Can I sue a photographer?

Question

This guy at my college said that he needed me to pose nude for him for a photo assignment in his art class. I said ok, but only if I could get the negatives. He took some pretty graphic angles, but when I got the negatives they were for a farm house or something. Can I sue him? He is not a professional just a fast talking junior.

Answer 1

Do you have anything in writing? If not, it will be difficult to obtain the negatives because you'll pretty much have the chase him down.

What you should have done is found out who his Art Teacher is and gotten the written consent of an adult.

If he ever tries to sell those pictures with your likeness you may have a case. That's the reason why clips shown on the news will fuzz out the faces of people whom they haven't gotten written consent for.

What will make it difficult is that you were posing in some lewd positions, which may make it difficult to prove non-consent and that you were unaware.

If you were to take him to court and there's no writing, his legal defense could try to make it look like you're just some spiteful woman trying to get back at him and that you were fully aware of what you were doing.

If you did get negatives of that farm house and it was mailed to you, you might have something on him in court if it's got his name and address on him. However, it would still be circumstantial evidence. That's even assuming you have his real name and address on the envelope it came in.

It would hint that some foulplay is involved. However, as I said, it would still be circumstantial.

If you try to sue for the negatives, you have to prove that the negatives even exist. The only way the negatives can prove that they exist are if they surface on the Internet somewhere.

You could try filing a police report so it's on file. Even though they won't be able to prove its existence, it would make him think twice and be more careful. He's probably expecting you to do nothing thinking you're unintelligent.

Another thing you can do is go to the School Newspaper and ask for help on writing a story about guys like him. Even though the newspaper wouldn't be able to prove anything directly, they can interview you and try to get a statement from him.

It will also create public awareness at the school. If he's done it to you, it's probably not his first time. From the way he manipulated you, he sounds too slick and experienced for you to have been his first.

If you have a news article printed in the paper publicizing it, there may be other women whom he has also scammed into taking pictures.

If he's pulled the same crap on them and handed them pictures of "farmhouses" as well, all of you women that got screwed over can band together and form a class action suit.

If it's just you, it's difficult to prove. However, if you've got two or three other girls that had an encounter with him, can recount the same lines that he used on them, and (better yet) show that he mailed you negatives of farmhouses, chicken coops, or ridiculous pictures that have nothing to do with them, you'll have a stronger case.

It'll show that something fishy is going on because why would a whole bunch of attractive women who all had encounters with this guy complain about nude pictures for art class and all have negatives of things that don't pertain to them.

That's how you can bring him down. That's why it's necessary to step forward and publish a news article. It should give a list of tips on what women should do to get proof that it's a legitimate art project, how to make sure those negatives remain in the care of responsible adults, and having things in writing.

If you want, you can try establishing a connection with someone at the School Paper ensuring that an article will be written and threaten him. If he's smart, he'll cough up the negatives.

However, if you really want to blow him out of the water and make sure he doesn't pull that scam on other people, you should really have that News Article written up on guys like him.

It's still a good Article Piece to warn other women like Freshman or girls who don't think about stuff like that not to fall for that stuff. You'll be educating other females and saving them from having to go through that.

There are people who pull stuff on women and rely on the women never stepping forward about what happened to them. It leaves it open for those predators to victimize other women. By making it public, it will make people be wary of him as well as other "photographers" using the same scam.

You should commend yourself on having stepped forward to seek advice so that you can be armed with knowledge and be able to help others from getting scammed the way you did.

Answer 2

OMG are you serious??? WOW, OF COURSE HE is a horny guy just trying to get something to masturbate on, in an art class they would never ask for graphic pictures like that, you can talk to the police and try to get it back but HE MIGHT have put them on the internet already

Answer 3

Yes; sue him for the negatives.

But be aware the publicity may be more than you bargained for.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Yes, but it will cost you - and you may not win because you consented. He was not honest with you. Can you talk to someone at the college - a dean, his professor?

I am sure you don't want to admit this your parents, but maybe you need to ...


iRONiC (below) had some great advice for you - Good luck to you and please know we all learn by our mistakes....

Answer 5

You can report him to the dean of the college. There must be a code of ethics while attending the school.

Answer 6

You may sue anyone in the world - whether or not you will win is another matter!

Answer 7

yea u have to sue him i mean its embarasing if he puts u on an innapropriate site which he may so yes sue I would

Answer 8

Nope. Don't be so naive anymore.

Answer 9

You can try. You really should of been smarter.

Answer 10

yes, i would say.