It is unfortunate, but there are people in the world that should not be trusted. Anywhere from a GWC (Guy With Camera) hoping to get a girl’s clothes off to true predators that could put a woman in real danger. For that reason we strongly recommend that all models consider the following safety tips and information: The following are provided as general guidelines for protecting yourself
- When attending a shoot, or meeting with someone for the first time, always take a chaperon. This should be someone who does not make you self conscious. Parents are a good idea if you are under 18, but if you are over 18 it may not be a good idea depending on the format of the shoot. A supportive boyfriend may work, a jealous boyfriend would not.
- Never put your full address or phone number on any post in a modeling forum or other public area.
- Be very careful regarding posts and e-mail from anyone with a generic or free (hotmail, yahoo, etc.) e-mail address. Legitimate photographers put a lot of money in to equipment, so while it is possible for a good photographer to use a free email address, it is more likely that they would have their own domain. A free email may be a sign of someone that wishes to be anonymous.
- Obtain as much information you can about those you are considering working with. Online reputation may reveal scam, or those that are prone to harassing models, not living up to agreements, or not paying.
- Ask for references and examples of prior work. This will give you an idea of the type of work they do, the quality, and help establish that they are a real photographer. Problem people will often come up with excuses why they can’t give you pictures, or get angry that you asked. Most photographers have a web page.
- Prior to arranging a shoot, discuss and clearly agree on the subject matter of the shoot. You should know ahead of time if it is fashion, swimwear, lingerie opaque or sheer, implied nude, nude, or explicit nude. That is all part of the agreement and you should have the opportunity to refuse rather than being pressured after you are on site.
- Ensure that the terms of the shoot are established in advanced (TFP, pay rate, expenses, etc).
- Be certain to get a verifiable home and/or studio phone number, and street address, for anyone you work with. Know who you are working with. Anonymous is not good and you need contact info in case there are any issues with the appointment. If there is a company name, check it’s reputation. It should be searchable, and corporations should be in state databases. It should not be an unknown company even if it is new.
- If it is necessary to go to a shoot alone. Call someone to let them know where you are, who you are with (get ID #) and when you are expected to return. If anything changes call to update the information.
- Decide what your limits are and stick to them. Don’t ever let someone talk you into posing in a manner that you are not comfortable with. For some work you might be a bit nervous and there may be times when you want to go a bit further than originally planned, but still think about if you will be happy with the work. Ask yourself if you are doing it because you are excited about doing something new, or if you are feeling pressured by what someone else expects. Don’t be afraid to say no.
- If you pose for a picture, plan for it to be seen unless you are doing a private set with a reputable photographer. For private sets, usually you would be paying the photographer, otherwise consider why they would take the pictures and never show them.
- Those who can’t meet the tests may get upset, send insults, threats, or insinuate what they could have done for you. This behavior is unprofessional and is just an indicator that there was no legitimate job to begin with.
- Read the model release, preferable before the shoot, and make changes as necessary. The use of the photos is an important item. You may be ok posing nude for an artistic purpose, but not with being posted on a porn site.
- Beware of craigslist. Anymore there are more scams than legitimate offers. Actual modeling sites with have better ratios.
- For any offers of TFP/TFCD you should make sure you are going to get quality pictures. Don’t waste time with someone “learning” and don’t do product promotions for free.
- Beware of people offering “exposure”. In most cases this is someone looking for free work, often a start up that doesn’t want to spend the money. In order to offer exposure, they need to have the traffic to begin with. This is easily checked using alexa.com. If they have no rank, then it is likely you will get no referrals from them. Future work, and product trades are closely related to this as is a company that offers you copies of the photographer’s images, especially when those images are of their product rather than you.