How to be Safe as a Model

I asked in my Instagram stories what you wanted to hear about, and model safety was a number one answer. This topic is extremely important, especially for beginners who don't know what to expect. Nothing hurts our industry more than the stories about models who get in unsafe situations, and it ending up very badly for them. It doesn’t excuse the creeps that take advantage of models, but there are a few ways models can protect themselves going in to reduce risky situations. Here are my tips for model safety!

Research the Photographer Any time someone reaches out to you for a shoot, examine their work and determine if you are comfortable with it. See if you can talk to previous models on they have worked with to ask about their experiences with the photographer.

Try to determine before even responding: are they just trying to get you in a room and take revealing photos of your body, or are they creating tasteful and respectable art that you can add to your portfolio and be proud to showcase?

Schedule a Call I recommend making this a requirement for all new photographers or creatives that you work with! Consider this a pre-screening phone call to get a better idea of who you’re talking to and if they are really worth your time. Ask things like what got them into photography, if they plan to have you sign a contract, the when/where/what of the shoot, what will happen with the photos, if/when/how you'll receive payment, and anything else you need to know before going.

If you feel uncomfortable on the phone, or that they have no legitimate answers to these questions, consider that you might have just dodged a bullet!

Know Your Boundaries What do you want and not want to happen during this shoot? Know the answers to these questions first. This is key to a successful shoot not only to avoid bad things from happening, but also to ensure you leave satisfied with your work.

✧ Are you going to get intoxicated? Do so at your own risk of losing judgement. Be cautious of taking drinks in open containers to avoid being slipped something under your nose.

✧ Are you going to sign a contract? Know the terms to look for. "In perpetuity" is a huge one - see if you can get this revised if you don't like the terms. Never agree to sign a contract you are uncomfortable with!

✧ Are you going to be unclothed in any way? Don’t let the other person touch you inappropriately or ask you to take off more than you originally planned. A professional photographer will even make it a point to not touch you because they know this unwritten rule. At the very least, they should ask first.

If you've outlined your boundaries and the photographer doesn't respect them, leave immediately. This is a red flag that they don't respect you as a model.

Bring Extra Safety with You Make sure your phone is charged and keep it close to make any emergency calls when needed. Don't be strayed away too far from your phone - always keep it within reach or where you can see it. If you feel comfortable letting the photographer or someone else hold it for you, go ahead, but be wary that if they are purposely trying to deter you from being able to make a phone call, that could backfire.

If you want to bring pepper spray or even a small weapon to make you feel safe, I say go for it, but stay within your local law restrictions. The goal is to avoid any scenario where you could potentially be locked with someone and have nothing to defend yourself. God forbid you actually have to go through this!

Tell or Bring a Friend If you want to bring someone with you to the shoot, you should always be able to. If a photographer doesn't allow this, it is a red flag. If you don't have anyone who can tag along or you just don’t want to bring anyone, that's OK - but I recommend telling at least one other person about the shoot and where you’ll be. Tell them you’ll call when it’s over, so if they don’t hear from you, they know something could be up.

Even better, if you can share your phone's location with a trustworthy party, do that before going in. Again, be sure to keep your phone charged, so there is no reason it should be turned off and your trusted friend can keep an eye on you while at the shoot.

Conclusion

No matter what, ALWAYS trust your gut. No shoot is worth losing your career or your dignity for. There will be more opportunities! And if anyone treats you inappropriately during a shoot, I highly recommend sharing that with your local model community. You could find you're not the only one to have experienced this, and it could save someone else from the trouble.

Here is a helpful post I found on this topic by @visualshitter:

What did you learn from this article? Do you have any questions or anything to add to this? Comment below!

If you need tips for getting gigs, understanding and writing modeling contracts, or want help starting your modeling career, contact me today for a one on one consultation. ❤