Dilemmas

Dilemmas

Well, I’ve just resolved one dilemma. That’s the one where you have pictures of someone who’s died, and you’re not sure whether it is ethical or respectful to use any of them ever again. I thought about it, and decided that the best tribute to a professional model is to continue to post good pictures of her. But every time I look at a picture of Stephanie Dubois, I miss her presence in the studio or on location. I miss the unbending intellect that she brought with her. And I miss someone who I couldn’t reasonably claim as a friend but who was a close acquaintance.



There are other dilemmas – what to do when a model asks you to delete some or all of the online images you’ve taken of her. It’s a bit easier when the shoot was time for prints, though it still hurts a bit: when you have paid a model fee, and there’s a signed model release it’s a hard decision. Strictly, you don’t have to do anything. But if you believe that one should be kind to everyone, and perhaps if you care about your reputation, it’s rather easier. Shrug your shoulders, remove the pictures, and muse that one day you may depend on the kindness of those who owe you nothing.



Even then, it’s not as if the pictures have no value. So often, you will have learnt something about taking pictures, processing pictures, working with other people, or just about life along the way. Anyway, it feels like a good excuse to celebrate a life well lived with a few more pictures of the woman who lived it.