Photographing a 16 Year-Old Girl

To the OP

Sounds like you are a straight up guy and i would not think you have any bad intentions.

Unfortunally there are a lot of jerks out there with cameras not thinking and doing inappropriate photography with minors. They have really screwed things up for photographers.

You have to establish your own lines and decide where you are going to draw the boundries. From my own personal point of view, minors dont come into my studio with out a parent present. End of conversation. And ive had to tell many moms,,NO, shes still a kid and I think the shot is to big for her. Ive ticked off a few moms. But i simply dont care.

Do yourself a favor and talk to some real modeling agency reps that work with young models and know what they are looking for and know where the boundry lines are. Most photographers dont have a clue.

jenirose3 wrote in post #11737834
As the parent of a 6 yr old daughter you are the exact person I warn my daughter about NOW. I'm not accusing you of anything. I don't know you from Adam. But as the PP stated the fact that you are approaching a 16yr old and are on FB with her sound exactly like the signs of a pedo grooming to me. You may be the complete opposite. I dunno. But there is not a rats chance in hell I would take the chance with my daughter. No way. No how.

If this was my daughter and I found out you were chatting her up at work and on her FB page. My very large and rather ominous husband would be paying you a friendly visit. If you continued I would definitely file a report with the police. I'm sorry if you think this is extreme but I would never even risk [even the teeniest tiniest bit] with my daughter.

And your husband could be arrested for harassment, stalking, or assault if he got physical.

No police department is going to accept "friending my daughter on facebook and asking her if she'd want free portraits" as grounds for a report worth an arrest.

I don't see any problem if you accidently met this girl on the street and asked if she would like to model for you. And if she said yes you would ask for permission from her parents.

But reading your OP I got bad wibes. First checking her up at work and then added to facebook. If I where you, I would forget about this girl, go shoot other girls and upload those shots to your facebook profile, maybe this girl will ask you to shoot her after seeing your other pictures. You can even say in your status that you are looking for models to shoot.

I am a manager at a shop and have several employees, and recently an older guy has been approaching one of the younger girls at work. He came in ones a week asking for this one girl, talking to her and started of quite nice. but in a couple of weeks his talking got more and more intense, and this girl is starting to get the creeps but still is polite to this older man. I told her that he keeps coming because she is so polite to him, but she says she doesn't know how to tell him to bug off.

So I tell everyone at work to let me know the next time he is my shop. And then I approached him and asked if he was the one thats been talking to ****** (name of the girl). Yes he said, he was the one. I gently told him that she was uncomfortable with his approach and that I would like him to talk to another employee if he actually had som business in my shop. He understood what I meant and said he knew he was to old for her, but she was so nice to him and she looked so beautyful. He could be her grandfather. Haven't seen him since the talk. And I am glad I confronted him at that stage.

This is probably not a problem in your case, but this old man didn't know he gave her the creeps before I told him.

Very interesting thread.

ThomasOwenM wrote in post #11735309
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I'm gonna sleep on this. It blows my mind that some people instantly equate photography with molesting kids regardless of the type of pictures being taken.

I don't think anyone said anything at all around those lines. If I were to shoot a minor, I would not do it without a release form signed by a parent and I would insist on a parent present at the shoot.

As a high-school teacher I am very cognizant of being along with minors. All it takes is 1 false accusation, and I could be very well done. I would think the could very happen to a photographer who had an accusation levied against them.

The protection is for the photographer just as much as the minor.

Marius B wrote in post #11738485
This is probably not a problem in your case, but this old man didn't know he gave her the creeps before I told him.

If she agrees to do a session, the parents agree to a session, and everyone signs papers, then it's NOT OP's situation and your story is irrelevant.

Your guy came in and started hitting on and harrassing your employee. That's not the same at all as engaging in polite conversation then photographing with all legal issues covered.

If OP's girl declined the offer and he kept after her, then we've got problems. As of right now, we have little more than a forum thread full of paranoid people who don't know how to work with people under 18.

bigland wrote in post #11738492
If I were to shoot a minor, I would not do it without a release form signed by a parent and I would insist on a parent present at the shoot.

No one has said otherwise, but plenty have said OP is a creep for even talking to this girl at all (even going so far as to say they'd intimidate him if they were the parent), while others tell him that photographing anyone under 18 is a no-go entirely.

These off-the-wall analogies are irrelevant.

Telling a coworker she's "hot" has been forbidden for 30 years. That story has no relevance here.

Stalking a young girl at her job has been forbidden for even longer (Boaz had to watch his butt around Ruth 3000 years ago, and she was even a widow).

My daughter just turned 24 yesterday, but it's not as if I've forgotten when she was a teenager.

This is okay. The OP's problem was being too tentative and un-businesslike in the first place. You have to be friendly, but you don't have to make friends. Introduce yourself, present your card, tell her you'd like to photograph her, ask her to give the card to her parents and have them contact you. Done. I'll repeat: You don't have to make friends with her first...or ever, for that matter.

cdifoto wrote in post #11738313
And your husband could be arrested for harassment, stalking, or assault if he got physical.

No police department is going to accept "friending my daughter on facebook and asking her if she'd want free portraits" as grounds for a report worth an arrest.

Trust me with all of the 20/20 - Chris Matthews reports, etc I don't think I would have a problem convincing the police to investigate an adult male photographer chatting up a 16 yr old girl in person and on FB, asking to take photographs...even if the said investigation resulting in nothing his reputation would be in ruins.

Hey guys this is 4 pages long now.. did the original poster take the pics yet?
Where’s the popcorn, this is getting good..

jenirose3 wrote in post #11738588
Trust me with all of the 20/20 - Chris Matthews reports, etc I don't think I would have a problem convincing the police to investigate an adult male photographer chatting up a 16 yr old girl in person and on FB, asking to take photographs...even if the said investigation resulting in nothing his reputation would be in ruins.

They'd need something to go on first...like specifics of the conversation that point to the potential for illegal behavior.

Good luck ruining a photographer's reputation. You sound very vindictive. I find it rather sad. You could also be subject to a defamation of character suit.

I don't worry about threats from people like you. They're baseless and ultimately just bully tactics.

RDKirk wrote in post #11738558
These off-the-wall analogies are irrelevant.

Telling a coworker she's "hot" has been forbidden for 30 years. That story has no relevance here.

Stalking a young girl at her job has been forbidden for even longer (Boaz had to watch his butt around Ruth 3000 years ago, and she was even a widow).

My daughter just turned 24 yesterday, but it's not as if I've forgotten when she was a teenager.



This is okay. The OP's problem was being too tentative and un-businesslike in the first place. You have to be friendly, but you don't have to make friends. Introduce yourself, present your card, tell her you'd like to photograph her, ask her to give the card to her parents and have them contact you. Done. I'll repeat: You don't have to make friends with her first...or ever, for that matter.

100% agreed.

But if you do become friends, that's not illegal either.

cdifoto wrote in post #11738506
If she agrees to do a session, the parents agree to a session, and everyone signs papers, then it's NOT OP's situation and your story is irrelevant.

Your guy came in and started hitting on and harrassing your employee. That's not the same at all as engaging in polite conversation then photographing with all legal issues covered.

If OP's girl declined the offer and he kept after her, then we've got problems.

First of all I don't know what he talks about with this girl. I guess you must talk some to let them know about your photography, and facebook profile. Maybe she was the one asking questions I dont know. And I am not sure this old guy at my store was not polite, actually he was very polite, and if he was talking to one of the older ladies at work this would not have been an issue. There are some things you can say to a girl at your own age that you can't say to a girl alot younger than you.

All I wanted to say was that maybe she only was polite with him because he was a customer? Again I am not saying this is the case here, but I want the OP to think about it.

But as you start your reply, If she agrees to do a session, the parents agree and papers signed there is no problem. The problem is if the photographer has misunderstood the situation and he gets a rumour as a creep

To the OP: I don't mean to be negative here, just a normal thought proscess of opportunity vs risk vs consequense. You are the one with all the facts and you will know what to do.

I am in the same situation, just starting to shoot people other than friends and I have now sent a message via facebook to a girl studing Makeup Artist that if she needs a photographer I would like to get the practice by shooting her work.

A good many cities have anonymous hotlines now days, and if you have a name and a script of what seems like is going on. ( it depends on the size of the town and the mood of the person answering the phone )

As for a good throw down!
Misdemeanor, maybe a class c felony, $188°° fine and maybe there Dr bills if any.
Done it more than once, I was just smart enough to make them throw the first swing and let it connect as proof. You just need to know the right insult to make them swing.
Most of the time laughing at them does the trick.

There is no US rule saying you can't take photographs of a minor, you don't even need permission to do so, if done from or in public areas or access frommm yada, yada, you can reed the rules in the " Photographers Rights "

Perception is another story and the one that causes problems.

A ticked off boyfriend, jealous girlfriend, some adult hear her bragging to one of her friends.
- An anonymous phone call, to a hotline or the PD front desk.

OP, you stated your concern when you started this thread, if it was not a concern, then it would be a (what).
You even mentioned the fact there would be no bathing suit or nude shots involved.

If they went through your system and found this, and you FB imagine what they would think.
Worse yet if she is the only one in that age group you FB with and far be it, should it not be about the business of photography. If any of it in the slightest looked like flirting.

Common since should have told you to involve the parents after the first hello or two.

That you have not yet done so and still state that your are going ahead with your plans could be more for them to read into. ( as you have no business game plan in play to help show the fact you are on the level ) perception for you so far is not in your favor.

Look at IT from the other side and see there thought path.
Someone out there new to the law side, looking to make a name for their-self and you the perfect pawn.

You want to make a portfolio for senior shoots and want to show your best work.

Photographer, why don't you photograph one of your family members or a friends teen?
- What so special about this girl that you have chatted her up on facebook and flirt with her where she works.
Do you have a thing for her or what- Photographer??

And man careful how you answer there questions as they are designed to have no correct answer.

Is the above an extreme? Yes it is Very. -Would it happen? That only time will answer.

Best policy is to have the parents involved, appropriate forms signed, and have a parent in the studio at all while you are taking the shots. Problem solved.

Again, Minors do not get into my studio unless a parent is present. If a parent is working and cant be there, a friend must accompany her. Actually the friend is a good thing because they kind of play of each other and the expressions can be priceless.

In this day and with all that goes on in this crazy world.. you are out of your mind if you dont take precautions--- ask any male teacher at a high school. And ask a male teacher who was accused of something and was later found to be innocent of the charge. Its just not worth it.