Words of Wisdom

Over the years we have heard some pretty spectacular stories that have caused us all to take pause. The most notorious is the alleged murder of Linda Sobek by Charles Rathburn. In that case, Charles, a well known photographer for the bit car magazines asked Linda to go to the dessert to pose with a car. At some point, he allegedly ran her down, killing her. He was convicted and is in prison.

A few years back, a well known photographer who works with Playboy was arrested in Arizona for allegedly taking nude photos of underage models and some form of abuse. There was a plea bargain and a conviction.

There is the case of the model who traveled from Canada to the U.S. and was allegedly killed because the photographer didn't have the money to pay her. And of course, not long ago in California, a young model ostensibly went to the mall to meet a photographer that had given her his card. She disappeared and her body was found some days later.

Very recently a long time photographer was arrested in San Diego for what was alleged to be inappropriate conduct with minors.  According to news reports, he was allegedly building up relationships and trust with the models and their parents and then involving them in sexual acts.

These incidents are spectacular, out of the ordinary, but they all did occur. While the industry, by and large is safe, one must still practice vigilance. It is the responsibility of the model to ensure her safety, even when she has a manager or agent.

Rule number one: References are almost as valuable as the paper they are written on.

Everybody espouses the importance of getting references before shooting with a new photographer. Certainly if you are not working with a major client provided by your agent, references will clearly add to your security. The question is how much?

Obviously in the case of Charles Rathburn it would have made no difference at all. Being a well known photographer who frequently worked with your agent, references would have been meaningless.

In the case of the photographer who worked for playboy you certainly would not have expected a propensity for underage girls. Obviously no references would say, this man is a pervert.

What about the case of a smaller photographer? The answer is that nobody will give you bad references; a photographer could have worked with fifteen models and had good experiences with five and bad with experiences with the other ten.

Obviously when giving a reference he will direct you to one of the five good experiences and ignore the others. You can take some consolation in knowing that he will probably treat you well because he'll won't want to taint those good references he had. Just bear in mind that when people looked back at the habits of Charles Rathburn, they discovered a history of prior impropriates.

Which brings you to the other truth, if you get references, how do you check the references of the people who provide them?  I often hear the phrase "Google their name."  The problem with that is the people who tend to write online also tend to have issues of their own.  More often than not, they will have an axe to grind, but they, themselves will have contributed or caused the very problems they complain of.  Most legitimate websites won't allow "flaming" because there are always three sides to every story (his side, her side and the truth).  In the end, the least credible source of information are the stories you read on the Internet. 

The bottom line is references serve a purpose, but should not lull a model into a false sense of security.  The intelligent model will do his or her homework but will put everything into perspective.  Finding good references doesn't mean you are working with a credible client.  Finding bad references doesn't mean that you are going to have a problem.  It is just a small part of the puzzle.

Rule number two: Control the environment.

What is important is to model safely. Know where you are going to be and what you need to do to provide for your own security. Fortunately, the vast majority of professional assignments provided to you by your agent will be at secure locations with a crew. At a minimum there will be a make-up artist with the photographer, but there will often be more. Professional shoots frequently take place at well known studios. The point though is that these bookings carry with them security.

In the cases of the Playboy and San Diego photographers, in my view, we simply had a breakdown in parenting. Why were underage models allowed to be alone with a photographer, unsupervised? The problem with the environment is that it created opportunity for misconduct.

The same is true of shooting in a hotel room, at a photographer's home or having him come to you. Letting him shoot in your home presents a unique danger because now, if he acts inappropriately, he knows where you live.

On the other hand, I know some very fine photographers that use hotels, rented mansions and locations.  Location shoots are more common than less.  When the production company has a crew it will make these places less intimidating.  There are some great people though, who work alone.

The answer is to be accompanied to your shoots when appropriate.  The word "appropriate" is the critical term.  There is no doubt that many photographers resist escorts because of the bad experiences they have had.  That attitude, however, has to be balanced against the comfort of the model.  When the talent is under eighteen, a parent is always appropriate.  With older talent, when shooting with a well known production company, escorts are generally not needed, but the clients will also generally not care.  There is often an area where your compadre' can sit, out of the way and enjoy the freebies from craft services.

The real issue comes when you are working with an individual who is adamant about not letting escorts at their shoots.  There are two sides to that story and one can't presume that a photographer has nefarious intent simply because he won't let you bring someone with you.  This is where good judgment comes into play.  Where is the shoot taking place?  Do you have first hand knowledge about the photographer?  How does the vibe feel?

In the end, you have to make a choice, but choosing to go doesn't need to make it unsafe.  There are steps you can take.  First always let someone know where you are.  Think of it as a "flight plan" for your shoot.  Give someone the address where you are going, the time you are to arrive and the time you expect to leave.  Call when you arrive at a shoot, call mid-way and call when you when you have finished.  You should generally turn your cell phone off during a shoot, but make your intentions clear to the photographer before the shoot.  No responsible photographer will object to you making a quick call on a break to let people know you are alright.

Agree on a "danger word" with the person you are calling.  The point is to use it in your conversations if there is a problem and you are unable to speak.  The use of the word will alert them that there is a problem and you are looking for help.

For the record, I have never known a person who has needed to use the "danger word," but it is just one more thing to make your shoot safer.

Be smart and you will be safe.

Rule number three: Learn to say NO!

The largest threat of safety to a model is her unwillingness to say NO. NO, I don't know you well enough to shoot alone in a hotel with you. NO, that concept makes me uneasy, can we try shooting something else. NO, you may NOT touch me.

One big threat to a model's security is limit creep. Photographers build up confidence by getting to know a model and then cross the line.  That is allegedly what happened in San Diego.

The best strategy, when working with an amateur or semi-pro photographer is to clearly define the job you are taking, clearly define the location and the security to be provided, define who will be present and exactly what you are supposed. to do. And when the dust settles, don't be afraid to say NO.