A lesson learned from my own workshop, and a message for 'Chris' the Pirate Hater.

 The disputed image - Gio under the waterfall at Bagni San Filippo

The other day I received an email from a former workshop student. The message was in reference to an image I had on my website (a version of the image above) and the student was asking why I had put my copyright info on his image and used it in my portfolio.

I was a bit surprised because I clearly remember taking the image myself and I would certainly never knowingly take credit for someone else’s image. As soon as I was able, I got on my computer, reviewed the metadata and the date/time stamps of the image and I verified that I had many similar images from the same sequence. The images were taken by my camera as verified by the embedded serial number and camera information.

I reported my findings back to the student, who, naturally, found it difficult to accept that he could have some of my images on his computer. I do not think anything untoward happened, I recalled borrowing a memory card that day and I assume that when I returned the card, it may still have had my images on it.

Honestly, I don’t know for sure, it’s a complete guess how he got them and frankly, it is totally irrelevant to this post. I don’t think he stole my images and I certainly did not steal his, it was just a simple case of mistaken attribution.

Unfortunately, during our back and forth emails trying to sort this out, I received the following email message from another party:

Why would any photographer copy another photographers work and tag it as their own? Just how many stolen photographs do you have in your portfolio?

Chris…

I don’t know ‘Chris’. The contact info he provided was just a fake number and a fake email. Chris, if you are reading this, it’s really easy to make accusations, false accusations in this case, without knowing all the facts. However, in this case, you made a very wrong assumption, and made no attempt to ascertain the facts.

I don’t take such accusations lightly. I have never copied someone’s work and claimed it as my own. It makes my blood boil that some nameless, faceless person may be shredding my good reputation without the facts or truth of the situation.

However, this episode certainly brings to light an important lesson if you are attending a workshop. Be sure you take care to guard and protect your images.

If you borrow a memory card from someone, be sure to format the card before using it and after you are finished with it. Do not let anyone copy your RAW files. If your camera allows you to enter copyright information, be sure it is entered so all of your images are copyrighted upon creation, with your name and any other relevant data. Take all steps necessary to ensure you have your work properly organized and verified. 

In the end, I know these images were mine. It was never really a question for me, I remember many details about that day and this shooting sequence in particular. In fact, I can recall many details about most of my shoots, they are burned into my brain. However, because of some carelessness or sloppy handling of a memory card, I have so far spent several hours trying to collect proof that these were my images. That’s time I could have been doing something much more enjoyable and constructive.

My interview for the Audacity of Nude blog

Audacity of Nude Interview from Bryon Paul McCartney on Vimeo.

In response to a request from model Ameena Payne, I answer questions about my fine art nude photography work.

Audacity of Nude Interview from Bryon Paul McCartney on Vimeo.

In response to a request from model Ameena Payne, I answer questions about my fine art nude photography work.

In response to a request from model Ameena Payne, I answer questions about my fine art nude photography for her blog, The Audacity of Nude. Please excuse the length of this video, it’s uncut, but it will give you an idea about my background and some of the things that got me started in fine art nude photography.

Do you want to be a nude photographer or just a GWC: a guy (or girl) with a camera?

Iveta, shot at my workshop in Tuscany, Italy, Summer 2010

Nude photography, in all of its many forms and manifestations is a very large planet within the solar system of people photography. Whether you are shooting fine art nudes, glamour nudes, implied nudes, erotic nudes, conceptual nudes, landscape nudes, infrared nudes, fetish nudes, bondage nudes, black & white nudes, sculptural nudes (the list goes on and on) or a combination of different types of nudes, you need to have a purpose for shooting them.

Without purpose, you may fall into that dreaded category of photographers who take pictures of naked women (or men) for the sheer and selfish pleasure of seeing them naked, also known as a GWC.

So how do you avoid becoming a photography cliché?

Find your purpose, your reason, your concept, your muse: Look for a way to create images with purpose and meaning. If you can’t figure out what type of photographer you want to be, then be certain about what type of photographer you do not want to be. Sit down with your images, review them, analyze them, understand them, show them to others and ask them questions about them. What do these images have in common? What stands out? What do you feel when you see them? Do they remind you of something? Do they speak to you? Do you see a story or message in the images?

Interpretation is everything. What I see in an image may be completely different from what the next person sees, it all depends on your own experiences and references.

In my own work, I mainly focus on three types of nudes: bodies in motion, sculptural nudes and erotic nudes. In all of my photographs, I try to present my models as strong, independent and desirable women. I try to give them power in the image. I try to create a visual story in the image. I do not want to show my models as weak or powerless, I do not want to exploit them or demean them. I want to bring out the best of what I see in them. 

The image above features Iveta, one of the models I have worked with most frequently. On the surface, perhaps some would say that this image portrays her as weak. I prefer to see her more in the role of the sole survivor. Alone, washed up in the surf, naked and alone in the sand. She may be down, she may be struggling, but in the next moment, she will persevere and overcome the challenges she is facing.

In my Amore Toscana fine art nude workshops I discuss topics similar to this one. I challenge my students to find their own personal purpose, direction and vision. 

Models for Tuscany Workshops 2011

Apocalyptic Sunshine, 2010, Pienza, Italy. Taken at an abandoned terra cotta factory. Model: Colleen D.

A quick note to let everyone know that my Amore Toscana fine art nude workshops in Tuscany, Italy are nearly sold out. We are now considering adding new dates, so if you are interested in attending, please let us know as soon as possible

I am really excited to have these great models joining us this year:

July 3-9, 2011

Ulorin Vex 

Zoi Gorman 

Toyin  *Updated 15. Feb 2011*

July 10-16, 2011

Ulorin Vex

Ruby Slate Balthazar 

Anita de Bauch  *Updated 15. Feb 2011*

As we finalize discussions and confirm other models we will update this listing.

Image Notes:

This image reminds me of the chaos in our daily lives. It was taken rather quickly during my Amore Toscana 2010 fine art nude workshops. I borrowed the model for this quick shot in-between student shooting sessions. The timing was perfect as the sun was setting on the horizon. I feel that her expression helps to underscore the sense of confusion and lost feeling that I wanted in this setting. Her pose gives the impression that she is protectively shielding herself from the invading light. In post-processing, I used a cross-processing technique to give the image an alien color tone.

What do you do when a model asks you to remove her nude photos?

 You can’t look back and change the past.

What you are about to read is partly born out of recent frustrations, but I hope it also helps someone who comes upon a similar situation. 

Q: What do you do when a model asks you (for whatever reason) to remove her nude images from your portfolio?

A: If you have a signed model release, you are not obliged to do anything.

On more than one occasion, maybe 3-4 times now, models have informed me that they were no longer doing nudes or had quit modeling entirely and that they would prefer that I remove any nude images of them from my portfolios. These requests are based on career changes, new relationships, family issues, or sometimes the model simply has a change of heart and realizes that she made a mistake posing nude in the first place. 

I am not insensitive to models who want to make changes in their lives. Usually, and especially with amateur or first-time nude models, I am more than happy to come to an agreement on such issues. If I am given a valid reason, one that is convincing and ernest in my view, then I will consider removing the images from public display on my various websites. At the very least, I am happy to remove their credit line, or sometimes I will give them an alias so they cannot be easily identified or come up in search results. Only on the very rare occasion will I remove the images, and I will only do so for models who worked for free and are personal friends, but only when they are not working models. In these cases, they are simply friends who posed for me. 

What I will not do is remove images for semi-pro or full-time working models who were paid for their time. In these cases, I have their signed model releases on file. This is exactly why I have those releases. A signed model release is an insurance policy. You are paying the model not only for her time, but also for her guarantee that she is not going to turn around and suddenly decide that her entire nude portfolio should be discarded. 

I respect anyone’s right to change their mind, to take a new direction in their life. However, if I pay for a shooting, I want to be sure that the time, money and efforts I invest do not go to waste. This can include prep work, makeup artists, location/studio fees, shooting time, post-processing, meals, transportation costs, etc. These things represent my investment in those images and I expect to be able to use them forever. If a model does not want her name on the images, that is one thing, but to ask me to remove them from my portfolio is quite another, it’s a slap in the face. 

For photographer’s, I offer a simple solution. If you are working with a new or amateur model, make the simple suggestion that she use an alias for her nude work. It’s quite a simple way to resolve future problems, provided the model keeps her real identity separate from her nude model identity. Yes, it’s more work for the model to have a nude and non-nude identity, but in the long run, she will thank you for the suggestion. I wish more models would use aliases, but it seems that the trend, at least in my small world, is that more and more often, they tend to use their legal names. Of course, they have to use their legal names on their contracts, but online they can have a separate identity, which also affords them some personal security as well.

However, my best advice to young models, if you are going to do nude modeling, do not do it on a whim, or on a dare or because you need the money to buy some new shoes or makeup. Do it because you want to create great images that you can be proud of when you are older and looking back on your life. Find the best photographers, build a body of work, and have pride in what you do. But if you do nude modeling, you must be aware that you can’t suddenly decide to erase the past. You cannot expect the photographers, makeup artists, etc. — those collaborators who helped you to build your career up — to willingly discard their hard work.

And, quite frankly, in this day of blogs and social media, I could never remove images permanently from the internet. My images are blogged all over the place, in many cases without my knowledge. Once my images are online, they are online forever in one form or another and there is nothing I can do to change that.

One final word, what I have written here is simply my personal opinion. It’s not right or wrong, it is simply my personal perspective. If you have a different opinion, a suggestion, a comment or another question, please use the comments area below to express yourself. I would love to have other inputs, feedback and ideas.

I am planning to write more articles on the topic of working with models, and especially how things work for me as a fine art nude photographer. Please let me know if you have specific questions that you would like me to address.

- Bryon Paul McCartney