Forums > General Industry > Rejected for doing Nudes

Photographer

JM Dean

Posts: 8931

Cary, North Carolina, US

I have been trying to rent retail space for a studio. I just received a call from a realtor. She states the landlord was not aware I was doing nudes and has rejected me for that reason.

Thoughts?

Aug 08 06 02:51 pm Link

Photographer

Steve Snowden

Posts: 19

Albuquerque, New Mexico, US

They must not be very good business people...

Aug 08 06 02:53 pm Link

Photographer

BlindMike

Posts: 9594

San Francisco, California, US

Oh well, prudes exist. Find another landlord.

Aug 08 06 02:53 pm Link

Photographer

4C 41 42

Posts: 11093

Nashville, Tennessee, US

Send him some nude pictures of his wife?

Don't have much thoughts.  It's his building, he has the right to turn rental candidates away, regardless how reasonable or unreasonable his rationale may be.

Aug 08 06 02:55 pm Link

Photographer

JM Dean

Posts: 8931

Cary, North Carolina, US

BlindMike wrote:
Oh well, prudes exist. Find another landlord.

Yea, just pisses me off. Although there is nothing I can do about it.

Aug 08 06 02:55 pm Link

Photographer

American Glamour

Posts: 38813

Detroit, Michigan, US

Two words, "Bible Belt."

Aug 08 06 03:05 pm Link

Photographer

phcorcoran

Posts: 648

Lawrence, Indiana, US

Don't take it as a big deal.  I knew a photographer who was turned down for a lease because he photographed pet portraits; the landlord didn't want animals on the premises.  When you're a landlord you get to decide who you'll rent to, by and large.  I'm sure there's somebody somewhere who does things that would make you turn him down as a co-tenant.

Aug 08 06 03:11 pm Link

Model

Revel

Posts: 563

Richland, Washington, US

Something similar happened to me- the owner of an apartment wouldn't let my boyfriend and I rent from her because we weren't married.

Solution: Bitch for a while, then find somewhere better. You don't really want to deal with people like that anyway.

Aug 08 06 03:11 pm Link

Photographer

IrisSwope

Posts: 14857

Dallas, Texas, US

Alan from Aavian Prod wrote:
Two words, "Bible Belt."

Exactly which states are not in the Bible Belt? The "Bible Belt" seems to be getting pretty big

Aug 08 06 03:14 pm Link

Photographer

Stan The Man

Posts: 733

Brooklyn, Indiana, US

Revel wrote:
Something similar happened to me- the owner of an apartment wouldn't let my boyfriend and I rent from her because we weren't married.

Solution: Bitch for a while, then find somewhere better. You don't really want to deal with people like that anyway.

I WONDER WHAT HE WOULD SAY IF YOU WERE INTO WOMEN

Aug 08 06 03:17 pm Link

Photographer

FKVPhotography

Posts: 30064

Ocala, Florida, US

JM Dean wrote:
I have been trying to rent retail space for a studio. I just received a call from a realtor. She states the landlord was not aware I was doing nudes and has rejected me for that reason.

Thoughts?

At first I thought what an asshole! Then I checked and saw where you're from. Ah, those bible belt people can be a tough room to work.

I know, living in Ocala, Florida you can probably hear the bible thumping up in your neck of the woods.

I have clients on both sides of the fence so to speak. Ironically those who might be considered "heathens" are much more understanding of what I do and don't cut assignments because I also work for "christians".....on the othe hand if the "christians" found out they would drop me like a hot rock.

As for me, I don't care who pays me, the money is all green!

Aug 08 06 03:17 pm Link

Photographer

Wade Henderson

Posts: 1068

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, US

Iris Swope wrote:
The "Bible Belt" seems to be getting pretty big

No kidding!

Aug 08 06 03:21 pm Link

Model

Muse Anya

Posts: 344

Sunnyvale, California, US

move to California

Aug 08 06 03:22 pm Link

Photographer

Justin N Lane

Posts: 1720

Brooklyn, New York, US

You know, I'd have just lied about what I shoot.  If it isn't going to cause harm to his building why should he know?  It's not like you're shooting naked models on the street or in the window.  Fuck him.

Don't volunteer anymore than you have to.

Aug 08 06 03:24 pm Link

Photographer

Cassandra Panek

Posts: 1569

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

Revel wrote:
Something similar happened to me- the owner of an apartment wouldn't let my boyfriend and I rent from her because we weren't married.

Solution: Bitch for a while, then find somewhere better. You don't really want to deal with people like that anyway.

HA! we (my SO and i) were worried about that for awhile so we just told everyone we were engaged. either they didn't care, or our ruse worked. big_smile

Aug 08 06 03:26 pm Link

Photographer

Stonekey Photography

Posts: 507

Wilmington, North Carolina, US

I know a few people with property to rent...

We should talk wink

Aug 08 06 03:28 pm Link

Photographer

Digiography

Posts: 3367

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Iris Swope wrote:

Exactly which states are not in the Bible Belt? The "Bible Belt" seems to be getting pretty big

"Canada" smile

Aug 08 06 03:28 pm Link

Photographer

JM Dean

Posts: 8931

Cary, North Carolina, US

Justin N Lane wrote:
You know, I'd have just lied about what I shoot.  If it isn't going to cause harm to his building why should he know?  It's not like you're shooting naked models on the street or in the window.  Fuck him.

Don't volunteer anymore than you have to.

Yea I guess thats the plan for the next one

Aug 08 06 03:29 pm Link

Photographer

JM Dean

Posts: 8931

Cary, North Carolina, US

Bryan Patrick Coleman wrote:
I know a few people with property to rent...

We should talk wink

I may have to move to Wilmington to get away from the prudes here in the capital wink

Aug 08 06 03:31 pm Link

Photographer

Wade Henderson

Posts: 1068

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, US

Damn, and I am getting ready to move to NC about this time next year. Could you guys have this whole conservative bible belt thing streightend out by then please??

Aug 08 06 03:33 pm Link

Photographer

Chris Macan

Posts: 12986

HAVERTOWN, Pennsylvania, US

JM Dean wrote:
I have been trying to rent retail space for a studio. I just received a call from a realtor. She states the landlord was not aware I was doing nudes and has rejected me for that reason.

Thoughts?

Better that you found out now,
before you were invested in the space.

Maybe this is something that you should consider bringing up with potential landlords to test the waters?
I doubt you could be evicted for shooting nudes,
but a landlord can be a pain in the ass if they want you out,
and in a lot of cases can boot you on some other technicality.

You might be wise to just clear the waters prior to signing the papers,
no point in feeling like you need to sneak around when shooting nudes.
(Unless the space is un-believably cool)
Last thing you need is to be forced to find a new space in 6 months.

Aug 08 06 03:36 pm Link

Photographer

JM Dean

Posts: 8931

Cary, North Carolina, US

Wade Henderson wrote:
Damn, and I am getting ready to move to NC about this time next year. Could you guys have this whole conservative bible belt thing streightend out by then please??

Lets see, we’ve been working on it for 150 years. I kinda doubt it since our congressmen and senators are still in office since that time smile

Aug 08 06 03:37 pm Link

Photographer

Wade Henderson

Posts: 1068

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, US

JM Dean wrote:

Lets see, we’ve been working on it for 150 years. I kinda doubt it since our congressmen and senators are still in office since that time smile

Oh well, it was worth asking. big_smile

Aug 08 06 03:38 pm Link

Photographer

Stonekey Photography

Posts: 507

Wilmington, North Carolina, US

JM Dean wrote:

I may have to move to Wilmington to get away from the prudes here in the capital wink

Oh, you were looking in Raleigh.  There aren't as many models here, but the ocean is here so...

Anywho we should shoot sometime. smile

Aug 08 06 03:39 pm Link

Photographer

JM Dean

Posts: 8931

Cary, North Carolina, US

Bryan Patrick Coleman wrote:

Oh, you were looking in Raleigh.  There aren't as many models here, but the ocean is here so...

Anywho we should shoot sometime. smile

I’ll let you know next time I’m headed that way. Have a couple of models that want to shoot there. I see you know my friend Gina too smile

Aug 08 06 03:42 pm Link

Photographer

FKVPhotography

Posts: 30064

Ocala, Florida, US

Digiography wrote:

"Canada" smile

Being originally from "up north" I always thought of the bible belt as being some kind of location thing.....until I move the Ocala, Florida. WoW talk about bible belt, it's alive and well down here. Ocala is very unlike what the word "Florida" conjures up. I always thought of beaches, palm trees, surf.

We have the blue skys and palm trees and that's where the image ends. Ocala is known as The Horse Capital of The World. So what we have is a mixture of born again christians in huge numbers and wannabe Texans driving around in those huge pickups with the big wheels, a wearin' cowboy hats and 10 pound belt buckles.

Not belonging to either group looking for work is like stepping through a field of horseshit hoping you hit a clear spot. Praise God!

Aug 08 06 03:44 pm Link

Model

KatieK

Posts: 619

Lawrence, Kansas, US

Revel wrote:
Something similar happened to me- the owner of an apartment wouldn't let my boyfriend and I rent from her because we weren't married.

Solution: Bitch for a while, then find somewhere better. You don't really want to deal with people like that anyway.

This may be illegal.  You can't discriminate against someone who applies for housing based on:  race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability.  We had a landlord in Kansas get sued for not renting to an unmarried, interacial couple.  The couple won.  The landlord made a statement to the local media that she didn't want people "living in sin" in her complex.

Aug 08 06 03:45 pm Link

Photographer

Peter Dattolo

Posts: 1669

Wolcott, Connecticut, US

You cant just not tell the landlord. After you spends big bucks to set up the studio the way you want and then he finds out you do nudes, he will evict you if you refuse to leave when he says he is throwing you out.

You lose big bucks doing things like that.
Be honest, negotiate if you can, if not then move on.

The landlord will be the one who will be remembered as the one who rents to porno photographers, even if it is classy nudes. Some people just cant deal with some things

Aug 08 06 03:49 pm Link

Photographer

Curt at photoworks

Posts: 31812

Riverside, California, US

KatieK wrote:
This may be illegal.  You can't discriminate against someone who applies for housing based on:  race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability.  We had a landlord in Kansas get sued for not renting to an unmarried, interacial couple.  The couple won.  The landlord made a statement to the local media that she didn't want people "living in sin" in her complex.

I'm not seeing the connection here....

Aug 08 06 03:50 pm Link

Photographer

Gary Blanchette

Posts: 5137

Irvine, California, US

Who informed the landlord as to the type photography you were doing? If on the application a simple "Type of Business - Photography Studio" was all that was entered, I wonder if the issue of nudity would have even come up? For all they know, you could specialize in family portraits.

On the other hand, since all is said and done, are there any sort of discrimination laws they have broken? After all, it's not like you would be open to the public during your sessions.

Gary

Aug 08 06 03:50 pm Link

Photographer

Curt at photoworks

Posts: 31812

Riverside, California, US

Better to have problems with a potential landlord than down the road after you're all set up.

sad.

Aug 08 06 03:51 pm Link

Photographer

JM Dean

Posts: 8931

Cary, North Carolina, US

GLB Graphics wrote:
Who informed the landlord as to the type photography you were doing? If on the application a simple "Type of Business - Photography Studio" was all that was entered, I wonder if the issue of nudity would have even come up? For all they know, you could specialize in family portraits.

On the other hand, since all is said and done, are there any sort of discrimination laws they have broken? After all, it's not like you would be open to the public during your sessions.

Gary

They asked to see some of my work so I showed them up front. Next time it will be a bunch of kids with big smiling faces smile

I doubt they broke any discrimination laws.

Aug 08 06 03:55 pm Link

Photographer

IllusionDigital

Posts: 578

San Francisco, California, US

Tell the landlord people will be taking off their pants to use the bathroom, and showering naked.  The obscenity never ceases, even with as many of you have called them "prudes."

Aug 08 06 03:56 pm Link

Photographer

JM Dean

Posts: 8931

Cary, North Carolina, US

Well, I’m out for dinner. Just had to vent. Thanks everyone for listening. Guess I’ll drive the 40 some odd miles to the next county now so I can buy some beer lol.

Aug 08 06 04:00 pm Link

Model

KatieK

Posts: 619

Lawrence, Kansas, US

Curt Burgess wrote:

I'm not seeing the connection here....

I was responding to the girl who said that a landlord wouldn't rent to her and her boyfriend because they weren't married.  Minor hijack, I guess.  Don't worry about it.

Aug 08 06 04:02 pm Link

Photographer

SLE Photography

Posts: 68937

Orlando, Florida, US

Revel wrote:
Something similar happened to me- the owner of an apartment wouldn't let my boyfriend and I rent from her because we weren't married.

Solution: Bitch for a while, then find somewhere better. You don't really want to deal with people like that anyway.

KatieK wrote:
This may be illegal.  You can't discriminate against someone who applies for housing based on:  race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability.  We had a landlord in Kansas get sued for not renting to an unmarried, interacial couple.  The couple won.  The landlord made a statement to the local media that she didn't want people "living in sin" in her complex.

MAY is the operant word, depending on jurisdiction
There've been a couple of recent cases in the news of a police officer whose boss fired her for living with a man she's not married to, since it's a violation of local law & an officer can't be doing anything illegal, and another of a fmaily where the mom & dad had to move because they were unmarried & that violated a local ordinance.  Until we see how their cases end up if they sue, we won't know if it's considered legal or not.

Aug 08 06 04:20 pm Link

Photographer

ADG Photography

Posts: 544

Calhoun, Georgia, US

Iris Swope wrote:

Exactly which states are not in the Bible Belt? The "Bible Belt" seems to be getting pretty big

You beat me to it! smile  I was going to make the same comment. 

I fully expect to start seeing, any day now, the renewed burning of witches as this country heads back to the days and mentality of Salem.

Aug 08 06 04:35 pm Link

Photographer

Stonekey Photography

Posts: 507

Wilmington, North Carolina, US

JM Dean wrote:
I’ll let you know next time I’m headed that way. Have a couple of models that want to shoot there. I see you know my friend Gina too smile

Yeah she shot my old avatar...

Sure drop me a line when you swing by.

Aug 08 06 05:22 pm Link

Photographer

Dark Magus

Posts: 7027

El Cajon, California, US

Wade Henderson wrote:
Damn, and I am getting ready to move to NC about this time next year. Could you guys have this whole conservative bible belt thing streightend out by then please??

Been there, will never go back!!

Aug 08 06 08:12 pm Link

Photographer

Dark Magus

Posts: 7027

El Cajon, California, US

Bryan Patrick Coleman wrote:

Oh, you were looking in Raleigh.  There aren't as many models here, but the ocean is here so...

Anywho we should shoot sometime. smile

LIved there will not go back!!

Aug 08 06 08:14 pm Link