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Self injury and being a model...
William Kious wrote: i'm sorry. I don't use my pain as a calling card. Thats rediculous. it doesn't say... hey i want to work with you because i have scars!..no. i'm simply saying i used to cut, i have scars. Who ever said i'm proud of my cutting? I love my body, whats wrong with that. and all i ever said is that i'm not regretful of my past. Jun 30 06 12:54 am Link Tiara LeAnne wrote: you're such a sweetheart. yea i know qutie a few people in the l.a. area and my friend is in fetish/goth. so i'm excited about next year. Jun 30 06 12:55 am Link Queen of Pain wrote: That changes everything. Here is a photo you might like: Jun 30 06 05:28 pm Link John Jebbia wrote: The same thing that was wrong with your generation. Jun 30 06 05:52 pm Link Cspine wrote: Theres a legal age you can start self harming? I dont see what her age has to do with it one bit. Jun 30 06 05:53 pm Link Enola Gay wrote: Photographing her cutting or already cut can be considered depicting the abuse of a minor and can mean serious trouble for the photographer. Also there could be liability issues if she cuts in the studio and something goes wrong. Jun 30 06 05:59 pm Link Cspine wrote: Ah then I missunderstood and apoligise for my comment. Jun 30 06 06:02 pm Link ok.... this is a weird subject to talk about.. but i guess one that is bound to be addressed, just like anorexia or bulemia (spelling?). Thank goodness you are an EX-cutter. Cutting, when out of hand, leads to some very bad things and honestly, if you never seek help, it will become a huge burden. Some people cut to deal with stuff physically that they cannot handle emotionally...Your mental status will never get better if you never seek help. Sometimes all you need is an open ear to talk to and someone with good advice. (Not targeted to the OP)- To those of you who still cut and model... please... do not use modeling as a therapy, and dont encourage others to cut either. I used to be a cutter in my teens and years ago saw the huge downsides of it. I do have scars... but not from cutting. I have a lot of piercing and body-mod scars and to tell you the truth.. i am wholly NOT ashamed of them. I love the scars i have and the impression i make. Those photographers i shoot with who like them, but they dont suit the shot, just photoshop them out. I dont think anyone should be afraid of their body or their scars. Dont let those things hold you back if you really want to be in this industry Jun 30 06 06:07 pm Link I'm a little confused. In your profile you said you are an "ex cutter", but in your post you said "I'm a cutter. I have been for 7 years..." That would indicate you are still cuting. If that's the case, I would certainly not work with you or in any other way validate your self mutilation. If you are in fact still cutting, I would strongly recommend seeing a skilled therapist. Jun 30 06 06:12 pm Link Heavy scarring will restrict you somewhat as a model. For the most part, the people you work with won't care where the scarring came from because that's a personal issue and this is a business. What I am struck by is your quickness to advertise your cutting (or fomer cutting habits). Why do we need to know this? Jun 30 06 06:16 pm Link Queen of Pain, if you are serious about what you do, please send me a personal message. When I was much younger I went through a very self destructive/cutting phase..so yes, ex cutter. It's not something that is a positive to advertise. Jun 30 06 06:25 pm Link And that sounded judgemental which is not how I wanted to sound. Just that life progresses and we grown and things like that can be left in the past. Many good models have scars and they don't need to be explained. Jun 30 06 06:29 pm Link i'm pretty sure that i'll do fine being who i am with my scars. I don't hide them from anyone. I'm comfortable in my body and the way it looks. Jul 01 06 12:46 am Link if you are comfotable with them you wouldnt seek reasurance that they'll prevent you getting work. Scars: never been a cutter but i do have a rather nasty younger sister who scratched my cheek as a kid - in certain light and with no make up you can see that scar. Sometimes it adds to the photo and sometimes it takes away. Good make up light and photoshop can fix most minor things. I also have a 'dent' scar in the middle of my forehead that is so useful as it helps me place a bindhi without getting it off cnetre. Arm scars: sometimes on a shoot i say should i put make up on to give the impression of arm scars... its not often needed as the action in the photo implies the scars and the focus means people don't look and say oooooh you fake! Getting rid of arm scars: Go to a chinesse herbalist. Ask about lotions... they'll give you one that is thick gooey and smells awful. It reduces redness and evens lumpy bits of skin. There is also a new product they have at boots that is like a gel type thing that you put on the arm and then you cover it with a bandage/gel band type thing. The pressure and the cooling effect and the gel all work together to reduce the scarring effect. Failing that green concealer on the red ones. Natural/nude make up in general. Jul 01 06 04:51 am Link I have scars also but it hasnt restricted me, bar for one insensitive jerk of a photographer who kept calling me stupid etc. I dont cut anymore and i wouldnt as i realised it wasnt the way to deal with stuff, plus i was hurting everyone around me aswell as myself. Mine arent too visible anymore thankgod but still some show slightly. I worked with a tog who said he could airbrush them out so that made me feel better, but it doesnt matter about them showing, aslong as you dont feel insecure about them. Although it better to let the tog know as some, ie the one who called me stupid, can react in different ways. But yeah, go to boots, i got those scar reducing plasters and they were really good, plus, if you can get abit of a tan it helps, just make sure you use some strong suncream so it doesnt burn the scar tissue. Anyways, hope this helps, and dont worry as you sound like you have it under control, ie as you have stopped, good luck and have fun! x Jul 01 06 05:05 am Link The Goth/Fetish genre of modelling is pretty limited as it is, and scars will limit you as a model even moreso. That being said, a lot of goth/fetish models do have scars and do okay for themselves. Personally, unless I was going for a scarred girl kind of shoot, I wouldn't shoot a girl with scars, it's too much trouble to edit them all out. Jul 01 06 06:12 am Link Maybe you should change your name to "Princess of Pain" since you're underage...lol... Hey, if you're going to advertise yourself this way, then you're targeting an alternative market, and people who are much more tolerant than the modeling world in general is. If you want to go mainstream at all, it will be necessary to hide your scars or at least to talk about them as little as possible. Right now the pain is close to your heart and really wrapped up in your identity. Later on you might want to be free of the stereotype that you put on yourself. My advice is that you allow yourself to be who you truly are inside...and if that takes time, that is only natural. If you want to do goth/fetish modeling right now, go for it. But try not to scar your body anymore, or your modeling will not go very far. Think of yourself as a blank canvas. What is more appealing, a clean, empty coloring book, or one that has been scribbled all over? The answer is obvious, and that is why photographers are ideally looking for a model they can mold for their own purposes...not a model who's already pre-packaged and comes with scars, piercings, tats and all. Just remember, you are still so young, even if you feel old because of your experiences/pain. Allow yourself to be open to change. Jul 01 06 07:00 am Link For me, the scares are not an issue, as they can be photo-shopped out. My wife has extensive scars from surgeries on both knees (including a full replacement) and I "clean" hers up all the time. My issue would be IF you were still cutting, as I think you should be concentrating more on dealing with that then modeling. If you have indeed "recovered", I would work with you if you were closer. Oh, and not till your 18. ;-) Good luck... Jul 01 06 07:18 am Link well I'm a little late on this but I'll add my 2 cents. I would have no problem with it and haven't had issues with photographing people doing what they do naturally. There are safe ways to cut and not so safe ways. If you've been doing it for as long as you say, then you obviously know how to do it the right way. My girlfriend is a cutter and I've learned to accept it. Photography is part voyuerism. Seeing things we don't normally see in everyday life or choose not to see. Everything is open to view, it's whether or not you're mentally able to view it. Jul 01 06 07:26 am Link JOhnny wrote: ok so let's take it a step further. would you photograph someone's suicide? Jul 01 06 12:36 pm Link suicide is a totally different topic. i wouldn't bring that up. i never cut to kill myself anyway. Jul 01 06 02:08 pm Link Queen of Pain wrote: i think that if you are ignorant on these things youshould in general stay out of it. the model asked for advice not to be falmed for admiting she has overcome a problem. photographing suicide is a little bit different. suicide in general is a very personal thing. euthanasia is legal in some parts of the world and not in others. here is not the place for that type of discussion. photography is not about death unless you make it about or (are you working for a coroner?) Jul 01 06 02:24 pm Link i'ts a related topic. Jul 01 06 05:16 pm Link It's funny to see the prolific knee-jerk responses to this topic and, while there isn't a denying the correlation between many forms of depression and cutting (as it seems in this case, as per the OP's own admissions), it is, in essence, only a metaphorical stroll down the block away from tattooing. I'm suprised by the amount of people that are quick to draw a black/white line between the things that would suggest mental disorders and those that would not when that part of psychology is predominantly gray area. Jul 01 06 08:49 pm Link Cspine wrote: A better comparison would be to ask if you would photograph fetishworks involving bloodplay or extreme punishment. Jul 01 06 08:50 pm Link I cut. I model. I have pictures of it in my portfolio. If you don't like it, don't look at it, if you don't want to shoot it, that's fine. However I am perfectly capable of doing more "mainstream" modeling. Makeup and clothing can make a difference on anyone, and never underestimate versatility. And that's more or less my take on the subject. Jul 01 06 08:53 pm Link Nihilus wrote: This is a point that I will ponder, though my question was meant to go beyond self injury to the farthest extreme to debate a specific point with the photographer that posted above me. Jul 01 06 09:21 pm Link Ya know, once when I was in my teens I was depressed to the point where I was considering death. A girlfriend said that if I cut it'd make me feel better so I sliced my wrist pretty good with a box knife. So afterward..... I was just as sad as before but I then had a wrist injury and a mess to clean up. I don't understand cutting. Jul 01 06 09:38 pm Link Cutting allows the blood to replace the tears that you cannot cry. It allows you to vent your pain and have a release by seeing a visual representation of that pain you are feeling. Why did I hit the nail on the head with those statements?!?! Let's just say, I was a teenager not that long ago. I have experience both bulimia and cutting for a few years in high school. I dont know how it will affect your modelling but I can tell you it will effect your life. Cutting is an easy way out and like drugs it give you a quick euphoric release. It is a extremely hard habit to break and it follows you throughout life. I still have the last blade I cut myself with, as a reminder of how bad it got. You have to fight the desire to cut, every single time you have a bad day. Go have a good cry, buy a punching bag, take up kickboxing, learn to woodwork, do whatever it takes. As for all the people who ask why she is so open...when you cut, you cry for help but at the same time, a touch of pride comes with your scars. She is still in the cycle of addiction (yes, it is an addiction) and she is crying for help, someone help the poor girl. I would offer, but ex-cutters are the worst people to associate with, then end up comparing stories, instead of healing wounds. Jul 01 06 09:49 pm Link OPPPS...I just did something that I hate when other do...I replied ONLY after reading the first page and didnt get through the second page (though I did not realize there was a second page). Anyways, it is lovely you have quit cutting now. Many people have scars who model, and rarely people ask how they got them. If you have scars, get some herbal treatments to reduce them and then accept what remains. Jul 01 06 09:56 pm Link Monika Maple wrote: i have some skin stuff but it's fine right now... my scars are somewhat faded but they are still noticable. Jul 02 06 12:16 pm Link Cspine wrote: it is not a related topic. Lots of people cut who do not want to die. Self harm and suicide are two different things completely. You are being ignorant so just stop chatting shit and either give the model advice on her scars and how they will impact her work as a model or go away and stop being so silly. Jul 03 06 03:53 pm Link |
