Surveillance cameras in Studios

Just want to get a general feeling on other shooters feel about this.

Have you ever used a studio that had surveillance cameras in the shooting area?
This is directed specifically at those of you show shoot nudes, erotics and such and especially if you're shooting these sessions for private clients where the content is meant to be shared with only a significant other.
So not intended for public consumption.

Does it bother you?
Do you tell your clients?
Does it bother them?
Have you ever lost business because of that?
Does it affect privacy concerns?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

take a black sock and a some step ladders. Unless the studio have a legitimate reason to have cctv, ask them to turn it off and turn the lens to the wall. I'd be interested to know why they have it. I've never seen it in the UK

JohnWildgoose wrote in post #15701986
I'd be interested to know why they have it. I've never seen it in the UK

A couple of reasons spring to mind:
1) The person in the studio is going to damage or steal equipment
2) The person in the studio is going to stage an accident for litigious reasons.

Yes, the studio manager said things were damaged in the past.
It also protects the photographer from being accused of inappropriate behavior.

^ & ^^ make a lot of sense I guess. I suppose you just have to trust the studio owner/manager and ask him for the tapes/disc afterwards?

You would of course have to tell your subject, and the people you hire in too. And the studio by rights should have informed you. That would be a legal must in the UK.

In the boudoir business (non-models) "paying" sessions, I would never use a location with cctv for the protection of my clients and our reputation. The chance of the video getting out may be minimal, but with no cctv it is zilch, nada, none. The chance of being sued and ruined if it does get out is 100%.

We only work places we are trusted and respected where no video is needed. I could not see how any female would agree to a third party taping the session.

The only advantage that camera can have for YOU while shooting nudes is to protect yourself against false sexual harassment type charges, but I'm sure you've never worried about that before. What I would do is go to the studio owner and tell him that in the case of boudoir photography, he is violating your customers' rights to privacy and that you want to block the video lens during those shoots only. You will still have the audio from the video for YOUR protection, should it come to that. Clients knowing they are being recorded during a boudoir session, regardless of the rationale behind that, would kill your business pretty fast.

I"d echo the comments about protecting the photographer against false claims, but that would be only if they were the ones setting up the camera.
I could see the studio owners point about damages, but I think talking with them to arrange some other way of documenting things would be an option.
Even though it's a totally different areana, For years in the medical field, when I was examining a female patient I never had a female staff in the room. Last year that policy was changed where all males had to have a female nurse or staff in the room. In the beginning it was more awkward with them in their. Especially for established patients since they were wondering why now someone else had to be there.