Men shooting female clients

<p>I am about to shoot my first paid boudoir session. The client wants to do it in a hotel room since I don't yet have a studio and it's a nice room with some great furniture and locations. I have not met her in person yet but plan to prior to the shoot. We have exchanged ideas via email and she's been very enthusiastic.<br>

My girl friend would like me to have someone else present. I have told the client she is welcome to bring anyone she wants. She responded that she would rather not as it would be a distraction. My girl friend does not want to attend herself. I could propose bringing a female assistant and have a friend who might be able to do it but at this point I suspect the client is assuming it will be just the two of us. I am ok shooting her alone but was wondering what other photographers do in situations like this. Do you insist on someone else being present, use an audio recorder in case there are accusations later? I would not feel right video taping the shoot but I could see secretly having an audio recording going on. The odds are extremely slim but if the woman later accused you of something and you had no one else present then an audio recording might save your butt.<br>

I haven't worried about it in the past when shooting women even alone in my home but maybe that is foolish. Wondering how others handle this?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Personally, I think you'd be wise to have another female there or something. It troubles me greatly that society is like that but all she has to do is say 'he .....'d me when we were alone in the room' and you are in for a world of hurt.</p>

<p>"Secretly Recording" = Very Bad Idea (and possibly illegal under many jurisdictions). Be up front with her about why you prefer having a third party present - ideally female - and ask her if she can understand why, if that's not possible, you ask if she minds a low-res video with a super wide angle lens from the corner of the room, for reference. Tell her you'd happily sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement committing to never allowing that recording to be made public outside of legal proceedings, and that you would happily dump the file from that camera onto a thumb drive for her to also take home - she might even find it entertaining, later. Or, her own significant other, on seeing the results of the shoot, might have some nerves soothed by watching a behind the scenes bit, later. Keep it light, but professional.</p>

<p>What if later on, a hacker hacks into your computer and obtains a copy of that video, or somehow the recording terminates prematurely before the session ends .... You don't want a distraction to check the status of the video recording during the photo session.<br>

<br />It maybe best to have your girlfriend there or one of her or your mutual female friend present. Let your client know in advance and introduce the woman as your "assistant."</p>

<p>Some photographer's have a make up artist/set up assistant present which serves the dual function of that job and as the chaperone/witness. It is disarming as they have a photographic function to serve other than awkwardly hovering around. They also tell the client rather than tip toeing around it which invites discussion the client to feel awkward about it. There is a psychology of acceptance when a professional just does stuff in a professional matter of fact way rather than being all wishy washy about it. If you aren't confident about it, how is anyone else going to be?<br /><br />Secret audio recording is a criminal act in many places.</p>

<p>As legitimate as this might actually be I spent 15 years as a reporter and can tell you this has all the elements of a juicy front-page tabloid story. Alone in a hotel room with a semi-nude woman you never met before, not only taking pictures but making secret recordings that maybe get hacked and end up on the Internet? Even your own girlfriend doesn't want anything to do with it? If it's the client insisting on the hotel room, how do you know she isn't trying to set you up for a false accuation? <br /><br />Yes, boudoir photography is a big business (not as big as it used to be) and shoots go on every day. And there's not inappropriate about it provided that it's done profesionally. But it's a situation that can be twisted around very easily.<br /><br />My strong instinct is to tell you to cancel the shoot, but it sounds like you're trying to get established in the business. If I were going to do this I would 1) shoot just about anywhere except a hotel room. Too many connotations. 2) have a legitimate assistant/makeup artist along, not just my wife or girlfriend and 3) have the client bring her partner or friend along. Absolutely no audio or video recording, just the still photography you are there to do.</p>

Yes I agree with the others. Have a female asistant. Will you be advertising any of these pictures or displaying

them? Get a modeling release. I don't like the hotel idea. A lot of porn movies are made in hotel settings, she

could use this against you.

 

I'd rather see you hire a female photographer, if you decide to use the hotel scene. Good luck, cover your steps.

<p>I just discussed this thread with my wife. She and I both grew up in Hong Kong, but she and I came to the US, separately, a few decades ago, and we met in college in California. Back in the 1970's, there was a law in Hong Kong that when a male physician (e.g. gynecologist) examined a female patient, there had to be a (female) nurse also present in the room. Back then, there were some law suits accusing male doctors taking advantage of women patients.</p>

<p>There are some similarities to this thread.</p>

<p>After reading most of these responses, I think you should give up shooting women and become a still life photographer. News flash! Most boudoir photography is shot in a bedroom, and some of the most stylish bedrooms are in hotels. The location isn't the problem, and being alone is not the major issue, if you know your objective and the <strong>person</strong> you're working with. Problems usually arise when the objective of the two parties is not clear.</p>

<p>The majority of accusations between model and photographer have been during testing sessions, where the motives of the photographer can be fuzzy. When money is involved, the dynamics of the relationship change (of course there are exceptions). You are now in a position to deliver a product. So my advice to you, because you are shooting images of a more sexual nature. Really sit down with the model (face to face), and discuss why she hired you, what will the photos be used for, and what is her idea of sexy? Be professional, tell her your concerns, and get out there and take some great pictures, if you feel confident after the interview.</p>

<p>There is a wonderful old saying, "If a captain is afraid for his ship's safety, he should never leave port". </p><div></div>

<p>If it does not feel right to you, just decline the session.</p>

<p>I've done many shoots like this with professional models. Even with paid models, I always have a professional female makeup artist. The female MUA has many functions other than makeup, such as making friends with the model and increasing her confidence in her appearance and my abilities to make her look good. These extra duties are more important with beginning models.<br>

<br /> However, those are professional models. Paying customers are very different. They have unknown backgrounds and motives, and are inexperienced. Most boudoir photographers are women, but not all. It can work, but consider having a female present, such as an MUA, to act as witness and to help the client relax and feel good about herself. Since you are obviously nervous about this shoot, having a female MUA/witness present will help you relax too. All that relaxing can only be good for your photos. I agree with others who have emphatically recommended abandoning your ideas about recording anything. Have fun and be creative!</p>

<p>I don't think recording audio is against any law. Also if you record video with her knowledge, you can encrypt it and then no one can watch it without knowing the password for the encrypted file. Look at a website like howtogeek to find out how. Even if you have a female assistant having an audio record is not a bad idea. </p>

<blockquote>

<p>I don't think recording audio is against any law. . . Even if you have a female assistant having an audio record is not a bad idea.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>The Opening Post asks about a 'secret' audio recording: which is unlawful in many jurisdictions. </p>

<p>REF: <em>"I would not feel right video taping the shoot but I could see <strong>secretly</strong> having an audio recording going on. The odds are extremely slim but if the woman later accused you of something and you had no one else present then an audio recording might save your butt."</em><br>

<em> </em><br>

WW<em><br /></em></p>