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05-13-2012, 10:59 PM   #1
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What Wouldn't You Do As A Photographer?

All the controversy over on a certain thread got me to wondering. As a photographer what are your limits? Is there work you won't do? Just curious. I'm pretty open minded myself, as you all have probably figured out by now. Short of actually shooting a completely XXX shoot or XXX movie with all the money shots I'd probably be okay with a lot of things. I don't have a problem with boudoir work or nudes. I've done portfolio work for people who were buck naked, wanna be nude models, sex workers, et all. I don't actually embarrass that easily so long as it's not me in front of the camera and I don't actually have to photograph people having sex. I really don't like the idea of shooting weddings. I definitely won't shoot a bunch of flaming bigots waving a rebel flag, and if I have to shoot a guy nude he has to bring his wife or lover or whoever. I don't shoot men unchaperoned. I wouldn't shoot kids etc in sexy situations or sans parents. I've done some pageant kids but only in pretty modest dress. I have my limits as to what I'd want to see in that direction. I don't care what they do on TV these days. Oh and I don't care how much they would pay me I won't take shots of unwary celebs for a living.

Can't think of anything else at the moment....

05-13-2012, 11:40 PM - 1 Like   #2
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I object to shooting vagrants and people in third word countries for art rather than raising awareness.
Its a fine line I know but something I couldn't do unless there is something in it for the subject.
05-14-2012, 12:28 AM   #3
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I mostly agree with you, magkelly, with the caveat that I would at least try most of those things once or twice. I wouldn't want to make a living shooting e.g. weddings or photoshopping models to unnatural body shapes for magazines, but it would be interesting to know how to do both of those things to apply the experience elsewhere.

No problem shooting nude guys, though.
05-14-2012, 03:34 AM - 1 Like   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tonto Quote
I object to shooting vagrants and people in third word countries for art rather than raising awareness.
Its a fine line I know but something I couldn't do unless there is something in it for the subject.
Interesting. I like shooting people in street / candid shots. Human interest is very important for me. It is inconceivable that I could walk through a market in an African town and not want to capture the hubbub of action, or totally ignore homeless people in an American city, where they form part of the fabric of street life. If people are doing something interesting I am not going to treat these subjects any differently becuase they are from a third world country or are homeless.

OTOH I'm not going to go around shooting such people like animals at a safari park to the exclusion of other people. I would be as courteous to them as I would anyone else. I am distressed when photographers think it's acceptable - laudable even - to just take lots of shots of poor people or homeless people photographed as objects of pity. And because it is easier perhaps, for people with a certain mindset, to ignore their discomfort at having their privacy invaded.

I can think of one photographer who entered a shot of a couple of Vietnamese street kids into a photography competition on another forum. The kids did not seem happy to be photographed. They were clearly in a dire situation. There was no real photographic merit to the shot or message apart from 'pity'. To me, the photographer had some skewed and misguided sense that he was taking a sort of 'National Geographic' photo, but in fact it came over as exploitative.

What wouldn't I shoot? 16 year old girls wanting 'titty shots' for their 'portfolio'. I'm sure there are plenty of other photographers only too happy to oblige though.


Last edited by ihasa; 05-14-2012 at 03:40 AM.
05-14-2012, 05:04 AM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by ihasa Quote

OTOH I'm not going to go around shooting such people like animals at a safari park to the exclusion of other people. I would be as courteous to them as I would anyone else. I am distressed when photographers think it's acceptable - laudable even - to just take lots of shots of poor people or homeless people photographed as objects of pity. And because it is easier perhaps, for people with a certain mindset, to ignore their discomfort at having their privacy invaded.

I can think of one photographer who entered a shot of a couple of Vietnamese street kids into a photography competition on another forum. The kids did not seem happy to be photographed. They were clearly in a dire situation. There was no real photographic merit to the shot or message apart from 'pity'. To me, the photographer had some skewed and misguided sense that he was taking a sort of 'National Geographic' photo, but in fact it came over as exploitative.
Thats what I was getting at, I actually want to do more street photography so got me thinking where do I draw my line? Haven't thought about this before...
05-14-2012, 05:38 AM   #6
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I'll shoot most things, weddings are very very very low on my list though. As for the XXX thing, I was asked by a friend running a gay porn mag if i wanted to shoot for him, I declined more because i didn't have the lighting and he wasn't paying enough for me to invest in it. If I had the lights I may have done it (not really my thing being a middle aged straight guy)
05-14-2012, 06:00 AM   #7
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I mostly agree with Mag.......I love to shoot my girls modeling, but never had any interest in shooting them naked. Plenty of people do that, and some quite nicely, but it isn't my thing. Shooting naked children can get you shot....by Rupert if he has the opportunity. Children are to play with toy trucks and dolls....not to be used for any purpose of perversion.

Otherwise, about along the lines of Mags viewpoint. I'm not into gory stuff either, although I have been asked to photograph some of the Devil Squirrels victims, I have always refused. I guess my low point in shooting has been the few times I have agreed to do some Pin-Up shots for Otis of naked Squirrels.........I'm not proud of it, but Otis was!
[IMG] [/IMG]

I once did a shoot for Otis' dad, Festus, that was on the cover of Manly Squirrel Monthly, but I won't do that again. He wasn't gay, of course, not that there is anything wrong with that....... I just felt sort of "inadequate" after the shoot......
[IMG] [/IMG]

Regards!

05-14-2012, 06:16 AM   #8
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I could almost write a book about this one...

In the late 90's I accidently came across a type of historic (yet also current) publishing icon; which shall remain unnamed. I happened to have a somewhat small version of my portfolio onhand. I "informally" introduced myself, my business card, and offered food and a drink - my tab. He took on the offer; which I didn't really expect.

Based on some twenty pics (or so) I was presented a career offer.

I tectfully and respectfully turned it down, yet he still insisted at giving me a tour or the place at a later time. A few members of his senior staff almost had me sold on the idea. But due to my future marriage plans I turned down an offer to work as a professional photographer in an adult oriented type of publication.

I've since gotten divorced. Perhaps I should tactfuly reconsider the offer.
05-14-2012, 06:28 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by Medium FormatPro Quote
I could almost write a book about this one...

In the late 90's I accidently came across a type of historic (yet also current) publishing icon; which shall remain unnamed. I happened to have a somewhat small version of my portfolio onhand. I "informally" introduced myself, my business card, and offered food and a drink - my tab. He took on the offer; which I didn't really expect.

Based on some twenty pics (or so) I was presented a career offer.

I tectfully and respectfully turned it down, yet he still insisted at giving me a tour or the place at a later time. A few members of his senior staff almost had me sold on the idea. But due to my future marriage plans I turned down an offer to work as a professional photographer in an adult oriented type of publication.

I've since gotten divorced. Perhaps I should tactfuly reconsider the offer.
I see it as the right choice anyhow. There is a ton of beauty in this world, and I've never seen and "perversion" that rivals the beauty of nature and the joy people shooting can bring when they are clothed and caught at the right moment.
Years ago, I got tangled up with the Squirrels, said yes instead of no, and have been feeding and shooting them at great expense ever since. Once you go down that path, you can't go back. Easy to see what it has done to my shooting career.....no matter what else I get, I am forever known as the "Squirrel Guy". You wouldn't want to be known as the "Perverted Guy"....would you?
Regards!
05-14-2012, 06:35 AM   #10
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I don't shoot porn or gratuitous nudes... if you can't make a person look sexy with thier clothes on, don't even bother trying with the clothes off, because you're just another amateur pornographer..
I don't shoot stick people or anybody else that looks like they are killing/harming themselves just to get modelling jobs, for commercial work.
I never work for free... "**** you pay me" is the response to anybody that asks. Think it's wrong? ask them to do thier jobs for free and see what they tell you! (and don't give me any bs about volunteering for a good cause...if that good cause wants to buy $10,000.00 worth of equipment THEN ask me to volunteer to do a shoot, fine I'll consider offering my time, if I believe in the cause...).

Last edited by D0n; 05-14-2012 at 06:43 AM.
05-14-2012, 07:43 AM   #11
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Basically, there's some fairly obvious ones: exploitive porn's right out, and I wouldn't do like celebrity spy shots or other personal-privacy invasions.

And it's mostly just cause the stress is too much for my health, but I've about sworn off big weddings. For pay, anyway. (Less a matter of principle than practivality, that way)
05-14-2012, 08:01 AM   #12
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The thing I most certainly will never do as a photographer is make any money.

Seriously, I'm with RML regarding the porn and privacy stuff. I'm actually not comfortable shooting people at all.

Last edited by Parallax; 05-14-2012 at 08:12 AM.
05-14-2012, 08:34 AM - 1 Like   #13
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I absolutely won't shoot weddings or murders. Landscapes can be pretty boring too.
05-14-2012, 11:02 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by ihasa Quote
OTOH I'm not going to go around shooting such people like animals at a safari park to the exclusion of other people. I would be as courteous to them as I would anyone else. I am distressed when photographers think it's acceptable - laudable even - to just take lots of shots of poor people or homeless people photographed as objects of pity. And because it is easier perhaps, for people with a certain mindset, to ignore their discomfort at having their privacy invaded.
Living in a third world country, I can't help but shoot third world people. But I do not photograph homeless people. For most of us, the street is a public place: we go out of our homes with an expectation of having to interact with other people, while obviously they don't have that choice. That is, it is precisely the privacy aspect that prevents me from taking pictures of them.

Also, it seems just too easy to use their superficial strangeness (them being clothed differently and behaving outside the norm) as a photographic crutch. IMHO, there is much more merit in taking an interesting photograph of someone "normal" (as expected from society).
05-14-2012, 11:06 AM   #15
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I guess I should clarify something. My idea of nudes and boudoir photography includes covered genitals most of the time, including nipples. Even when I do nudes I don't do full frontal stuff, at least not without a layer of fabric obscuring certain things a bit. That's the difference to me between XXX and art. I'm not against XXX work per se, but I'm not really comfortable with doing that. I've been asked and I've edited, cropped, and added text to XXX box covers sans blushing. But dealing with live people, shooting people having sex of any kind, either with themselves or with others is a whole other thing from shooting a soccer Mom in her nicest undies as an anniversary present for her spouse. There are boudoir photographers out there who take it a lot farther than I ever will. I don't judge but I do know my comfort level. I do like a bit of burlesque work now and again though. It's fun. It just depends upon how far it goes.

I've always had a fascination with naughty undies and such though. It comes from my love of vintage pin ups, old Hollywood portraits. But I'm far more Victoria's Secret kind of gal than a Fredrick's of Hollywood one. I tend to like classy stuff like corsets and silk nighties, not tacky crotchless hooker underwear. I've been known to make faces and decline when people ask me to photograph them in stuff like that and I absolutely will turn anyone who wants me to shoot certain acts down flat. Their call, but if they absolutely insist they'll need to find another photographer...
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