PROTOCOLS
1. APPROACH
Everyone on set has a responsibility to uphold an environment of safety, consent, and fairness in the working relationship. When it comes to power dynamics, photographers most often have more power. Models are in a position of vulnerability when it comes to use and storage of their likeness in images, and often are coming to a location that is not familiar to them. It is of great consequence that photographers shift the current culture in which models are being taken advantage of or harmed.
SHARED VISION
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Have a clear concept decided before the day of the shoot. Moodboards are a big part of the planning process to determine that proof of concept and confirm that everyone involved knows what they are working to achieve.
Discuss modesty levels and boundaries well before the day of the shoot. Ask clear, direct questions and leave space for honest, thoughtful answers. Always ask a model's boundaries and comfortability with the concept (see moodboard) and confirm that modesty levels will not change.
Suggest models bring a non-distracting chaperone if they would feel more comfortable.
Use a contract for clarity of everyone's roles. Ask a model for their contract or provide a contract with protections for your models. See contract page for samples and a list of what to include. The basics are the type of shoot, how many and when photos are delivered, how photos can be used, and establishing guidelines for safety on set.
MODELS
Get references. Especially models with smaller following or who are new. Unfortunately newer models are often taken advantage of more often. You can even mention that you want to talk to some references and if the photographer is a safe person they won't have a problem linking you. If they seem disturbed or withdraw from wanting to work with you, it's a red flag--others may not have had a great experience.
Use your contract. A contract provides clarity in the professional relationship and protects both parties' rights. If they are hesitant to sign, ask them why, address any concerns they might have, and adjust the contract to your situation. If a person is unwilling to sign a contract or brushes it off, that's a red flag for professionalism and ethics. If the photog has sent you their contract, send back your your own additions which detail safety, copywrites, and how and when you get your images back. It's okay to negotiate details, just make sure you keep your safety clauses in effect.
Are you working alone with them? Is the space isolated? These are not direct signs of a predator but factors to consider when assessing risk. Confirm the location and setting, bring a friend or partner for comfortability. The photographer's response to this idea can tell you whether or not this is a safe situation.
Send your rates! Outside of a proposal for "creative collaboration" a photog who is reaching out to you should expect you to send your rates. Getting paid doesn't automatically protect you from harmful behavior but it does reinforce a professional atmosphere.
ON SET
Be Honest. Are you using your position to coerce people into being more vulnerable with you than they would in any other setting? Are you using photography to gain access to women you otherwise would not? Do you want to be a photographer or do you want to be a porn photographer, and do you have the correct contracts and consentual working relationships established for that? Be Honest.
As a basic standard, DO NOT TOUCH MODELS. Use your words to describe posing. Have a team member help with styling. Provide the model with a mirror that is positioned behind you.
Every team member, including you, should explicitly ask permission before (not while) touching a model if it is ever absolutely necessary. Pro Tip: it very likely is not.
Always have a private space for changing, and if models are quickly changing elsewhere do not look in the direction of models while they change.
Do not push to change a model's mind about their modesty level of comfortability in any way. Discussion about modesty or nudity level should always be done before the day of the shoot and should never deviate from the prior agreement based on your suggeston.
DO NOT MAKE COMMENTARY ON BODIES. Do not speak positively or negatively about a model's body shape or characteristics. In general, do not talk about people's bodies.
If you like to use compliments to give your models confidence, refer to their professionalism, their skills, or how the images are turning out. Show your model the back of the camera if you wish.
Be aware of using your profession to gain access to people you are attracted to and work to improve your ethics by hiring and respecting folks who you are not attracted to as well.
If you develop a crush, be conscious of the power dynamic and take lengths to separate your personal life from your professional work.
Do not subject anyone to sexual advances while in a professional setting. Ever.
If chemistry or flirtation arises, table it until after the shoot is over. Wait to ask if you can go on a proper date. Leave separation so as not to mix business with personal interest.
POST PRODUCTION
Decide ahead of time how many images you will deliver and in what time frame. Put this in your contract so there is a clear understanding of delivery timeframe. Deliver a product that is similar to the moodboard inspiration for the shoot. This is not only a good business practice to deliver an agreed upon or consistent product, but if there is going to be significant changes these things can be discussed in real time while the creative process is happening, making sure you take into account the needs and expectations of everyone involved.
Decide how each party will be using the images and put that in your contract. You must have a model release form. You must also have signed consent and a copy of the model's government ID to upload any uncensored nude images online. If you are working with a model who does online sex work, it is best to make an agreement for profit sharing. How would you feel if someone was selling pictures of your naked body online and not sharing any of the profits with you? Not only is it unethical to do so, it is also illegal without an explicit written agreement between you and the model. A 50/50 profit sharing standard is ideal, unless you have discussed something different.
DO NOT EDIT BODY PARTS in your images without having a discussion with the model first. Some clients want extensive editing, others want none. Often magazine submissions require skin retouching as an industry standard, so this is something that should be discussed ahead of time if it is going to be done. Getting images back from a photographer that have subtle or extensive photoshop elements that obscure the reality of a models physical identity is problematic for many reasons. Again, this is about consent and setting industry standards and creative business practices that center the wellbeing of models.
"Modeling nude or sexually suggestively does not equal consent" - Shannon Carol
2. ETHICS AND CONSENT
This list includes work created by Aubri Ebony and Shannon Carol
These situations and circumstances are unprofessional and can lead to harm and abuse.
Models shouldn't have to...
Deal with flirtatious messages and comments prior to and during shooting
Deal with photographers using "prestige" as a reason to avoid agreements and basic decency
Deal with unwanted sexual advances from photographers
Deal with photographers oversharing or asking extremely personal questions
Force themselves to be comfortable with a photographer who wants to touch models to "help pose", "put oil on", or "adjust this"
Be scared to say "no" to a concept when uncomfortable, for the sake of working with that photographer again
Shoot nude or topless when that was not part of the original concept
Deal with photographers all of the sudden having a "crush" that impacts your working relationship
Have concerns or requests ignored, including creative input
Do poses that are sexual in nature if that is not something the model agreed upon
Deal with photographers not deleting images when asked
Deal with photographers retouching their images to alter their bodies and faces when that was not discussed
Deal with having to "play nice" to get edits back
Keep traumatic experiences with photographers a secret for fear of being "blacklisted" in the industry
3. RESPONSE
What to do when your consent/boundaries have been trespassedPHRASES to PRACTICE and USE for SELF ADVOCACY
Please don't touch me.
I'm not comfortable with that.
Let me think about it.
That doesn't work for me.
I changed my mind.
Thank you for respecting my boundaries.
No.
"Please don't touch me." Use your words!
Things to keep in mind regarding responding to SA:
Sexual Assault and Predation is an offender's issue. It is not your fault that a person did you or someone else harm. Responsibility for doing harm is on the offender, and any person, institution or authority who places blame on those who have been harmed by someone in a position of power are wrong.
Prevention and Planning are the best protections when it comes to SA. Discussions and decisions beforehand can help if you or someone you know is ever put in an unsafe position.
Trauma can affect our minds and bodies in ways we can't always prepare for and may not even understand. Be gentle and get as much support from people you know you can deeply trust as you work through the challenges after an incident.
For information specific for responding to r*pe, please see this detailed Guide for Survivors and/or this article by MOBEIG on r*pe.
DEALING WITH A POTENTIALLY HARMFUL INDIVIDUAL ONLINE
After a disturbing or harmful incident with a photographer or other industry person you may be considering talking to others about what happened. Here are some guidelines to keep yourself safe while doing that:
Be aware of your state's laws regarding disparagement. If you are going to speak publicly about your experience with a person, you must do so in a way to protect yourself from a defamation lawsuit. Details on defamation suits in Colorado here. I spoke to a lawyer before going public myself.
Avoid labels, stick to only the physical facts, and your own feelings of what your experience with this person was. Avoid projections and statements or claims which you cannot prove in a court of law while you are online or any space that could create a record(other people can and will screen-shot and share your words). A victim's statement with the police is where you would put everything that happened, and it will be up to you to make the decision of asking the police do an investigation.
Avoid telling others' stories. Some survivors are not ready to come forward, and we must do our part to continue putting survivor's needs first.
It is up to you to decide whether or not to confront this person yourself, and should be based on your level of risk. If you do decide to--state your experience and leave it at that. It is not worth debating if they push back. Often times harmful individuals are either very manipulative or deeply in denial about their actions. A predator may have a more severe disorder you won't be aware of.
If they signed the contract with a clause for this, you can ask for your images to be released to you and deleted by them, and they are legally obligated to do so. If you don't have a contract you can still request your images and leave it up to them whether or not they will comply. Making sure to only work with trusted individuals and also with a contract can help avoid these scenarios in the future.
Consider connecting with other survivors. I reached out to other models I saw had worked with a particular photographer, and the majority of us had a similar experience. It can be helpful to know you're not alone, and you aren't making up your own discomfort or harmful experience. Perhaps you can decide on a collective action to take in holding this person accountable, as there is power in numbers. Even without that, simply building a community can be very empowering and healing.
It is out of your control how other individuals will respond to your statements. Not everyone you speak to will be receptive, and some may be defensive or even attack you. This may affect your will to speak out, and that's okay. Simply be careful to stick to facts and do not give into debates. Ideally you can engage with a straightforward and fact-based method of alerting the community to a harmful person. If it becomes overwhelming you have the option to turn off comments, make your account private, and even block people if necessary. You can make resonable requests for respectful dialogue, and you can bring awareness to the situation. That may be the extent of your power as an individual.
REAL LIFE EXAMPLES OF RESPONSES
Advice on speaking out publicly online
Feelings after posting about harm online
Abuse is an abuser's issue, not a victim's issue. Root causes in the abuser's life need to be adressed for harm to actually stop. Our current system treats abuse as a victim's problem--dealing with the effects of abuse rather than the cause of it.