Baby and bathtub photography

[3bayjunkie]

I recently took a really cute photo of my two year old son while he was in the bath. My wife read an article where social services took the kids away from the parents for a similar occurrence just because the wrong person reported it. These were not showing any private pars or anything that would make you think it was porn relates.

Ive seen other professional photographers with photos of babies in a tub or just a naked baby laying down. So why i it such a big deal and who says what is ok and what isnt?

 

[Jaemie]

It's ridiculous when stuff like that happens. I was naked all the time growing up (hey it was the 60's-70s) and my parents took a zillion photos and had them developed and no one ever gave it a second thought I'm sure. One of my favourites is from when I was about 11, totally naked and covered in body paint in some design I thought was cool. We did stuff like that. It was fun! My mom still brings it out and shows people and we all have a good laugh.

Geez... if I posted that photo here, they'd haul my butt to jail - and it's me! *le sigh*

 

[3bayjunkie]

It's ridiculous when stuff like that happens. I was naked all the time growing up (hey it was the 60's-70s) and my parents took a zillion photos and had them developed and no one ever gave it a second thought I'm sure. One of my favourites is from when I was about 11, totally naked and covered in body paint in some design I thought was cool. We did stuff like that. It was fun! My mom still brings it out and shows people and we all have a good laugh.

Geez... if I posted that photo here, they'd haul my butt to jail - and it's me! *le sigh*

Unfortunately they would probably try to haul your parents off to jail. There was a movie made that was based on a true story. An old lady has baby pics in a photo album of her kids who were all grown up now and they tried to get her for photos she took 30 years ago.

So my question is, where is the line drawn? We all see the commercials with the naked babies on tv. But for some reason if the babies are in a bath it is un acceptable. I shoot film, so obviously i got them developed and printed, but seriously, where is the legislation on this?

 

[Jaemie]

Unfortunately they would probably try to haul your parents off to jail. There was a movie made that was based on a true story. An old lady has baby pics in a photo album of her kids who were all grown up now and they tried to get her for photos she took 30 years ago.

Dear god. o__o

So my question is, where is the line drawn?

I imagine it depends on a variety of factors: the "nature" of the photos, context, what the kids are doing, jurisdictions and cultural norms, current levels of hysteria about the matter, etc. Then there is the whole "art" vs pornography issue and what constitutes the latter, legally and otherwise. But just a baby in a bathtub? That seems so innocent, doesn't it? I suppose people with an agenda will make an issue where none exists, however.

 

[table1349]

If your name is Jerry Sanduskey you might want to re consider those photos.

 

[Jaemie]

If your name is Jerry Sanduskey you might want to re consider those photos.

Well, duh. Lol.

But the OP makes a great point and asks a serious question. Unfortunately, I see no clear guidelines for this sort of photography. It's scary, frankly.

 

[jake337]

Depends on what part of the world you live in and what the photo is used for I guess.

Picture of a naked, half dead kid, in a 3rd world country = OK.

Picture of your own naked child, healthy, at home = not OK.


The above statements are purely sarcastic.

 

[paigew]

I don't know. I think it is really rare for parents to be questioned about an innocent nakey pic of their baby. And when they are questioned nothing usually comes of it.

 

[paigew]

Also, doesn't social services have to investigate every claim they receive? So some mad family member could 'report' them or, yes, a photo lab employee and ss would HAVE to go check it out?

 

[3bayjunkie]

Also, doesn't social services have to investigate every claim they receive? So some mad family member could 'report' them or, yes, a photo lab employee and ss would HAVE to go check it out?

Unfortunately ss has done some pretty shady stuff as far as taking kids from innocent parents and then them havin to fight in court to get there own kids back. Its really BS and makes me mad!

weddings and portraits www.colbyjack.com

 

[NIKON365]

This is interesting, I was just having a conversation about Sally Mann a few days ago, and all the grief she got for images of her own kids. She received a lot of grief for taking innocent photos of her children being kids and having fun. It amazes me how many people find her images an those in similar context, offensive and view as child pornography.

 

[paigew]

Also, doesn't social services have to investigate every claim they receive? So some mad family member could 'report' them or, yes, a photo lab employee and ss would HAVE to go check it out?

Unfortunately ss has done some pretty shady stuff as far as taking kids from innocent parents and then them havin to fight in court to get there own kids back. Its really BS and makes me mad!

weddings and portraits www.colbyjack.com

yes ss has done some shady stuff. and it isn't all photography related. my point is, I don't think it is a big deal to take naked pictures of your kids if it is done in an obviously innocent and loving way. If you are questioning it, it is probably not appropriate. But if you look at that bathtub pic and think "awwww look at my baby" you will be fine.

 

[o hey tyler]

Unfortunately ss has done some pretty shady stuff as far as taking kids from innocent parents and then them havin to fight in court to get there own kids back. Its really BS and makes me mad!

weddings and portraits www.colbyjack.com

Stop spamming with your site. It's already in one thread, and your signature. I am pretty sure that's plenty of appearances.

 

[amolitor]

In the USA the standard is something like "sexual content" so if your baby has accidentally struck one of those "stripper" poses that all parents know perfectly well their kids do, you probably don't want to print that one. If genitals are prominently visible, you probably want to skip those too.

Innocent baby pictures, innocent little kids running through the sprinkler, these are in general fine.

Community standards and the occasional crazy zealot in a position of power can still make your life miserable, though, and exactly that probably happens a couple of times a year here in the USA. You'll eventually be ok when you finally appeal to a level of court that has one shred of sense, but it will be a miserable and expensive year or so of your life, and the crazy person who did it to you will not be punished one tiny bit. That's awful. Still, you're more likely to be hit by lightning than to get caught up in one of these things.

 

[BlueMeanieTSi]

We've come so far in this society!