Is this legit?

[Bette LaChevrolet]

Hi!

So I found a photographer on craigslist (I know, I know, but where else do I look?). He said I could not bring my boyfriend because boyfriends "get in the way". I am not going anywhere without my "bodyguard"! Plus, these pics are not for pay, they are just for my portfolio, so shouldn't I be able to do whatever I want to? (Lol.....I may be branding myself as VERY amateur, but oh well.)

Thanks guys!!

Any input is greatly appreciated, as I feel kind of stumped!

xoxo

[Brittany Harlequinn]

Oh goodness.

I am by no means a pro, but this seems shady to me to.

[HeartSizedCrush]

Don't do it. Craigslist needs to be removed from the planet. There are so many horror stories from it, it's not even worth it. (in my opinion)

But if you do go through with it be aware & listen to your gut.

[KIKI VARGAS]

I took a safety class at work in which we were informed that humans are the only creatures in the animal kingdom to reason out things that make us uncomfortable. Which means that when we sense danger, our spidey senses do go off, yet we choose to ignore it. Follow your intution, you might want to report him as well. Sadly a lot of girls will fall for these offers.

[Dulce Diabla {★}]

Miss Mischa Marie Has gone and Said it.

Before you start taking into your mind that any photographer who doesnt let you
bring a particular someone is scum take this into account.

Theft. I cant even explain the anger and hopeless feeling you get when someone steals your hard earned gear. Ive been victim to this 2 times and on each occasion I was dealt a painful and heavy blow losing thousands of dollars in equipment, lenses, filters, etc.

You try photographing a 200 person wedding you were already paid for with a handicap like this- its enough to cry yourself to death over but you Still gotta go forward.

I restrict escorts to a one person deal and I always have a mirror where I can see behind me if Im working alone - I Always say if you have no one or have to have someone: Hire a stylist- to that I wont object. a Professional Model knows her job and does it without holding hands with their mom, cut the apron strings this is an industry- but some people ruin it for others.

By the way, Im a Woman Photographer - So I KNOW better then most the severity of making a bad judgment call- When Women talk, they talk. this time I have to defend the Photographers out there, the real artists who have a high standard of professionalism. theres a massive distinction between us and the crooked GWC's but you need to use common sense and rationalize this on your own.

Mischa Marie said:

There are a lot of photographers who don't like "escorts."

Why?

They get in the way. If it is a jealous boyfriend, even worse.

Many photographers have been stolen from.

Just because he doesn't want you to bring someone doesn't mean it's a scam.
Most of the photographers I have worked with didn't allow people. And they have great references and great work.


If you don't feel comfortable, hire and bring an mua. I'm sure he wouldn't object to that.

[Honey B Hooligan {Madam}]

Now, if I may jump in here and interject....Bette asked about this guy in the chat. He doesn't have a website, he doesn't have a Model Mayhem account, and he didn't give references. In my personal opinion, saying that boyfriends "get in the way" is an extremely amateur way of explaining your reason's for not wanting boyfriends there. Saying "boyfriends can create tension in an otherwise relaxed situation, I don't think we would get the best photos."....then simply suggesting "you can bring a girlfriend, or perhaps a stylist so that you feel more comfortable" would have made ANY model feel more at ease. "oh, this guy isn't a crazy person, he just wants to get good photos." See what I mean? He told her that she couldn't bring someone, and then didn't give her any other options. That is suspect.

Legit or not, go with your gut. There are other photographers out there, and if your FIRST instinct is to avoid this opportunity, then by all means, walk away. Better safe than a craigslist anecdote .

[Dulce Diabla {★}]

So verry true-
just treat it like a 3 strikes your out thing.
Strike #1 No references
Strike #2 Not being reasonable
Strike #3 If You Had to ask is this legit after talking to this guy:

Move on.

I completely agree with Miss Honey- this dude sounds like a creeper.



Honey B Hooligan {Madam} said:

Now, if I may jump in here and interject....Bette asked about this guy in the chat. He doesn't have a website, he doesn't have a Model Mayhem account, and he didn't give references. In my personal opinion, saying that boyfriends "get in the way" is an extremely amateur way of explaining your reason's for not wanting boyfriends there. Saying "boyfriends can create tension in an otherwise relaxed situation, I don't think we would get the best photos."....then simply suggesting "you can bring a girlfriend, or perhaps a stylist so that you feel more comfortable" would have made ANY model feel more at ease. "oh, this guy isn't a crazy person, he just wants to get good photos." See what I mean? He told her that she couldn't bring someone, and then didn't give her any other options. That is suspect.

Legit or not, go with your gut. There are other photographers out there, and if your FIRST instinct is to avoid this opportunity, then by all means, walk away. Better safe than a craigslist anecdote .

[Plum Pea Dahl {★}]

Even if you were getting paid for these, you should still be allowed to bring whomever you want! Anytime a "photographer" says you can't bring somebody, especially a man, that should be a BIG RED FLAG! Please stay away from this guy.

[rev dexter]

....better find other photographer ! this is unprofessional and scary !

[Vintage Suits by Mary]

NEVER NEVER NEVER go to a photoshoot without an escort if you do not know the photographer well! Just because some people have not had bad experiences going alone does not mean it's ok.
I used to hitchhike and never got raped or murdered but it was still a stupid thing to do.

Cherri Bombe said:

Even if you were getting paid for these, you should still be allowed to bring whomever you want! Anytime a "photographer" says you can't bring somebody, especially a man, that should be a BIG RED FLAG! Please stay away from this guy.

[Honey B Hooligan {Madam}]

Oh god, looking back on all those times I hitched a ride! MAN! was I STUPID! You are SO right Doll!

Vintage Suits by Mary said:

NEVER NEVER NEVER go to a photoshoot without an escort if you do not know the photographer well! Just because some people have not had bad experiences going alone does not mean it's ok.
I used to hitchhike and never got raped or murdered but it was still a stupid thing to do.

Cherri Bombe said:

Even if you were getting paid for these, you should still be allowed to bring whomever you want! Anytime a "photographer" says you can't bring somebody, especially a man, that should be a BIG RED FLAG! Please stay away from this guy.

[fasttrax]

Some photographers do this (I don't), so if you don't feel comfortable, find a different one. Their thesis is that the boyfriend gets "in the way", which means it could interrupt their shoot. also, some photographers try to push models to go a little beyond what they originally intended, and the extra decision maker might put the brakes on, so the photographer feels he has less influence. Either way, if you don't feel comfortable, don't do it... and spell out EXACTLY what you're willing and NOT willing to do before the shoot.

[richardwangphotography]

Escorts aren't really an issue for me. Perhaps it because I generally cast through agencies or through referrals.

In the last 3 years, there's only been 2 occasion where a model brought an escort. But both times it was a disaster.

The first was a classic stage mother. She told my hair and make up that they didn't know their jobs. She complained to my stylist that a wedding dress wasn't age appropriate for her 25 year old daughter. Finally she started telling me how to pose her daughter.

I finally asked her to stay in the studio's lounge and when she won't stay there, I stopped the shoot early.

The second was a jealous boyfriend, who created a great deal of tension on the set. He kept on making snide comments to his girlfriend and my team. Telling everyone that she looked "bad" and that it was "stupid" to think she was a model. Basically, he didn't want her to model.

What really floored me was he when asked me to take some picture of him for his upcoming hip hop CD.

I cut that one short too.

To say the least, the agency heard about it and refunded part of the model's fee.

From these experiences, when models ask if they can brings an escort, I respond, "Sure, but depending on the circumstances, they might be asked to stay in the lounge and they must not be on the set."

If a model won't consent to these relatively reasonable rule, I simply don't have to shoot with her.