Shutterbug

Tonight a student asked if she could take a photograph of me in the pose I was holding for the duration of the open sketch session at Bucks County. (Art models everywhere are cringing at this.) 

It’s true that I pose nude or partially nude for photographers – wearing makeup, with painted nails and shaved legs and flattering lighting. There is none of that in an art studio. Makeup is frowned upon, and natural nails are preferable. Studios are cold, and shaved legs are unimportant. Lighting is harsh to create dramatic shadows. Photos of myself nude, under these conditions, are not ones I want in circulation.

At the turn of the twentieth century, the subjects of nude photography were almost exclusively prostitutes, as they were the only women willing to risk reputation and legal ramification. Because posing nude in photographs was illegal at the time, photographers would commonly (and respectfully) etch out their subjects’ faces, in order to help them skirt the law.

While being a nude subject will no longer land you in jail, most schools have very strict policies against students taking photos of their models. The basis of these stringent regulations is still a legal one, though now in favor of the subject: taking and posting photographs of someone without their knowledge or consent, whether clothed or not, is a violation of their privacy, and punishable by law. Most of the colleges are right on top of this, some after learning a hard lesson.

Several years ago, a young student at a major art university took a photograph of a model while her back was turned. He posted it to his Facebook page. The photo itself was not degrading to the model – the crude comments that ensued were. The model asked for the photo to be taken down, the school suspended the student, the professor no longer teaches at the University. At the time, there was no official policy on photo taking or the presence of camera phones in the classroom. Today you can bet there is.

I know the waifish young artist has innocent intentions. She was very late to the sketch session, and wants to finish her work. 

One art instructor commonly asks me if she can snap a photo to finish her work at home. The difference is, I know her. I know she’s a professional. I know she would never mindlessly post a photo of a model somewhere it could be downloaded by a stranger or attract damaging comments. Because I don’t know the students of tonight’s class, I can’t guarantee the same.

After a deep breath and a moment of composure, I let the students have their pictures, not because I want to, but because I am in an uncomfortable position that I do not know how to get out of. I verbalize a contract that the photos be used for reference only, and not posted online anywhere; I can only hope they honor that promise. And I hold the school responsible for their ignorance in asking.