People seem crazy

Having worked as a pro all summer I have just moved to Scotland to live with my fiancee, and decided to make some cash to put towards setting up my own business by doing a regular job - surveying buildings. I'll cut to the chase, I was surveying a sports centre with a colleague and I took along my portfolio to show him, he liked it.

I was chatting to the girl behind the counter at the cafe during my lunch break and mentioned I was a photographer, she had a look at my portfolio and she liked my work, I mentioned that I was always looking to improve and suggested that if she was keen and had creative ideas she could model for me on a paid basis to do portrait and fashion work. She was really keen and we exchanged numbers and arranged to meet to discuss clothes etc at a later time at her flat which she shares with her sister and boyfriend.
The following day I apologised for losing her address and she gave it to me again, we then discussed ideas and black and white photos etc and I gave her a link to more of my work (www.jerseyphoto.co.uk) so she could let her boyfriend know what I do before we met up.

This morning she said the boyfriend wasn't keen, and she couldn't do it, I said no worries boyfriends are sometimes like that. I thought ok well that saves more forking out for a model I'll wait for some TFP!

Two hours later we are all ordered off site without reason. I called my manager who said that the sports centre manager had made a complaint to his superiors about innappropriate behaviour by me. The email read as follows:

"It has recently been brought to my attention that a contractor has been acting in a matter which I would deem innappropriate and pass to you to resolve
it appears the contractor has approached a member of staff and asked (I dont know how or in what manner) if they would model for them in a photoshoot. I'm guessing as a hobby or part time venture. This has been the only reported case, however myself and my colleagues are concerned that other members of staff and customers may also be subject to the same type of questions.

I find this questioning intrusive and inappropriate considering the type of work that should be taking place and have a duty of care to those within the facility.

I hope you can assist in controlling this type of behaviour."

So work stopped on all jobs for the rest of the day while myself and my contracts manager met with the client's senior representative, I explained what happened and handed over my portfolio to evidence that I am not a perve. We concluded that this was a silly misunderstanding and would not go any further.

I have found all this quite upsetting and expect that the girl told her pals who then got jumpy and told the boss, nor do I know if she made a specific complaint however I strongly doubt it as she was very enthusiastic before her boyfriend wasn't happy.

I think it would have been a different story if I'd said: "I'm a rock climbing instructor" (true) and she said "I always wanted to try that" and I said "ok if you like I could take you out for a climb on Sunday". No one would have cared - but because I'm a photographer I am a pervert!

I just want to know what is the great big crime I have done?
has anyone else had a similar experience?

Thanks guys

I might even take a guess that the less enthusiastic boyfriend might have even told the boss.

If it makes any difference, I think you portfolio is excellent and at the end of the day... it's clearly her loss.

I agree, people are crazy. What a bizzare situation to be caught in.

Possibly the b/f, or jealous co-worker said something. I don't think he's calling you a perv though from that email, it just seems like he's questioning your professionalism in your other job. I.e., you should be doing your job and not worrying about your side project of photography or something like that - maybe he's mad at the employee for not doing her job and talking to you so instead just taking it out on you (seen that before!). I don't really see it personally in terms of "perv"? Maybe he implied something more in the talk after work stopped?

Anyways, people do tend to get a bit crazy in this overprotective day we live in. It's amazing how childish and stupid some people can act thinking everything is wrong in the world. I don't see how you did anything wrong, now if you had said something offensive different story - but this just seems someone was needing a fight for the day.

I hope you charged them for the down time, too.

Been there... Except I was fired from my job. Now I don't tell anyone what I do unless photography is specifically related to the job. While I no longer work at a 9-5 job, at the last place I worked I was approached to do a wedding and I turned it down. Never mix photography with your regular job, unless it is your regular job.

I find this amazing. Why in the world would this be seen as something bad?? I mean, heck like you said with rock climbing, it's just conversation between two people! Is is because you're a man? I'm very open about doing photography and looking for models etc. Never any complaints from anywhere, even told work mates about the boudoir shot I did. Some of my friends know that I have no problems with nude photography either, even if I've never done any shoot. But maybe they don't think much as I'm a girl.

But geesh, I keep thinking it's the boyfriend who got jealous and complained.

Yes, with photography people can be very touchy about it. I guess just one or two bad things can happen photography related and now no photographer is trusted.

This week I got approval to shoot a dress rehearsal for a show the dance company at my daughter's high school put on. I do own a legit photography business, insurance, member of PPA, etc. and included all these references in my letter seeking aproval to shoot this and got approval. So I show up to shoot and the person in charge tells me "You know, technically, you are only aloud to take pictures of your daughter". OK. So. I read between the lines and shoot everyone and anyone. She sees me, and does not say anything. So all is well, so far, cross fingers. I gave a CD with all images to the year book staff last night... about 500 images.

I am not too worried about anything negative coming back to me because I went to one of the actual show (with no camera), not rehearsal, the next night after rehearsal and before the show started the same person I worked with, and told me to only shoot my daughter, made the general announcement of the rules of the theater to the audience. The rules announced was, photography is fine but no flash photograhpy, no tripods... as they might be a hazard for people to trip over, and if you are videotaping keep the cameras low to not be bothersome to people around you.

Lacking from the announcement was the warning to only shoot their own child. How can one rule be (attempted to be) applied to me one way but the general public can live to a different set of rules?

This is not the only time I have encountered this. I was once shooting a track and field event at a public school (I had permission) and I had a coach walk right by a dozen parents with cameras over to me with my camera with a 70-200 f/2.8 L IS lens and grill me on why I was there, who I knew, what my intention was with the photos, etc.

I understand public schools being concerned and always make a point to not just show up and take pictures, always talk to someone ahead of time and get permission. I support them on being cautious with our children. But. Why single out anyone. Why different rules for big cameras and not 'other' cameras? Can't they see that bad guys with bad intent can just as easily take images with a point and shoot... many of these 'smaller' cameras are capable of getting images very much like the 'big' cameras.

...oh and I forgot to mention, I gave the person in charge of the Dance show a CD as well as some images (4x6) of some of the shots (many without my daughter in them) and she loved what she saw and asked me if I shoot weddings (which I do). So it sounds like I might be getting a wedding gig out of this.

I think it's the old-fashioned idea still stuck in our heads that "oh, man with big camera and lens = bad". Not many think about the fact that P&S cameras are very high quality and have really good zooms as well etc. Not to mention, it's all digital anyway nowadays, so if someone wants to do something bad, it can be done very easily with a really cheap camera.

Amazing, I've yet to run into any problems but maybe that's just cuz I'm known as a photographer - and it's pretty much all I do. I'm at my old HS all the time shooting away and noone's said a word, usually the teachers or chaperones who don't know me just move out the way. Other HS's they see me coming through with no passes but a 300 2.8 on my shoulder and just wave me by. At most at youth events I had people ask if I was from the local paper - but that's it - nothing negative - not even after saying "they go online through the league for sale".

The only negative experience I ever had was in pro baseball shooting a team 3 days in a row, the 3rd day I forgot my press pass in my car. The manager saw I had nothing and sent his hitting coach over to ask for my pass to be in the dugout area, of course it's in the car so I give him a letter I had on my clipboard - hitting coach says "that's fine, you've been here the last two days I don't know why he's making me check" --- manager flips out, rips it out of the hitting coaches hands and says "this won't do" and tells me to get out. This guys just a major jerk and it's been known since he was a big leaguer in the 60's - you just run into ***holes sometimes. I laughed at him, grabbed my stuff and went to the other dugout - where I was going to shoot from anyways.

The next time we saw him we were going to put up his picture that was in the paper in 1969 holding up 3 fingers for "3 more games" as the O's thought they'd sweep the Mets easily. This idiot was on page one showing 3 fingers and then got beat in the world series, maybe thats why he doesn't like photographers.

Claire wrote in post #4326486
I think it's the old-fashioned idea still stuck in our heads that "oh, man with big camera and lens = bad". Not many think about the fact that P&S cameras are very high quality and have really good zooms as well etc. Not to mention, it's all digital anyway nowadays, so if someone wants to do something bad, it can be done very easily with a really cheap camera.

I think some of it has to do, not with the "oh, man with big camera and lens = bad" theory, but with "oh, man with big camera and lens = professional." I've encountered many occasions over the years where I've been told I couldn't shoot, but others with point and shoot cameras were allowed to take all the pictures they wanted.

And this is why I don't mention that I'm a photographer when I'm in the beginning of the relationship.

Starts a whole cascade of thoughts about you shooting and sleeping with naked supermodels.

DocFrankenstein wrote in post #4332508
And this is why I don't mention that I'm a photographer when I'm in the beginning of the relationship.

Starts a whole cascade of thoughts about you shooting and sleeping with naked supermodels.

Heck, I tell I am a photographer and ask the guy to pose for me...

Claire wrote in post #4335298
Heck, I tell I am a photographer and ask the guy to pose for me...

Must be a european thing.

In the workplace, never approach people. Let them come to you and downplay the event. Be very subdued about it.

Men are potential rapists first and then have to earn trust to be treated as a normal person. Welcome to the 21st century.