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Photographer threatens to "ruin" a model
A model with whom I've worked with frequently (I paid her model fee for casual, fashion, and nude) over the past several years told me this during our last shoot. She was DM-ed by a photographer through her IG page. He did not follow her nor any of her connections. He wanted to shoot boudoir and nude. She told him she only did paid work, especially for nudes. He responded that he did not pay models and he would only give her a couple of images from the shoot. She said no thanks, and again stated she only did paid work for nudes. It seems he got belligerent (my word) and said he would "ruin" her because she wanted to be paid for a shoot. I'm curious if any models have had similar experiences and how you handled them. Jul 29 22 06:54 am Link Many of the fake agents that I've seen will pull that shit. They can't get the model/talent a gig to begin with but claim they'll destroy their career. Hell, the model's career would only be destroyed by actually going along with the fake agent. Here in LV we have a 'blacklist' that can be found in a private Facebook group. There's been at least a couple of instances reported that are similar to the example you've stated, but for the most part the reports are about photographers that try to get touchy feely and people that don't fulfill their part of the bargain (ie: models that flake and photographers that don't give images that they were supposed to). Jul 29 22 08:10 am Link Couldn't she simply screen shot the messages and share them on all her social media accounts? If so he would be the one to get ruined. Jul 29 22 10:31 am Link People being treated as if guilty based on unproven accusations can be a problem, but I doubt his Instagram influence and other influence is extensive enough to have any notable impact on her. Most accusation black lists I’ve seen or heard of that have listed photographers, not models and even those only reach a limited audience, and even then it doesn’t mean readers of such a list will refuse to work with anyone on the list. I can’t image MM would drop a model based on a single accusation made by a photographer via another venue and I certainly can’t imagine any modeling agency dropping a model based on an unproven allegation from an Instagram correspondence. Unless this photographer is incredibly well connected, I don’t see how get can generate enough negative propaganda to have any notable influence on her ability to book shoots. Aug 06 22 07:20 am Link Don't see much this out here in the sticks. To do something like this to anybody would endanger your health. LOL I've had models tell me of a bad experience, but for some strange reason wouldn't supply a name. Aug 06 22 08:12 am Link If the photographer concerned doesn't want to pay, then he's not for real. Money talks; bullshit walks. Models, like most other professional people are used to being paid for their time. The fact that someone offers to pay a model does not necessarily always mean that they intend to do so, or that they have a genuine interest in photography. But a "photographer" who flatly refuses from the outset, to pay the model anything is likely to be either a cheap bum or a woman-hating jerk. If they then go on to threaten the model, then they have a serious problem and it would be advisible to report them to site admin and/or law enforcement. Such people do not have to be tolerated in the modelling scene or in any other context other than a correctional facility or a mental hospital. Aug 11 22 04:17 am Link Photographer Posts: 67 Neumayer - permanent station of Germany, Sector claimed by Norway, Antarctica In my experience, those who threaten to ruin someone else's career have no power to do so. Typically it's just a nobody who has no real reputation of their own anyway. They have no platform. Anyone who has met them already knows they are an asshole, so their word means nothing. Models are best to just block them on every platform and move on. Don't respond - just walk away. Aug 11 22 01:45 pm Link MoRina wrote: The correct response is to report them to site admin, and if the threats are serious enough, law enforcement authorities because in some cases, these people are dangerous. Aug 11 22 03:55 pm Link Photographer Posts: 67 Neumayer - permanent station of Germany, Sector claimed by Norway, Antarctica JSouthworth wrote: I guarantee you that there are no admins on Instagram or any other site that have any power to do anything. And law enforcement? Ha. They have no jurisdiction to handle vague threats of blacklisting. It's funny that you actually think somebody would do anything about it. Aug 11 22 05:20 pm Link MoRina wrote: Instagram isn't specifically a model photography site, so they might not regard the problems of the model photography scene as being their responsibility, but even so they are responsible for what happens on their site. Aug 12 22 02:24 am Link David A Reichel wrote: Yup. Aug 16 22 06:23 pm Link JSouthworth wrote: Nope. We're just a bunch of hos who deserve what we have coming for being "in the profession" anyway. Aug 16 22 06:26 pm Link
Post hidden on Aug 20, 2022 01:43 pm
Reason: violates rules Comments: Take some time off Aug 19 22 02:54 am Link JSouthworth wrote: Excuse me? Aug 19 22 08:41 am Link JSouthworth wrote: WTF? Aug 20 22 02:58 am Link This is single handedly my biggest fear with this hobby, photographers that want to abuse their power and feel like they can manipulate someone into doing something they don't want to. It happens and friends of mine have told me horror stories they've experienced, specially when shooting nudity. The only solution I feel is that they should be called out about it and have everyone know how predatory they are! Aug 20 22 07:25 am Link LightDreams wrote: Hooking aside, I wonder how they got to "cheap".. Aug 20 22 08:28 pm Link A hobby tog has no power to ruin anything. No no than 4yr old stomping his feet...need to learn how to read BS Aug 20 22 08:46 pm Link Dea and the Beast wrote: He missed the context. Typical. Dea and the Beast wrote: Someday, I hope, we will work together, but I think more time will be spent with me listening to your stories and learning from your experience, than we will spend working. Aug 21 22 08:01 am Link I've been threated and insulted in various (pointless and stupid) ways in the past, generally after turning down trade shoots or responding to a trade requests by sending rates. Sometimes, photographers online will just insult you for no reason, or send "backhanded" commentary simply because they have sad lives and low self esteem. From about 2007-2012, multiple people said things to the effect of, "If you ever decide to get a breast augmentation, let me know, because I'd love to shoot with you." That one was pretty common back in the day, but became rare once the Body Positivity movement began to infiltrate modeling communities. Insults and bizarre interactions used to happen with some regularity. I simply ignored it, blocked people when necessary and turned over some messages to MM admins due to the unsettling nature of a few messages I received over the years. People are blowhards; narcissism and mental illness is unfortunately commonplace in our world. In 2019, I was approached by an MM member who requested to follow me on Facebook. He sent me a Facebook message inquiring about a trade shoot, once I moved back to North Carolina from Los Angeles. I expressed that I was an experienced, published model and quoted him rates. He responded something to the effect of, "The only place models like you are published are on bathroom walls." This member may still be on MM. I have no idea, as I blocked him across social media. For the record, my modeling work can now be found in hardcover at your local Barnes and Noble, and has been on walls in businesses, galleries and homes. It's literally possible that I'm on someone's bathroom wall, though not in the context he imagined. The above mentioned experiences were negative, but relatively innocent, compared to other things that happened over the years. In about 2011 or so, a model with whom I posed frequently, for duo shoots, started to received threatening letters in the mail. They were printed out photos of her, and sometimes us both together, with aggressive and violent language written across the images. There were threats in the letters, which she turned over to the police. It was frightening, since the harasser clearly knew the address at which the model lived. The police could do very little, since no physical harm was being done. Nothing violent ever happened, but that model moved house soon after, if I remember correctly. Aug 21 22 04:03 pm Link Hunter GWPB wrote: Come on down, the water is fine Aug 21 22 05:26 pm Link Dea and the Beast wrote: My apologies, I somehow overlooked the fact that you're a model not a photographer. I don't have any real excuse for that, I must have just gotten lost in my own train of thought. Aug 28 22 04:20 am Link Alexandra Vincent wrote: I've heard the horror stories over the years, I'm so sorry this happens, it saddens me to see that showing models the slightest bit of kindness (e.g. snacks, covering transportation/parking costs) comes as a huge surprise to them. I mean, this should be norm. Sending rates is not an insult, it's often happened to me, but one can just say "thank you, I'll keep it in mind" and move on (or not, no shame in paying a model). Treat cancellations with empathy and re-booking becomes a real possibility. I've also been stood up/ghosted countless times, my send-off text is "hope you're OK" and that's that, I'll go watch a movie or something. Aug 28 22 11:27 am Link Not a photographer, just one of the bitter loosers the internet enables. Aug 29 22 03:20 am Link JSouthworth wrote: Somehow you believe that makes it better?? Take your insults and your pathetic back pedal here and take a good hard look at your own "work". Then tell me again what *I* look like. Aug 29 22 03:33 am Link Dea and the Beast wrote: You may have a point, it was a careless mistake on my part. But if I told you that I confused you with someone else in another thread, it wouldn't be true and you probably wouldn't believe me anyway. Aug 29 22 04:18 am Link JSouthworth wrote: Obviously you don't know who you're messing with . . . best to keep your ignorance and your stupid comments to yourself. Aug 30 22 01:22 pm Link Ken Marcus Studios wrote: Trust me when I tell you that I have no intention of messing with anyone. As I've already explained, it was an oversight, nothing more than that. Aug 31 22 05:16 am Link JSouthworth wrote: Are you still here? Aug 31 22 08:36 am Link Mark Salo wrote: What do you think? Sep 01 22 04:12 am Link JSouthworth wrote: It was not an oversight. It was a rude and obnoxious comment. You should accept responsibility, make a contrite and unequivocal apology and stop trying to make excuses. Sep 01 22 07:11 am Link Redacted Sep 01 22 02:06 pm Link 1) You probably won't get him to change. 2) Do other photographers agree with you? Why don't you start an educational group for models? Sep 02 22 04:19 am Link Garry k wrote: I can't see that meeting going well... As a side note, I should be clear that while I'm in Vancouver, I'm not involved with fashion shows so I doubt that I know the photographer involved. Sep 02 22 09:46 am Link Mark Salo wrote: Yes - I doubt it Sep 02 22 06:54 pm Link LightDreams wrote: Yes Probably Sep 02 22 06:55 pm Link MoRina wrote: It's the bad side of humanity that has me rooting for the robots in the Terminator franchise! Sep 07 22 09:26 am Link Two of the three so called 'photographers/agents' that claimed they were going to ruin me are now sitting in prison, one sentenced to 898 years.. (separate crimes, i don't think they know each other). The third one is currently homeless after he was ordered by the state to move out of his mommy's place because he was a danger to the residents.. Sep 07 22 01:25 pm Link One time i did not do what I intended, so I threatened to ruin my own career and I followed through. Sep 07 22 03:58 pm Link MoRina wrote: Contact the police? For what? At best you have a civil dispute.... Police have jurisdiction over criminal matters, and this would get about as much attention from any officer as a female saying she didn't get a part in a movie. Sep 10 22 10:48 am Link |