Do Erotic Photographers Sleep With The Models? Living with Demisexual

Sure they do sometimes, but mostly it is pretty rare.

1. There is plenty of consensual sex that occurs at workplaces across the globe. Fashion is no different. Photographers and models spend a lot of time talking and getting to know each other. It shouldn't be surprising that a model might choose to sleep with one of them rather than some other guy she meets in a bar, restaurant, through friends, church, etc. You spend all day connecting with someone, there is a lot of trust there, and it is more likely to happen.

A lot of fashion photographers are successful, money making and charismatic. Many photographers are also cool young people. It would be a misnomer to consider all of them older ugly men preying on young women. Many of the models are single women, new to the city who are looking for both friends and relationships.

2. There is definitely a lot of room for sexual coercion in the fashion industry. This applies to everyone (agents, designers, other models, club promoters, etc) and not just photographers. When you put a lot of young people into a group with older people, there are always lots of problems (Church, Boy Scouts, swim team, gymnasts...all made headlines in the last decade). Add in the lack of parental supervision, young models in foreign cities, desperate people trying to get ahead....and you have plenty of bad stories. This is true for both female and male models. Further, there are definitely serial sex offenders in the fashion industry. There have even been some headlines over the years.

The Model Alliance has done some research relevant to this subject:
http://modelalliance.org/industry-analysis

On the flip side, if you are a photographer looking to sleep with models, then you should first do some soul searching about why and what kind of person you would like to be. I suggest you be a nice genuine person, and in time some hot woman will actually like you.

Yes, but it's fairly rare. Sometimes it's consensual, sometimes the model is coerced due to naivete, but with agents making sure their "products" (cynical, but true) are always in good shape, literally and figuratively, the girls always have a modicum of protection. Agents WILL hear about your shoot. It's unwise to do something unethical. Having said that, not every agency gives a damn. Sad.

What's far more common is photographers who coerce models into getting nude for shoots where it wasn't previously discussed or agreed to. As in, "hey I booked you for this fashion shoot, and 'surprise!'" The models, usually just starting out, need the photos, so they don't feel like they can leave, or they think this is normal, appropriate behavior. But as I said before, if you book the model
through an agency, they WILL hear about it, and it's a good way to ruin your career. I've heard stories about photographers getting blacklisted from multiple agencies because of shady behavior.

Edit: And again, not every agency gives a damn. Some of it depends on the shoot concept, the photographer, and the project/usage. Thankfully, I've really only encountered ethical agents.

I understand being around many attractive people, the higher the rate you would maybe want to sleep with your clients/ coworkers so, the likelihood of that happening is greater. But, first off it's a profession. It's your line of work. In any line of work you keep it professional, meaning, you’re punctual, you do your work well in a timely, maintain hygiene, your attire is clean and neat, you respect your coworkers, etc. Part of being a professional is also maintaining respectful boundaries with clients and coworkers.

Although you may find someone attractive and want to sleep with them, it will only happen as long as it's consensual on both ends and you aren't crossing any boundaries personal or professional. Think about your job. Just because you find someone attractive at work doesn't mean you're going to sleep with them or even attempt to. If you both want to you then you take appropriate steps.

I'm sure there are probably some photographers that do this but, I doubt any serious photographer who does that for a living is sleeping with many if any of their model clients/ coworkers.

I have personally observed that models (NYC women’s fashion models) frequently date men in three categories: Other models, Rock and Roll musicians, or Investment Bankers. I’m not trying to be cynical or snide. I have just observed it with enough frequency that I took notice. Photographers generally do not fall into those categories.

Models are woo’ed by men of all stations and success. Photographers likely have only more intersection with them professionally. There is not necessarily linkage socially, or at least any more than other professional pursuits.

Another factor is that a new fashion model arrives on the scene and becomes popular or successful typically at the age of 18–21yrs. Many who don’t find success in this period find other pursuits. So there is a constant renewal of fashion models age 25 or younger.

Photographers arrive in the market post-college at beginning level approx age 24 and take 4–6 yrs to gain success in industry. There is a natural age gap. Photographers typically have longer careers and therefore increase the age gap. Nothing says that a couple won’t cross the age gap, but it is an undeniable factor.

If the question is if intimate contact with models is expected or common, then no. If the question is does it occasionally happen, then yes.

Not usually.

A photoshoot is generally a work event. Both the model and the photographer are working. Just because one of those people might be less dressed than usual, it doesn’t mean that they are going to stop working all of a sudden and get it on.

I shoot nude, topless, implied nude, and fetish photos regualrly with a wide variety of models of all ages and body types. Some of them I am personally very attracted to, others maybe not so much, but with all of them, they have the expectation that I’ll do my work in a professional and respectful manner. I have developed friendships with some of my frequent models, but there’s a firm line between our social lives and work lives.

Obviously people are humans and might decide that the middle-aged dude with the ratty t-shirt and medium format camera is really the guy of their dreams, but neither of us are there primarily to find a date for the night, we’re there to work.

Yes and that's what irks me about Conde Nast publications, home of Vogue, teen Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, GQ, Conde Nast Traveller and a gazillion more. These publications love to get on their righteous high horse and preach about feminism, racism and politics, etc. But their head photographer has been forcing underage models into “sex for a photo shoot”. He promises to make them a star, he has then starve themselves and he has them shoot for hours and often days on end and gives these children alcohol in an empty stomach and drugs like methamphetamine and heroin to stay awake until they pass out. Remember the heroin chic trend? So many girls have come out with testimonies- literally since I was a little girl (I'm 53) and he's still at it!! Leaving suicidal, anorexic girls damaged in his wake, thinking they couldn't cut it. This is a known secret in the fashion industry but he's that good at his job so they look the other way or call it “the nature of the business”. And yet they preach. Conde Nast is the devil and the devil wears Prada honey.

Both models and photographers are human beings, so it may happen that there is attraction from both sides.

What SHOULDN’T happen is photographers acting unprofessional and taking advantage of their work to sexually harass people.

There are cases such as the latter even in the “elite” of fashion photography.

If you listened to the news lately, you’ll know what I mean.

Ah, ah, ah… It’s funny how there are so much prejudices about photographers. Models do not sleep with photographers nor will they sleep with the taxi man, the banker or the electrician (unless they have a crush or fall in love).

Thinking that models sleep with photographers is like thinking that ladies sleep with the plumber when he comes to fix a tap.
This is purely fantasies and prejudices.

Most animals know better than to “poop where you eat”

Some photographers end up dating models.

Many fauxtographers use photography to try to date models.

Never a good idea.

I’ve had many models want to date or hook up.

If they really want to and I’m interested, my suggestion is we never work together again.

Personal life and work life should be separate