DanaColePix wrote:
I was robbed also but they got away with the stuff they took from me, bastards...

Wow, I would have been devastated.  The way things are now I can't afford to replace what they nearly got away with.  I forgot to mention I had my 17-35mm f2.8 mounted on the D700.  The D70 was just the body with a battery grip.

My wife told me that our home owners insurance would have covered it.  She called and asked.

Tony Lawrence wrote:
Its not too late to speak to the police and would strongly suggest you do.

This. Although with no evidence....

I would, however, double check my insurance coverage.

Kendra from Canada wrote:
cancel the cheque....and when you advise the model that you did, tell her your professional relationship is over....don't trust her ever again, she knows damn well what type of boyfriend she has!!

If she puts up a fuss, ask her what her boyfriend and the mom's names are so you can report the incident to the police.  Then get a house alarm, they will be back!!

Bill. Kendra is on point.   Cancel the check.   Tell the model why.   By allowing this to go unpunished you are almost saying it was fine expect, haha , I caught you.   If the model had a ounce of decency she would have returned your check and broke up with her criminal BF.   Women know their men.   There is also a chance he may return when you are not home.   Crap like this is part of why, I don't want escorts in my place.   He's not even smart.   Did he not think you'd not miss two cameras.   Call the cops.

Tony Lawrence wrote:
Bill you are better then me.   I would have called the police.   Had him arrested and canceled the check.   Odds are he'll do it again as there were no consequences.   Maybe the model didn't know about her BF but she not you is responsible for him.   He's free to rip other shooters off and maybe the next person won't notice until they have left.   Its not too late to speak to the police and would strongly suggest you do.

+1 you should have called the police. They would have performed a comprehensive search of his car, found any equipment you missed.

They would have searched his house, and found any other photographer's equipment he had stolen.

And of course they would try to dissuade him from doing it again.

O b s c u r a L L C wrote:

This. Although with no evidence....

I would, however, double check my insurance coverage.

He's the evidence.   He checked the car and found his cameras.   Unless they can fly or walk somebody took them.   My suspicion would be that all three were in on it.

Yani S wrote:
That beyond sucks!!!
But why in the world would they let you search their car knowing dam well they had your goods?

Cause they got caught with their pants down!!
dumb criminals!!!

Kendra from Canada wrote:
cancel the cheque....and when you advise the model that you did, tell her your professional relationship is over....don't trust her ever again, she knows damn well what type of boyfriend she has!!

If she puts up a fuss, ask her what her boyfriend and the mom's names are so you can report the incident to the police.  Then get a house alarm, they will be back!!
(hope you got the licence plate in case anything further happens)

exactly this!

I would have called the police and had all three of them arrested and let the police work it out.

And yes... it wouldn't surprise me if they come back. (buy a 9mm)


...and given the type of person the BF is, what does that say about the model? not much. People associate themselves with their own kind (and breed more of them)

Edit: just another reason I don't allow llama herders. I've had issues with them in the past.

GCobb Photography wrote:
She knew what the others were doing.  The police will have a report on file if you man up and go, and you never know how many others may have had this happen, or if they've already been busted.  You came across to them as a complete pushover or worse since you wouldn't even confront them about it. 

Do the right thing and go to the police and file charges.

+1

Yani S wrote:
That beyond sucks!!!
But why in the world would they let you search their car knowing dam well they had your goods?

Oh I was really pissed off - and being pretty big guy - he had no choice.  I have yet to meet a boyfriend who wasn't afraid of me, at least at first, lol

GCobb Photography wrote:
She knew what the others were doing.  The police will have a report on file if you man up and go, and you never know how many others may have had this happen, or if they've already been busted.  You came across to them as a complete pushover or worse since you wouldn't even confront them about it. 

Do the right thing and go to the police and file charges.

She had just started dating this guy.  Like I said, I've worked with this girl many many times in the past. And I damn sure confronted them.  Her boyfriend was literally pissing his pants he was so scared of me.

MnPhoto wrote:
No outing, you say?

I meant it's against the rules to do it publicly in the forums here.

Anyone who sends me a PM will get her MM link.

Bill Tracy Photography wrote:

She had just started dating this guy.  Like I said, I've worked with this girl many many times in the past. And I damn sure confronted them.  Her boyfriend was literally pissing his pants he was so scared of me.

send a PM of whom please

GCobb Photography wrote:
She is guilty by association.  If she hasn't blown up your phone with apologies by now I'd write her off too.

Yeah she has.  She was hysterically crying and punching the boyfriend, so I'm pretty sure she had no clue that he had this planned, and she's told me she's already dumped him now.

Rollo David Snook wrote:
There's no way to tell from what we've heard, but I'm inclined to assume this was a distraction burglary. The llama was the distraction and the burglars her escorts. It also might have been planned, not an opportunist activity. I say this because his mother came too. What boyfriend would bring their mother to watch her daughter posing for fetish/BDSM. There's no way to tell, but it seems like a planned distraction burglary. While I would love to see a girlfriend tied up, I would pass on having my mother present. With that in mind, I think it is definitely worth reporting, you don't know what will happen in future.

One question on my mind. Who was the driver?

It was an epic fail on their part and a godsend on yours.

I didn't think this was planned.  I think he spotted gold and grabbed it.  She was living with her boyfriend at his mother's house, and she was their ride - it was her SUV.

George Ruge wrote:
If that were to happen to me, they would have had a gun in their faces and held till my buddies on the PD got here to take them into custody. I don't allow anyone I don't know into my house without my little friend in my pocket.

Exactly and my friend  is not little

Bill Tracy Photography wrote:
This just happened yesterday.  A model I have worked with many times was here for a video shoot.  I film various non-nude fetish videos.  This time she brought her new boyfriend and his Mom.  Apparently she doesn't get along with her real Mom so they took her in.

They all come in and down to my finished basement where I do all of my video work, as it's quiet and far away from my African Grey parrot upstairs.  I do my photography in my living room which has been converted into my studio space.

At one point during the shoot they ask if they can go out to their car to get cigarettes and have a smoke outside, and so they leave and do that.  They come back after a while and return to my basement.  After the shoot is over we gather all the models stuff and head upstairs.  The Mom and her son go to the car while the model stays behind to sign the release, get her check, and I need to take a photo of her holding her I.D., the release form and the check I'm paying her with.  But guess what, I can't find my D700 that was right on the piano in my living room.  I knew for a fact it was there, and it's nowhere to be found.  I come to the conclusion that I need to search their car, which I tell the model, and we both go outside and I start tearing the car apart in a rage - lol

I first find my old D70, which i didn't know was missing, so now I know for sure the D700 is here somewhere, and sure enough, the boyfriend was reluctant to get out of the front passenger seat of their small SUV as that revealed my D700 on the floor behind his feet and tucked under the seat somewhat.

I'm a very calm and forgiving person, so perhaps stupidly I didn't call the police.  I was a pretty bad kid in my day and did much worse, so I just told them to leave.

So I guess I'm now one of the photographers that does not allow escorts in my house.  They can come with, but they have to stay outside in the car - maybe go see a movie, shop at Walmart, etc etc - anything but come into my home.  I did scan my house and did somewhat of an inventory and nothing else seems to be missing, plus I did tear that car apart really well and found nothing else.

I know it's against the rules to out people in the public forums, so if anyone in my area wants to know who this model is they can message me privately.  Although I honestly don't think the model knew he was going to do that as I have worked with her many times, but I do think the boyfriend's mother knew, as she left with him and a D700 with a D70 is pretty hard not to spot if someone is carrying them.  Plus the fact that I found the D70 in the back and then the D700 in the front makes me think she was carrying the D70.

Girls who bring boyfriends or mommies to photoshoots are rank amateurs. Those people are part of their personal lives, not their business lives, so there's a major issue which should be addressed before a shoot.
If you really want to do something about what happened to you, go and leave her a PM on her page about the behavior of her "escorts," or as suggested earleir, make a police report.

Bill Tracy Photography wrote:

Yeah she has.  She was hysterically crying and punching the boyfriend, so I'm pretty sure she had no clue that he had this planned, and she's told me she's already dumped him now.

Or, she was mad that he got them caught, and it'll mess up future work/opportunities to steal.
Or maybe I am just too cynical today...