Gone swimmin' CJ and me cooling off...

[eselby]

A few summers ago, I was out in the woods with these two lovely models working on my Naiads project.

The models were very much at ease with their nudity - as comfortable frolicing nude in the cold North Georgia mountain water as they would have been in clubbing clothes. They were, frankly, two of the most fun models I've ever worked with. I have some very humorous out-takes from the day.

I posted one of those out-takes (I believe on this very board) - the two of them giving my bare-chested body a big hug. It was an innocent image of a photographer and his muses. At least I thought it was innocent.

I got blasted. Oh man, did I get blasted! I had models emailing me and posting to me that I had demeaned glamour and figure models. I had photographers email me and tell me that it was very disrespectful and irresponsible to post the shot - that it made all photographers look like dirty old (fat and bald) men who just wanted to get next to naked girls.

No offense Jeff - but the images of you and your models are considerably more "racy" than the one I posted of a naked Terry and Bonnie giving me a hug.

So, an informal poll - while we probably all agree that these shots are really just all in fun, are they really appropriate for such a public forum as this? Do the images "hurt" us (models and photographers)?

[grsphoto]

I was taught and I teach that a photographers should never touch a model.

The only thing I have to market is my reputation ...if I get know as a "toucher" I will have trouble find models to work with me.

I haven't seen the shot, but from what you describe I doubt if I would post it ...let alone let it have been taken.

as always these are just my personal views.

grs

[G_Roux]

the perfect caption! Thanks for a laugh.
best wishes,
gus

[JeffBlack]

I guess that is a good point. Sometimes harmless fun can be misconstrued, CJ thought it was funny as I did too. Never thought it would be offensive to somebody.

[mphunt]

..

[srwatters]

Would it be different if it was a picture with a friend? A girlfriend? A spouse? Do we know that they aren't personal friends? I have a model or two that I consider 'friends', maybe not so close as to take a skinny dip with, but friends that might share a hug and peck on the cheek at the end of a shoot. Is that over the line? Is it the fact the image was made or that it was shared that is the problem? Or is the issue that the event even happened that is 'wrong'?

We make images of beautiful women often in little or no clothing. It's a fact. A byproduct of that will be interaction between model and photographer. The comfort level that exists for each and every observer will differ. Earlier this summer there was a big hoopla over a GG favorite model's pursuit of nude modeling in a famous magazine. There were extremely polar opinions on that issue relating to photographer/model interaction as well. Although not physical, there was interaction none the less.

She certainly doesn't look coerced or unhappy in any way from what I can see. Given the accompanying text, I would deem this a completely harmless image. YMMV.

"That's my story and I'm stickin' to it"

[Al_Nowak]

The audience for this forum may be a lot larger than just glamour shooters and models who pose nude. The message the images sends isn't a particularly good one.

Hey, have fun, you are consenting adults, but take a moment to consider the possible repercussions on others when you post images like those on a forum.

[JeffBlack]

Ed I do hear where you are coming from, but 1458 views and 26 replies later...seems I didn't do too much to dimish the glamour photography world. I will however, think about posts like this in the future, the good news is that I skated past this one.

[Miroslav]

Good to be a photographer [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]