Professional Trouble

Professional Trouble
Professional Trouble Professional Trouble

Can a girl under 18 have professional photos done?

like in lingerie, or swimsuit.
maybe i'm thinking a little too in depth. with whether or not it would be considered pornography.
i'm just curious, i wouldn't want the professional photographer to get in trouble.

Let me preface my answer with a caveat; the correct answer depends on local custom and mores as well as the climate of the times. Sensual images? Certainly. Sexy images? Depends, Sexual images? Probably not. More than anything it depends on "intent". I certainly would not take on such a project without discussion with both the model and the legal guardian and a release. Swimsuit images or appropriate lingerie would be a possibility (think Sears catalog shots). Nudity or non-age appropriate lingerie would be a definite no.

A classic example would be the work of David Hamilton, shot sensual images of younger women in classic sensual and semi-clothed poses. At the time his books were published in the 70's, his work was highly regarded, it's now considered obscene in many US jurisdictions. It was all shot in Europe, with chaperons and consent forms from guardians, local mores were not the issue.

A more recent example? The scandal over the Miley Cyrus photos by Annie Liebowitz for Vanity Fair; I still suspect the whole "scandal" was manufactured to give the aging teen's career a booster shot. The images were very tastefully done but not appropriate for a 15-16 year old.