Some great questions being asked on my AMA (Ask Me Anything!) on reddit.
I actually get asked this a lot, especially by younger guys. I think being 45yrs old really helps in this situation as I have a lot of experience, control and a much lower sex drive than when I was younger. When I shoot I use a grid overlay so what I see through the viewfinder is a heavy black grid which helps me to line things up and get the shot. IE: I’m actually working my ass off to get a good composition at all times.
IRL I often criticise other photographers for uploading whack shots to Instagram with my close friends. I mean whack as in crap. Being a professional graphic designer my whole career has helped me to have a sharp eye and respect the grid. It’s clear as day for me to see when a photographer has little to no idea what they’re doing by just checking out their shots and seeing a horrible lack of composition. A lot of these guys get a shit tonne more followers and likes than I do, but I put that down to the fact that they’re just posting boobs and ass.
Being a creeper is on you really. The industry is pretty small and reputation goes a long way. Everybody talks and you can’t hide anything these days so if a model gets creepy vibes, or has a creepy experience with a photographer you can be guaranteed that she’ll talk and the news will get out there.
Models often tell me of bad experiences they’ve had with photographers. I’ve confronted two of these photographers (I couldn’t help myself) and asked them if they masturbate to the photos they take post shoot and both of them have admitted that they do (I’ve not spoken to them since!).
Find more questions and answers on my reddit AMA: https://www.reddit.com/r/casualiama/comments/ivghtb/im_a_full_time_professional_photographer_that/