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Potential models in the workplace!
I know we've thrashed this out before but I wanted to see if the current thinking or opinions have changed? So the questions are... - Is it wrong to consider a shoot (non nude) with a colleague at work? - If it does spell danger, why? - What are the potential issues, problems that could occur? - How could this affect a person's career? Explain it to me like I'm a 10 year old! May 16 17 09:47 am Link I often have a problem finding models, yet I work at a college filled with potential models, many who would probably agree to try modeling if I asked, but I don't ask. I don't ask, because if I ask someone through work, it makes it a work related issue, and subjects me to problems with work which could include being fired. This is especially true if it's someone I'm viewed as having power over. I'm presumed to have power over all students, and all women. Even though the offer to a model may have nothing to do with work, they can argue it did. They can argue such a request constitutes workplace harassment or worse. I've seen men wrongly accused where I work and there's a presumption of guilt, not a presumption of innocence. It's assumed men have power over women and if accused, it's assumed they used this power wrongfully. The burden is on them to prove otherwise. Of course, in reality it's the group that can ruin someone's career or make their life hell without offering any real evidence that has power. For me, it's simply not worth the risk. May 16 17 10:09 am Link - Is it wrong to consider a shoot (non nude) with a colleague at work? There is nothing wrong with considering anything. - If it does spell danger, why? Each situation is different, how would we know? - What are the potential issues, problems that could occur? Possibly nothing, possibly everything Florida Man has ever done including eating somebody else's face. - How could this affect a person's career? Ask again if and when you are engaged in an unfavorable situation, which could include being married to your potential subject or worse. I did a nude shoot of a beautiful young lady who was a co-worker. There is an image from that shoot in my port. It was fun, we were and are friends, neither of us works there any more and nothing bad happened to either of us at all. She told me her Mom asked her if she had anything on and she said to Mom "Well, we had some lights on." Same workplace, a married couple worked there on different shifts and neither had a position of power over the other. Wife started screwing the Graveyard Shift Guy. Hubby went home one day, found them in his bed. The couple's 2 year old daughter was asleep in the next room. Hubby shattered his hand on Graveyard Shift Guy's face, Graveyard Shift Guy's face took the worst of it by far. He looked sort of like a hammered chicken. There were... ... some issues at work after this. If you see no problems go for it and let us know how it works out for you. May 16 17 10:10 am Link L o n d o n F o g wrote: you have a ball and you let jane play with the ball. sally in the same class, wonders why she can't play with your ball too. jack now thinks jane has a crush on you and is showing you her drawers in secret. May 16 17 10:11 am Link L o n d o n F o g wrote: Nope, you can do so and it's not wrong. May 16 17 10:15 am Link I haven't worked a day job in quite some time, but when I did I never asked anyone to model for me. If there was someone I was interested in, I'd just make it known what I do and sometimes they'd be the ones asking me.. Safer that way. May 16 17 10:39 am Link I have on four separate occasions. All four times I was approached by the subject and there was no problem. All of them shared the photos at work. Even two shoots where the photos were a bit sassy. Two of those women have come back several times over the last 9 to 12 years even though we no longer work together. This is one of the first sets I shot with one of them about 8 and a half or 9 years ago and she happily showed them around work.  This is a recent set from last year of the same woman for her husband on their wedding day.  I'm not saying that it's aways the smart move. In fact it could be a stupid ass idea depending on the situation. May 16 17 11:25 am Link I'm really not up to speed on differences in workplace rules between the US and the UK, but I suspect that you guys are a bit more relaxed about sexual harassment issues that we are. So, you probably have a better chance at getting by with asking than someone in the US would be. That said, my thought is that it would be common sense to ask only those potential models that you know, not just any great-looking woman walking down the aisle. Bottom line, it's risky. Think about your boss telling you that HR would like you to visit them, and getting some less-than-complementary comments placed in your file. Was it worth it? Especially when after all the dust settles, you didn't even get a chance to shoot her.  May 16 17 11:28 am Link No, the current thinking and opinions haven't changed . . . and, no, I'm not going to explain why . . . now, go upstairs and do your homework young man, or there'll be no supper for you . . .  Was that too much for a ten year old, or not in depth enough . . . I'm old as dirt, I kain't tell no mo' . . . SOS May 16 17 02:23 pm Link I would not touch them with a ten-foot pole!!!.  I don't even talk about my modeling photography at work place. It is not worth of the risk, but we are in U.S.A. My Secretary, confidant for last 8 year. She is tall, blonde, skinny and beautiful. I know that she did some photoshoot before, I would not even mention shooting her. Way to much risk at its stalk. The question is why bother. There are so many other beautiful models all around. If I do that, my lawyer or my wife will chop my dick off. Paying a model $500 an hour seems to be very cheap. One misstep, all they have to do is to report you to Dept of Labor. There goes your $10 grands even if you win in front of DOL. I am not even talking about if it ends up in court. It is sad, but this is reality If you are not poor but as as rich as Trump, you need to be careful. May 16 17 02:24 pm Link Hmmm, some very interesting responses here, especially about the differences (apparent or real) between how things are in the US and UK workplaces. I'm not saying for minute that I will ask the person at work to shoot with me as I can see the pitfalls and where any potential major problems could occur, but it's very interesting to see just how PC the US is compared to here. Jules and I have had this discussion many a time, both privately and on here so I truly respect her view and standpoint on this. She has been wonderful, kind and respectful but at the same time really made me see why it's bad idea so I really do understand why it could all go up in flames. That said I respect and appreciate everyone else's comments and views too. Have we really become so PC that it's not even possible to think of such a thing at work? Maybe in 10 years time US office workers will be segregated into male and female offices! May 16 17 03:26 pm Link I would say it is never a good idea to mix your hobby with your work. This is and has always been an invitation to disaster May 16 17 03:48 pm Link There will always be one who will go to HR and claim harassment. And rightfully so because in that one's view of the world, it can be considered harassment despite your true context and intent. So avoid running into that one. But gawd, there is one at work that needs to be in front of my camera. May 16 17 04:05 pm Link Can do you one better. Asked a coworker's wife to model for me. Worked fine. Then he asked to come along with her. I said only if you bring the cowboy hat and your twin 357s. It as awesome. :-) G Reese May 16 17 05:33 pm Link Do what you wish, but be prepared for any potential consequences. I've found it less stressful to not ask co-workers to model for me. That way I don't worry about some bull shit accusations. It's simpler that way. I've job hopped while young so much though, that I did make friends with a couple female co-workers who I maintained a friendship where they modeled for me after we were no longer working together. Now that I am my own boss, I don't have to worry about such things. May 16 17 11:40 pm Link It's got to a point where We are afraid to do just about anything. Ask outside of the workplace, keep it outside of the workplace. No problemo. May 17 17 03:59 am Link L o n d o n F o g wrote: I really appreciate what you said here, thank you very much. May 18 17 05:24 am Link Jules NYC wrote: I'm just easy all round! May 18 17 09:47 am Link L o n d o n F o g wrote: ha ha May 19 17 05:21 am Link I'm going to say it's not a great idea and could lead to problems in the future, so you should approach this with utmost caution, and you are best advised not to even go there, not to even think about going there. I have actually modelled naked for someone that I worked with on a few occasions, that person worked in the same building but a different department. Neither of us were very open in talking about what we did on our own time outside of work, and it's unlikely that many, if any, of our co-workers ever knew about that experience. However, it was a very conservative company and it's quite possible there would have been negative consequences should upper management have learned about what took place. More people were probably aware that person did photography and had a studio near where we worked, than there were people who knew that I was modelling for that photographer. One of my best girlfriends did the same thing, she posed naked for a man in her own department and nothing ever came of it, even though they had both openly discussed what they were doing at work. In that company, apparently nobody cared and it didn't make any difference. That has to be a very rare exception, but it could happen. Just because things worked out OK in the situations above, doesn't mean they will for you, or that they always will, and there's still the possibility that years later something could happen. I would still be very hesitant to openly talk about doing that sort of thing or to ask someone I only knew casually from work if I could model for them. May 19 17 10:42 am Link I thought about doing it but there's too much of a risk of drawing the attention of the HR department. In a perfect situation I'd discover that a coworker is already a part time model and they understand how things work. In reality if I asked coworker to model for me there's a risk they could take it the wrong way. Even if they thought it was a great idea there's a good chance they'll share the pics with every coworker. The wrong people will see the pictures and will start gossiping. The model and I would eventually have a meeting with HR for creating a situation. May 19 17 01:43 pm Link I have never thought this a problem. Maybe because I am not the photographer? I have found some great male models over the years who were part of the crew while working on production projects. They agreed to shoot with a friend of mine who I do hair and makeup for. I also approached a guy working at my Allstate agency when I stopped in to discuss my policy. He turned out to be a great model for us and he also now is a good hair client of mine along with his girlfriend. So from my perspective, no, I don't see anything wrong with it. R- May 19 17 03:31 pm Link I've done it. But then again, I've also hung out with, gotten beers with, or otherwise spent time with coworkers of both genders outside of work hours. I just treated it as another activity. I've also gotten turned down a few times, but we kept up the same cordial acquaintance afterwards. At the end of the day we're just people. On the other hand, I probably wouldn't walk up to someone who I had no prior acquaintance with and ask them out of the blue. That could get awkward. I guess I'm saying it's a judgment call. Edit: The reason for turning me down was always because they didn't think they looked good enough. In hindsight, it was probably because I still sucked pretty hard back then. May 20 17 02:07 pm Link The ones that like your images are potential models. May 21 17 09:35 am Link Jerry Nemeth wrote:
May 21 17 11:07 am Link Jerry Nemeth wrote: Probably explains my success rate in years past lol May 21 17 11:41 am Link Eros Fine Art Photo wrote: Think about it. A few female coworkers were very interested in my photos, even nudes. May 21 17 11:54 am Link I have not asked anyone at work about modelling but I have suggested it! The only reason I did is because she's my work wife and we have a very close platonic relationship. Unfortunately we are at opposite sides of the country, but if and when I go back to NJ for a visit I'll definitely try again. I've took pictures of her on the street when we have got together on past visits but not for studio work. I wouldn't ask anyone else from work though it's a sticky wicket, like other people have said. So many ways that these things could go wrong, although if it's outside of work I really don't see how HR could take action any way May 21 17 01:30 pm Link |
