How to Tell Photographers “NO!”—By a Photographer

How many times have you been in a mall or a public place, and you catch people taking “creeper” photos—that is, photos taken without asking first? I’ve been in this situation many times before, usually protecting my friends and clients from this phenomenon. But how do you prevent it?

Take Control of the Situation

Remember that, as the subject, you are in control of this situation and that you are withdrawing consent. The models are always in control in my shoots. If I have an idea, but the model doesn’t want to go for it for whatever reason, I move on. A photographer is not allowed to force a model to do anything they don’t want to do. If they try, don’t let yourself be pressured into it.

Don’t Be Shy—Be Assertive

When saying “no,” you can’t afford to be shy. As a photographer, I’ve had to learn how to do this to get the shot I need for my project. Those photographers—whether they’re creepers at a mall or professionals getting a snapshot—they are going to be assertive as well. They want that shot. Match their assertiveness. If they’re bowling people over to get to you, march right up to them and explain that you don’t want your photo taken. If they’re shyly raising their phone to get a shot, it’s usually enough to just say no politely.

As a side note, if a professional or self-proclaimed professional photographer takes these creeper photos, run. Not literally, although you could. Feel free to rat them out in public! This is a no-no, and any professional should know to ask first, pictures later! It is a warning sign that this photographer may not be who he seems, and will screw you over in the long run. If they insist after you’ve withdrawn your consent, report them to the proper authorities.

Educate

The final step to saying no: educate them so they won’t do it again to anyone else. They key to stop a phenomenon like this is education about the issue.

The person taking the creeper shot might not realize that what they’re doing comes across as creepy or can be dangerous. In fact, they probably don’t, and they’re probably not even thinking about it. Explain that 9/10 times a person in the fashion will stop to take a photo if asked. And for that other 1 time, the person taking the photo needs to respect the person’s decision and move on—otherwise they’ll be seen as infringing on personal space, and no one wants that. This doesn’t have to take long; it can be short and simple, such as, “Please don’t take our photo without asking. We deal with it a lot, and it comes off as creepy. But we’d be happy to pose for a photo if you want!” Then you can be free to resume your life. Education doesn’t have to be tiring.

lightningsavage

Kal from Lightningsavage Photography specializes in creative portrait photography for J-Fashion enthusiasts and more. He has served as the J-Fashion event photographer for Oni-Con 2016–2020, as well as fashion shows, meetups, and personal shoots. He is also a co-owner of Kuroshiro Kawaii. You can follow him on Instagram at @lightningsavage_photography and @kaldec_

He is currently into visual kei and EGA fashions.