BadmanPhotos

I had not thought to take up the offer of blogging on this site, as frankly I do not believe that my day to day life and what I get up to is that exciting to you lot. But today on this very site I had a comment posted against one of my pictures. Now what on earth would make me turn to bogging. Was it a bad comment, like crap photo, awful lighting… nope.
It started nice, complimenting the model, but then it stated that she would not be happy with her image posted to this site. So after the initial mild shock of being told off by another TOG, who obviously does not know said model as well as he thinks. As i mulled it over on the journey home couple of things on this flippant and rather silly tag against my image really started to annoy me. So I texted the model and asked her if she was ok with my post on AdultFolio.

The model, its Mellisa Tongue, A very, very lovely model who I have had the joy of working with for the last five years. We met when she arrived for a shoot I was art directing, not taking the images so I stood beside the camera as I was in fact the client. Mel was to play the heroine of the book to be represented on the cover sitting on the roof of a space temple on mars, in fact the book did so well we did a follow on which Mel also modelled for. She arrived on time to a now defunct studio in the centre of Oxford, we chatted as the professional photographer got the lights set up and we all discussed poses and costumes ( we used an old boiler suite in the end ). Thing is I have been involved in commercial photography for nearly twenty years, commissioning hundreds of shoots with more photographers and models than I can remember. But its only been in the last eight years that I have started in on taking my own images. Which means I have an extensive knowledge of how to work in this industry, and the ethics, ohhh sorry to mention that but frankly it is the core of my rant, oops sorry again blog. S meeting Mel I realised she is a real Pro, switched on and has a real lust for creating good images. Well two weeks later we have our first shoot and we have continued to this day to  work together.

I have seen the rise and fall of various model agencies, the domination of stock library’s over commissioned shoots. The shrinking of fees as my clients realise they can get the whole package, illustration, photography and design from just one person. More on that later, if you want. So for someone to tag me in an image an tell me off for putting it on a site she would not like. Really makes me very angry, I mean why do that, its up there for all to see, her face clear as day, and tagged with her name as well. So why, why would I do that if its going to piss her off, what possible reason is there. Also why put the tag there, the thing I would of done is just send a quick email to the model if I had spotted an image of her on a site I did not think she would like it being on. As really I don’t know what the agreement between her and the other person was, so how can I comment, for all I know its fine by them. And its there business not mine, ok its good to look out for models and if you see something thats not on or you believe the model would take offence of, report it. But I guess what I really would like to say is that I am always up front with all my models, I pay them the going rates for the levels they shoot to. Yes these do go higher than Mel’s, see Holly Kiss, Barbie Stroker, Arial Anderson and Zara Du Rose on my page. All of these models know where the images I take will be used, they were paid up front and told, I act in a professional manner. One in particular who has an alter ego that works to higher levels has no problem trusting me, we mixed up images for her and her higher levels. and to this day I respect her wishes, even though I think they are a bit daft.

Frankly to the TOG who thinks he is the white knight riding to save a ladies honour, your not. The same images I have of her are on my Model Mayhem account and on my Flckr page. Also I respect all the models I shoot with, I clear rights I inform them of what and where there image will be and I do not overstep my boundaries. As quite quickly  I would not find anyone to work with me.

I am open to comments, what do you guys think, do you lie to models and post images on sites that all an view?

I don’t.