Wolf at f11

And by 'wolf' I mean a photographer who isn't in it for the photography.  Or not entirely.

This blog is mostly for models, or people who want to model.  It's not just for the ladies either.  Male models need to understand the risks too.  Take this and add it to the street smarts collection of things you don't want to be naive about.

There was a time when you could look at a photographer's portfolio and pretty easily tell their motives for being a photographer.  If they didn't have one, that told you a LOT.  If they had one and it was nothing but a collection of bad images, that also gave a good indication that it was not a good idea to work with them.

I'm sure what I'm about to add to this isn't new.  It's just new to me.  I hadn't noticed this until recently...and that's not unusual.  Shiny objects and squirrels tend to rule my attention.

I've noticed that there are some fairly good, to VERY good photographers out there that you would typically think would be safe to work with.  By safe, I mean wouldn't want you to get naked for any reason other than for some wonderful artistic images.   

From what I can tell today, the measure of someone's portfolio to determine if they are professionals is simply the first step.  But not the only step.  You need to get some referrals.  And not just one...two or three. Trust me, I have no problem with a perspective model checking my background before we shoot.  I actually expect it and encourage it.  No exceptions!

Social media has given us research capabilities that seem limitless, and often right in your pocket.  Use it. Reach out to a few of the models that the photographer has in their portfolio.  Ask them straight out how the shoot went.  Were they comfortable?  And specifically, were they pressured to do anything they were not comfortable with.

Also make sure you communicate with the photographer about what your comfort levels are.  If you do or don't do implied nude or nude, that needs to be conversed so that everyone is clear.  

Don't discount your gut feelings.  If something about the photographer just doesn't feel right, either investigate further, or say 'NEXT' and move on to the next photographer.

As a photographer I'm not nearly as concerned about the way a shoot will go.  Believe it or not, there are still times I will call off a shoot before it's even planned if I have a gut feeling that something is amiss.  It's rare, but it happens.

So, watch out for your own safety.  Especially the ladies out there!