell up now. Anyhow, if you won't shoot it, they can fly me or one of the others out.
Photographer
Benjamen McGuire
Posts: 3991
Portland, Oregon, US
i guess it all depends on vision and intent. i'm looking at the sun streaking across my bed and thinking that 2 bodies wrapped up in a lovers embrace would be quite artistic. done in b&w with a big chunk of ice..... if it inspires you but makes you randy at the same time, is it art, porn, or ? i'm sure not all would agree on any one term.
Photographer
EdBPhotography
Posts: 7741
Torrance, California, US
p51 wrote: I just got the strangest e-mail ever from this site last night. Someone who saw my portfolio here is a model not logged in as a model. She and her husband are looking to have a baby, and THEY WANT PHOTOS OF THE CONCEPTION! Yes, that's right, they want someone to shoot them getting her pregnant! Crap, what kind of nut wants something like THAT? My wife and I are also trying for a baby (for several months now), but the last thing I'd want is to know someone was photographing the conception! What would they do, haul THOSE photos out with the family albums??? What the hell is wrong with some people? The strangest thing is they claim not have asked anyone else, that my nudes look, "Natural" and that's what they want. I have responded to them that they should look elsewhere in MM, as someone would do it, but I have to draw the line somewhere... (and before anyone asks, NO, I didn't keep thei e-mail address) HMMMMM...photograph the conception, or the birth...hmmmmmm
Model
Lapis
Posts: 8424
Chicago, Illinois, US
Ed Burns Photography wrote:
HMMMMM...photograph the conception, or the birth...hmmmmmm If you photograph the birth, you might accidentally take pictures of a nude baby.
Model
Jessica Loren
Posts: 516
Baltimore, Maryland, US
What if she doesn't conceive during the shoot? Will they want their money back? LOL Peggy
Photographer
David Bickley
Posts: 192
Washington, District of Columbia, US
I guess this is supposed to be a sensitive topic, but I just don't see why. Sex can be photographed and not be vulgar or pornographic. It's all in the approach, if you look at it like it's something indecent, then that's exactly what it will be. I think you should've taken the job, made it look like the beautiful event that it is...There was a face a former girlfriend of mine made the first time we were together...I've wished every day since that I could've captured it. You probably wouldn't pay attention to somehting like that though would you? You know, I even stopped writing this to take a look at your gallery to see if what I just said was at all correct....I now believe it even more firmly. I urge you not to proceed if you are a sensitive person. You take snapshots that just so happen to be of nude women. That my friend doesn't not make you a "fine-art" photographer, or a professional by any stretch of the imagination. As a matter of fact if I remember correctly, in order for Canon to consider you a pro, 80% of your income has to come from photography. You are entitled to your opinion, and I'm not going to sit here and say you are wrong for what you think. I just think it's unfortunate that you are and artist that is so closed minded. You won't photograph a nude baby...but you'll shoot young naked women. Maybe that makes sense to you, but I only see someone that can only justify a girl being nude....and nobody else. Yet, you seem to pay no attention to their form. This is so foreign of an idea to me that I just literally can't comprehend it. How can you pay no attention to the lines that have inspired every artist in the history of life except for you? I'm beginning to see how your opinion is possible. Sex is passionate, powerful, and vulnerable, all at once. Yet your eyes ignore that, you don't see how there is a response to every motion, and how each person fits like two pieces from a puzzle. It's simply an act to you, a vulgar, shameful, pornographic act....and reconsidering now...I'm glad you didn't shoot it, I don't think the photos would have been anything more than a meaningless series of snapshots. D
Photographer
p51
Posts: 163
Olympia, Washington, US
David Bickley wrote: I guess this is supposed to be a sensitive topic, but I just don't see why. Sex can be photographed and not be vulgar or pornographic. It's all in the approach, if you look at it like it's something indecent, then that's exactly what it will be. I think you should've taken the job, made it look like the beautiful event that it is...There was a face a former girlfriend of mine made the first time we were together...I've wished every day since that I could've captured it. You probably wouldn't pay attention to somehting like that though would you? You know, I even stopped writing this to take a look at your gallery to see if what I just said was at all correct....I now believe it even more firmly. I urge you not to proceed if you are a sensitive person. You take snapshots that just so happen to be of nude women. That my friend doesn't not make you a "fine-art" photographer, or a professional by any stretch of the imagination. As a matter of fact if I remember correctly, in order for Canon to consider you a pro, 80% of your income has to come from photography. You are entitled to your opinion, and I'm not going to sit here and say you are wrong for what you think. I just think it's unfortunate that you are and artist that is so closed minded. You won't photograph a nude baby...but you'll shoot young naked women. Maybe that makes sense to you, but I only see someone that can only justify a girl being nude....and nobody else. Yet, you seem to pay no attention to their form. This is so foreign of an idea to me that I just literally can't comprehend it. How can you pay no attention to the lines that have inspired every artist in the history of life except for you? I'm beginning to see how your opinion is possible. Sex is passionate, powerful, and vulnerable, all at once. Yet your eyes ignore that, you don't see how there is a response to every motion, and how each person fits like two pieces from a puzzle. It's simply an act to you, a vulgar, shameful, pornographic act....and reconsidering now...I'm glad you didn't shoot it, I don't think the photos would have been anything more than a meaningless series of snapshots. D Wow, I don't know what to more impressed with more; your comical attempt at pyschoanalysis; your horrendous grammar or your need to insult someone's work when your work doesn't show too much artistic merit itself. None of which were warranted. You CAN have an opinion without sounding like an ass and writing like one as well.
Photographer
Bob Helm Photography
Posts: 18916
Cherry Hill, New Jersey, US
So was your question Film or Digital? Bob
Photographer
p51
Posts: 163
Olympia, Washington, US
Robert Helm wrote: So was your question Film or Digital? Bob The format of the pictures had nothing to do with it. I was just wondering if it was just me, or were the people asking this out to lunch? The opinions are highly mixed, and for some odd reason, many are taking this WAY too seriously, and way to personally!
Photographer
Craig Thomson
Posts: 13462
Tacoma, Washington, US
p51 wrote:
The format of the pictures had nothing to do with it. I was just wondering if it was just me, or were the people asking this out to lunch? The opinions are highly mixed, and for some odd reason, many are taking this WAY too seriously, and way to personally! Meet them for coffee or lunch and follow your heart. I've had worse gigs, honest. If you're not up to this, I know some that are....
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