Pregnant Mom Refused Service!

[kristen_p]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/13394397.htm

 

Hell hath no fury! This woman has made the AP! I e-mailed her

offering services for free... no woman should be without photographs

of her unborn child, I would consider it an honor! She's taking me

up! Can't wait!

[oceanphysics]

OK, but there's already a portrait of her, bare belly and all, right there in the article.

[kbreak]

"I understand people want to do portraits like that, but we are a <b>family</b> portrait studio," he said."<BR><BR>umm.... wait for it...<BR><BR><img src="http://forums.applenova.com/images/ammo/roflcopter.gif"/>

[kristen_p]

The photographs were taken by the local... She can only purchase a copy (not high res) of the one image that printed in the paper :( SO, We'll be meeting this week :)

[stephen hazelton]

Just to point out- she wasn't refused service. The studio refused to take the picture the way she wanted it. That's not exactly the same thing. If I go into the local Walmart and request a plumber's crack shot of myself, and they refuse to take it, would that make AP?

[rich815]

While I do not agree with the studio I think they have every right to refuse service if they want as long as it's not against the law in a discriminatory way. I do not think refusing to shoot someone who wants to show more skin than they feel is appropriate is illegal be it a pregnant stomach, or a plumber's crack, bare midriff, skimpy bikini, man in a speedo, whatever.

 

I certainly do not think it's worthy a huge uproar.

[scot]

Once when a studio was giving away free studio shots as a promo, my wife and I showed up wearing Groucho masks...noses, mustaches, etc. They actually took the portraits with us wearing them, but inisisted on also taking some "normal" ones.

 

Scot

[twmeyer]

From the Charlotte Observer: "<i>On www.charlottemommies.com, an online forum for local mothers, Morgan's story prompted dozens of angry messages from moms who pledged to cancel appointments and write the company to complain.</i>"<p>What a surprise! Cause you know how pregnant women are famous for rational, unemotional behaviour.<p>Joking aside, that's smart marketing on your part Kristen. And my experiences with photographing expectant mothers has always been fabulous, I can't get the opportunity enough... t

[tholte]

The studio (Portrait Innovations) just got a lot of free publicity. They will probably come out ahead because there are probably more people that agree with their policy than disagree. Not saying that is right or wrong, just the way things are. I think it was a great idea that Kristen contacted her and is going to photograph her. The images that Kristen takes will probably be much better than the studio would have taken so all is well in the end, almost a Cinderella story.

[kim long- cincinnati, ohio]

"I understand people want to do portraits like that, but we are a family portrait studio," he said. "There are more private portrait studios that do that photography."

 

I agree the studio has a *right* to make that call; however, such a call is... I'm suppressing the urge to use profanity because this kind of mentality makes me so angry I'm physically shaking. We are a culture of puritanical hypocrisy of the most vile degree. "Family Portrait Studio" indeed. What a lovely 'culture of life' we have when a pregnant belly is controversial. Shaking with ire, I tell you. Shaking.

[GerrySiegel]

Imagined dialogue: Mom: "I would like a nice portrait of my son here for the family Christmas Card."... Studio gal: " Sorry ma'am, but we aint allowed to do portraits of teenagers with bared belly, sagging hip jeans, nose and tongue piercing,or really grotesque tatooes like ' Born Assassin'...Sorry, It frankly frightens some of our regular clients and even some of our hourly wage contracted shooters.".... Mom: "Well I never...come on Dustin, let's go to Sears!" Signage idea-We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone we do not care to photograph. (Isn't that a constitutional provision. Got to check with Professor Laurence Tribe on that last one.)

Happily there are places which will photograph just about anything one can imagine. Or digitally imagine. Enjoyed this.<p>Seriously I am only kidding. Pregnancy is joyful and eminently photoworthy,however discretion,such as public breast feeding is a social norm I think... I did my own pregnancy photos. Aint it nice to be camera savvy oneself?

[ilkka]

Wasn't some mom in USA sent to jail and the child taken away recently because she had taken breastfeeding pictures of her child. In that kind of environment I am not at all surprised that photographers exercise due caution when choosing subjects.

[tholte]

Ilkka, "Wasn't some mom in USA sent to jail and the child taken away recently because she had taken breastfeeding pictures of her child." There are so many moms in our prisons that we have to start shipping them to the "secret" prisons in Eastern Europe where we also stash some terrorists.

[bill_thorlin]

Noun or verb ?

[ilkka]

Tim, I'm sure you do. But this particular one's only crime was to take a photo of her own daughter and get it processed in a local minilab who reported it to the authorities.

[david_m]

Personally I find nothing aesthetically pleasing in a pregnant woman and can't imagine why anyone would want a photograph of themselves in that condition. I also think any business owner should be able to refuse service to anyone so long as they are not breaking the law.

[kim long- cincinnati, ohio]

"Personally I find nothing aesthetically pleasing in a pregnant woman and can't imagine why anyone would want a photograph of themselves in that condition."

 

Well, you're certainly entitled to your own sense of aesthetics. I can't take issue with your distaste the pregnant form; it is certainly your perogative. I also agree that "...any business owner should be able to refuse service to anyone so long as they are not breaking the law."

 

What I *do* take issue with is the attitude that there is something inherently taboo or disgusting or wrong with an opposing aesthetic perspective; namely, that the pregnant form is beautiful, and that the experience of pregnancy is profound and certainly worthy of a photographic documentary. I think that's the issue here. It isn't that they were unwilling to take the portrait, it was the implication that the woman was some kind of deviant loony for wanting it in the first place. That said, while she was absolutely right to feel affronted, I think her handling of it was rather extreme.<div></div>

[GerrySiegel]

Pregnancy as a pleasing aesthetic. Now there is a topic that deserves a thread unto itself. Think of all the early cities' cultural art objects showing the fecund,clearly pregnant, carved figures of the female. Earth Goddess types. On a more mundane level, many women find that the hormonal changes of pregnancy give them a ruddy flush that enhances their beauty. (True, the Neiman Marcus catalog doesn't any many shots of expectant moms to show off their latest lines) And the pregnant ought not to be on high heels on a runway I dare say..a no no. Personally, I thought my wife was most elegant when full with child. And last but not least I agree with everyone today,even with those that disagree with what I said. Just in a go with the flow I guess. We are all mammals. Aloha,GS

[kim long- cincinnati, ohio]

P.S. Anyone else feel kind of bad for the kind neighbor who took the photo for her so she would be able to send them out in her Christmas cards? "It isn't the best photo..."

 

Um, no, it's not, but gee. There's gratitude for you. Neighborly of her to say such a thing to the press. :-P

[kim_ramsey]

I had to comment. As I was sitting here reading this thread and admiring the shot that Kim Long posted, my 9 yo daughter comes up behind me and says 'kids should not be posed without a shirt, hold is that little girl? Is that her mom's NAKED tummy?" lol. This comes from a child that has a mother that loves shooting nudes hehe.

 

On topic, I would be curious to see if that same photo studio that turned this mother away, also turns away the young adult and teen girls that wear the hip huggers and belly shirts?

[kim_ramsey]

holds=How old

[GerrySiegel]

Illka,can you try to come up with any reference on that arrest story you mentioned above? I just gotta check in to that one. Backwaters where breast shots are considered off limits,meanng all breast exposure-(this in a society that sees and chuckles over the phoney Janet Jackson show the teat baloney)- but breastfeeding,legit mama moo juice,wow, I haven't seen that embargoed. Not denying it can't or would not be in some moral backwater where the scare factor runs high.

Why do I ask? I want to boo and hiss that jurisdiction here in PN is all and have the ACLU send its SWAT team out to defend.Q: Could this be a remembrance of something from the 1950's. Help us get this flushed out if you can. Search your memory carefully,please. Thanks.

[craig_gillette]

What? Ask for a reference for an ignorant story about repressive America. Who needs facts? He wants to believe that.

 

Why not force businesses to do things they don't want to do. I went to a car repair place today. They didn't want to check the alignment, offered a reference to another place. Can I get the AP interested? Probably not.

 

We tell people and kids all the time, if something makes you uncomfortable, don't do it. People should be allowed to draw their own lines as to what they choose to offer in business. Even if it's not the same line others might draw.

[phule]

Gerry,

 

Found via a photo.net search:

 

http://www.dallasobserver.com/issues/2003-04-17/feature2.html

 

Searching google for the womans name produces more linkage

 

http://www.google.com/search?lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Jacqueline%20Mercado

[kristen_y]

People, People, People! Don't we all see that this is a blantant excuse for someone to complain about something? PI has RULES, and as a good business should, they ENFORCED them. We are not able to change THEIR rules, because it is not OUR business. So sorry that mommie ran out and bought a new shirt, but really, how much of an inconvenience was it? Had she ever visited a studio? This is all so completely ridiculous, but abrapoe for the yuppie mommies of today. Good job, lady, you got your 15 minutes. Well done.