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Advice Needed on Mother/Daughter Nude shoot offer
I was recently contacted by a woman who wants to hire me to do a nude photoshoot including her and her daughter. The mother is 24 and the daughter is 6. She wants something innocent and beautiful to capture and remember her daughter in her youth (paraphrased). Something about this doesn't quite feel right. I'm looking for your feedback. Has anyone ever done a shoot like this with a mather and child (not an infant) nude? Thanks for your time! Michael Jan 05 07 03:40 pm Link Here I was thinking you were going to be talking about a hot 40-something milf and her 19 yr. old daughter. Damn! Jan 05 07 03:45 pm Link could be creepy or could be killer.... all depends on the mothers vision. find that out, it will help in making a decision. If she's payin, I'm shootin........but not what I feel is slutty.... I doubt she wants something slutty... could be really cool images.... this is a tough one. Jan 05 07 03:46 pm Link Jan 05 07 03:46 pm Link If properly planned and thought out they can be quite beautiful. Images like this have been created since the renascence time. I would do some research of the old masters to see if there is a style that speaks to you, and then add your own personal touches. Jan 05 07 03:47 pm Link i dont think its weird. 6 is still really young. i think its innocent and could be quite beautiful Jan 05 07 03:47 pm Link I think it is all about the pose and lighting of this shot. If it is not the right kind of mood it could be just bad. Jan 05 07 03:48 pm Link oooo that's a tough one.... my OPINION is not to shoot anyone nude over 2 years old... (except 18 or older of course) i'd say no... get some legal advice Jan 05 07 03:48 pm Link Maybe if we get this out of the way you can actually get someone to give you a sensible answer to your question. Failing that, the following claims will inevitably be made: 1. It's immoral to shoot anyone nude who is under 18, even a lot under 18. 2. It's illegal to shoot anyone nude who is under 18. 3. Hey, anyone remember Jock Stuges and Sally Mann? 4. There will be a district attorney/chief of police/sherrif out to make a name for himself, so it doesn't matter what the law says. 5. There is nothing wrong with nude art of children, especially if their mother is in the shot also. 6. Always be sure to get a release, that will protect you from the law. 7. Ewww! Icky! 8. What are you, some kind of prevert? 9. A release can't protect you from a kiddie porn charge. 10. Some mother got arrested for shooting pictures of her kid in the bathtub. What did I miss? Jan 05 07 03:49 pm Link I think all you have to do is talk to the lady to find out about it. If you think Sally Mann, you can do some wonderful images. Edit: Damn, too slow. Jan 05 07 03:49 pm Link I have seen a few of the sort, one person I know has a mother and daughter nude hanging on her wall... If you have issues with the idea pass the project on to someone who can do it.. Each of us have our own barriors about what we will and will NOT shoot.. Jan 05 07 03:51 pm Link Hard to say. I would meet with the mother first and question her intensions and purpose. These days, if something like that gets out on the internet, it could tarnish your career. I'm sure you would make them look beautiful and all but, you have to think about the legal issues here. I'd think about this, long and hard. Jan 05 07 03:51 pm Link It is a fantastic opportunity. I have done mothers with their children, 2 to 7, and even with fathers sometimes. Just because they are nude doesn't mean they have to be lewd or provocative. In fact, it is a great way to test your posing ability. Try using B/W with a large single light source and a reflector. The chiaroscuro effects of light and shadow are beautiful and the images can be quite delicate. Go to your library and see if you can find the books by Hester called "Man", or "Woman" or "the Nude" There are many examples of dads, moms, and children and family groupings all nude and extremely tasteful. I doubt images on the Internet will be an issue unless you put them there...they won't. In fact, as I think about it, I would say 80% of my nude 'families" include a very pregnant mommy having a maternity shoot Jan 05 07 03:52 pm Link Hi! I have some old renaissance photo's. I would say, depends, if she want's go back to 1700's photo's. In the late 1700's there are masterful art pieces around the world that are very beautiful, classy and elegant. I would ask what her vision is for her image. Jan 05 07 03:52 pm Link I have shot this type of thing before and if you keep the "parts" from showing you should be ok. Just don't take the cards to Wal-mart for prints. Jan 05 07 03:53 pm Link It's a great opportunity for you. A face to face portrait of mom and daughter, smiling to each other and maybe touching mom's hair could add a very warm touch to the shoot. Don't hesitate. Do it! ANTONIO Jan 05 07 03:54 pm Link lawsonpix wrote: i agree... 6 yr old.. sounds like you could get into trouble for that. Jan 05 07 03:55 pm Link Sounds beautiful i think but certainly approach it delicatly and make sure to be clear on her vision and of course yours. Its a bit of a Dove ad? Jan 05 07 03:58 pm Link Michael Wilkie Photos wrote: Its a nice idea , can be very nice but, to be on the safe side do not do it , i turned down some thing similar and i knew the mother. Better safe than sorry Jan 05 07 04:00 pm Link In todays climate....it's dangerous even to put the word nude in the same sentence as minor. I know it might be art....but some crusading prosceutor could put you jail. Better cut off an ear instead! Jan 05 07 04:00 pm Link lawsonpix wrote: Agreed. I think that any child with the cognitive ability to recognize that they are NUDE is a bad idea. The child has no say in what is going on and they are clearly at the age where they know what is happening. Jan 05 07 04:01 pm Link lawsonpix wrote: Stacy wrote: it is not illegal to shoot minors nude....think of all those bathtub pics parents have been taking for years... Jan 05 07 04:01 pm Link Doug Swinskey wrote: lawsonpix wrote: it is not illegal to shoot minors nude....think of all those bathtub pics parents have been taking for years... And the parents who were arrested by the police department when they went to pick up their developed images... Jan 05 07 04:03 pm Link Doug Swinskey wrote: Dawn Geary wrote: an i can only think of one case, but the photos were in fact lewd....arrested doesnt mean found guilty.. Jan 05 07 04:04 pm Link It might go well and she and her daughter will cherish the images for decades to come. Or, your house might soon be surrounded by the SWAT team. Unless she has something kinky in mind, I'd probably shoot it, but only after consulting a local lawyer who could fill me in on state laws regarding photographing naked minors as well as the mood of the local prosecutors. I'd have been much more likely to have shot it when I lived in Los Angeles than I would now that I'm in the reddest county in a red state where the local newspaper devotes an entire section to religion every Saturday. I'd also be damned careful about sending it out to a lab. You never know if it's the church lady working there who'll run screaming to the police, or the local pedophile who'll make copies and send them to his buddies. Jan 05 07 04:04 pm Link Doug Swinskey wrote: lawsonpix wrote: it is not illegal to shoot minors nude....think of all those bathtub pics parents have been taking for years... Be careful. Laws vary from state to state, and interpretations of the law vary within states. Jan 05 07 04:07 pm Link Michael Wilkie Photos wrote: Been there - it was kool. Jan 05 07 04:08 pm Link lawsonpix wrote: I would agree to this...a 6 year old naked child even if innocent is still...well strange.. Jan 05 07 04:08 pm Link I heard of someone getting sued because they took nude pics of a 5 year old. Even though the parents commissioned it, the courts viewed it as child porn. Jan 05 07 04:11 pm Link I would sit down and have a long talk with the mother about what she wants and about all the things that you know could happen as a result of this if the wrong person decided to make an issue of it, like the childs father,prying puritanical grandparents etc... befor all of that,I would call a lawyer FIRST and ask them. Jan 05 07 04:12 pm Link Michael Wilkie Photos wrote: Dude, it doesn't matter how nice or what the mother has on her mind The child is only 6 years old and if I were you, I wouldn't do any nude of the child. Imagine if this was in court, how do you think it would sound? Jan 05 07 04:12 pm Link MsHeidi wrote: If the mother wants private use, she could use a P&S to do that (quality might not be as good) but that way, no one else will be involved (except her). Jan 05 07 04:14 pm Link Jan 05 07 04:15 pm Link Michael, I have done two such shoots. They both turned out wonderful. Just keep the images for the use of the family and don't get the urge to post them, as much as you will want to. Private shoots should remain so. I found that it is best to allow the mother to run the show. Don't try and pose them, but let them frolic about as they feel. You will get a better product in the end. If you are looking for sets to work with I think natural light is more in the keeping with what she will want. Shooting down onto a large bed with the two of them horsing around is good. When I say down, I mean down from almost overhead. If you must work in the studio, keep the lighting as soft as you can, and don't use a glamour setup. Remember they are wanting images for a lifetime of memories not a fashion shoot. Good luck, Dave ps: And pay no attention to those who add fuel to the already burning building of fear. Jan 05 07 04:15 pm Link lawsonpix wrote: LOL-- 2 years old! I say shoot the damn pictures and make them beautiful, make them amazing. Two middle fingers to the Blind! Jan 05 07 04:16 pm Link Adams Photography wrote: Holy Shit!!! Jan 05 07 04:18 pm Link MsHeidi wrote: I suppose the children should bathe with clothes on too? Jan 05 07 04:20 pm Link Chan Studio wrote: Like a portrait session. Says the mother, the makeup artist, and the 2 photographic assistants. Jan 05 07 04:20 pm Link Regardless of the intent (mother's), I would make sure I have an agreement with the parent (before the shoot). Also, I would check the child pornography laws of your state (viewing the age of the child0. As photographers, we know that there is a thin line between art & pornography sometimes....especially as the public may see it. Jan 05 07 04:20 pm Link Daguerre wrote: Second! Jan 05 07 04:21 pm Link |