Some people wonder why I don’t allow escorts. I’ve seen threads and arguments across the internet that ranges from the ridiculous to reasonable. Everyone has their own reasons for allowing or not allowing it. I can’t tell you to allow or disallow them, only tell you why I don’t allow them;
My sets are just that, my set. I have insurance and my insurance clearly states no one who isn’t germain to the shoot is not covered and any accident is my responsibility. I don’t need onlookers either trying to Art Direct my session or offering their unsolicited opinion on posing/lighting. I don’t want a fellow photographer who is too frugal to pay for a one on one session, coming in trying to steal ideas (Yes, it happened a few times) My reputation precedes me, A model or model-wannabe should do his or her research on a photog before asking to shoot.
And my final honest to goodness main reason?
When you come with a friend, escort, buddy, bodyguard blah blah blah, you have a relationship with them. Because you have a relationship with them, I have no idea if your giggling at them or me or whats going on. If it’s a boyfriend or signifcant other, your going to make goofy kissey faces or look to your escort for permission to pose or give the look. I’ve shut shoots down for this, paying and tfcd and it makes everything awkward. I prefer you leave your bodyguard at home. Here are photos from a shoot where the model and her boyfriend were playing kisseyface grab ass with each other;
This is why I don’t allow escorts. The other main reason is a funny story. Understand it wasn’t funny at the time, but 10 years later it’s funny. I had spoke with a model for six months on what we were going to shoot. The day of the shoot comes and she brings her boyfriend. He’s sitting behind us as we’re shooting giving his every approving eye. We started in casual, moved to fashion, then lingerie. Once we hit lingerie, he was in the back breathing heavy and himming and hawing. Finally he stands up and says “I can’t..I need a break” and he left. I was happy for him to leave so we could concentrate on our shoot. As the shoot progressed, we moved into nudes. He came back and freaked out! He screamed…a bit higher than a man should, “What the hell is going on!” I tried to explain when he raised his hand in a fist. I knew he wasn’t going to hit me and no sooner than I came to that resolution, he punched me in the nose…hard. He tried a second time and it didn’t work. We tussled and I ended up on top and dominate (20+ years of martial arts training woot) I made him apologize and ended up kicking him and his girlfriend out. On their way out, he kicked my camera that was on a tripod over. I ended up with a shattered lens he paid for after lawyers got involved. At that point, I said no more escorts!
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[…] All was moving well and the site was being built. Her and I were talking and texting and all was well. I was shooting a session when I got a text from her that pretty much said she was freaking out. I wrapped up my session and when I did I told her to call me when she could. A minute later I was talking to her on the phone. She was crying hysterically and saying they had broke up. I wasn’t a fan of the boyfriend but I tried to be objective. I ended up telling her that she would be better off with out him and that she was too young to be in such a serious relationship. She agreed and we set up a time for a new session. By the time the new session rolled around (week later) they were back together and “happy” The resulting shoot was what inspired the article “Why I don’t allow escorts” […]