Saturday, November 26, 2005
ARTIST WOES
I received a few emails that posed the same question: Why I photograph so many men? The short answer is I photograph guys because that's who contacts me most. When I shoot women it is normally for a magazine or some other commercial endeavor and the results get whisked away by the advertisers or client. What does that mean? It means there is more paid work out there for women and not so much for males. So for you aspiring male models out there, your portfolio and composite can be "kick ass," but it doesn't mean you'll get bookings. This is just the way of the business. Women are in demand for everything from fashion to porn.
Does this mean that you guys should give up? No, of course not, but this fact should tell you not to give up your day job. Many of the guys you see pictured in this blog weren't shooting for fame in fashion. They sought careers as nude models or porn performers. Another revelation that the average porn viewer doesn't know, but female porn performers earn more money than the men. Personally I don't see why this disparity exists, but it does. The final question guys in porn should ask themselves is why they allow themselves to get underpaid and over worked?
So what are these artist woes that encumber me? I've addressed the first one which really hasn't caused angst. What unnerves me, and has for awhile, happens when I receive an email from stalker, or someone who has malicious intent in mind. Just 2 weeks ago I received an email from someone using the name Ken Ritchey. He claimed to be a new model who couldn't afford my services and wondered if I would consider a TFP shoot (that's trade for print). His email was curt with just two questions: What is your studio address and how do you shoot nudes outdoors in the winter? Perfectly innocent questions, right? Not exactly. When I hadn't responded to his email due to my busy schedule, this guy sent another email. It read:
Why the mystery? Why won't you tell me where you are located!
I responded to both of his emails by asking him to tell me more about himself and what he was looking for. His response was exactly the following:
"You shitless prick. You got away this time, but I will find you and hunt you down. You shoot disgusting sinful nudity!"
It occurred to me that this person wasn't playing with a full deck, but I always play it safe. I immediately forwarded his email to the proper authorities along with his IP address. I received an email from his ISP which purportedly was Comcast. The Comcast rep said that the email account and IP address had been spoofed, and was bogus. So word of warning to my fellow artists. Be careful in this day and age of ultra conservatism. This era has brought out the zealots and book burners. If there is anything we must fight to maintain it is our freedom of artistic expression. Let's not let the zealots force us into the caves where they dwell.
Peace unto all.
No visuals this day.
¶ 4:15 AM
