Sally Mann great photographer or glorified child pornographer?

[unpopular]

It is not the nudity that is the problem, it's how the nudity is being presented.

The *only* things which these images:

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=naked+baby+in+bathtub&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=gYADT4KpBqGgiALe6OmCDQ&biw=1081&bih=802&sei=hYADT5rmF4TYiALGxbytDg

and the majority of these images:

http://www.google.com/search?client...Q&biw=1081&bih=802&sei=ZYADT4CHJsOWiQK81ti-Dg

have in common is the fact that both contain nude children.

 

[MTVision]

Neither Nudity or ART should ever fall under either Religion or Politics.. that is the problem. Just as Religion should never be bedfellows with Politics....

as Cloudwalker and I pointed out.. the narrow minded outlook on Nudity is usually based on religious propaganda that seems be integrated into many American's from childhood on. It is almost strictly an American viewpoint.. although many Islamic countries have similar taboos.. again, based on religion, rather then logic and free thought. (Cloudwalker.. I apologize if that is not what you meant!)

Very true. My boyfriend tried to tell me that nude pictures of my 2yo is considered child pornography. It's sad.

I worked at a photo lab in 1999 and some women was reported because she took picturess of her naked kids running through wildflowers. Some lady recently was reported by Walgreens for child pornography. Everything was eventually dropped but her kid was even removed from the home! How sad is it that we can't take pictures of our own children?

A pedophile is going to be attracted to kids no matter if they are naked or in clothes.

Paige - the US still isn't comfortable with breastfeeding. Your photo probably got flagged because someone on your friends list reported it. I have pictures like that on my FB. People in the US also think its wrong/gross when you breastfeeding past 6 months. In every other country the recommended minimum amount of time for breastfeeding is 2years.

 

[unpopular]

Paige - the US still isn't comfortable with breastfeeding. Your photo probably got flagged because someone on your friends list reported it. I have pictures like that on my FB. People in the US also think its wrong/gross when you breastfeeding past 6 months. In every other country the recommended minimum amount of time for breastfeeding is 2years.

I think most americans are comfortable with breastfeeding, but those who are not are extremely obnoxious about it.

But maybe that's just my disturbed liberal brain talking again.

 

[cgipson1]

Paige - the US still isn't comfortable with breastfeeding. Your photo probably got flagged because someone on your friends list reported it. I have pictures like that on my FB. People in the US also think its wrong/gross when you breastfeeding past 6 months. In every other country the recommended minimum amount of time for breastfeeding is 2years.

Make for MUCH healthier and happy children!

 

[cgipson1]

Paige - the US still isn't comfortable with breastfeeding. Your photo probably got flagged because someone on your friends list reported it. I have pictures like that on my FB. People in the US also think its wrong/gross when you breastfeeding past 6 months. In every other country the recommended minimum amount of time for breastfeeding is 2years.

I think most americans are comfortable with breastfeeding, but those who are not are extremely obnoxious about it.

But maybe that's just my disturbed liberal brain talking again.

Dont get me started! (lol... about the obnoxious nosy people... not your disturbed brain!)

 

[unpopular]

I know you're a communist sympathizer, gipson. no need for clarification.

 

[cgipson1]

I know you're a communist sympathizer, gipson. no need for clarification.

hahaha... NOT! I think Unpopular will laugh his butt off at this! Merely an agnostic free thinker...

Edit.. Oops.. I goofed! I thought someone else posted that... not our local Anarchist!

 

[jowensphoto]

I do believe that pedophiles seek these images out, but that is not the fault of the photographer

Sorry, I have to respectfully disagree. That's like saying that a person who drives drunk and kills another motorist is not at fault for driving drunk because they didn't intend to hit the other person. If you put these images out there, then you are de facto "at fault." You may choose to disagree.

I could not view these images. Sorry. Not my cup of tea.

I agree with what you're getting at; it's enabling. As a mother would not want completely nude photos of my daughter on the internet or printed.

 

[TMuhammad]

I will admit that they are very edgy and border on indecent, but they do invoke intense debate and emotions and isn't that what all of us photographers hope to achieve with our photos? Or is it just basic shock value that has us talking about it? I'm sure that that is part of it, but I think that there is more to it than that. But to each his own....I'm interested in what parents think about them

And if you look at her other works(body farm especially) you'll see that she has a portrays a dark view of the world

 

[paigew]

I will admit that they are very edgy and border on indecent, but they do invoke intense debate and emotions and isn't that what all of us photographers hope to achieve with our photos? Or is it just basic shock value that has us talking about it? I'm sure that that is part of it, but I think that there is more to it than that. But to each his own....I'm interested in what parents think about them

And if you look at her other works(body farm especially) you'll see that she has a portrays a dark view of the world

Thats all fine and dandy about wanting to make statement, invoking emotions, or creating a 'shock value' by the use of photography. What it comes down to is, is it appropriate to use minors/children to do so? And at what cost to the children? As mothers/fathers our job is to protect our children, not to use their naked bodies to make a statement.

 

[unpopular]

to use their naked bodies to make a statement.

You've hit this right on the nose. Children do not have the ability to consent to the thematic content of these images - to use a child's body to convey a political or social agenda to which they are not capable of understanding is inherently immoral. I would go even as far to say a parent who consents on the child's behalf is acting equally immoral; parents ought to side on caution when using their children to promote even remotely controversial ideas.

Every time I am offered a release to allow my child to be used in promotional purposes, I always decline or add "non-commercial purposes only". This is not because I have a problem with his speech therapy clinic using his image on their facebook page, but rather because I have a responsibility to protect his privacy.

 

[rexbobcat]

The images are very good, regardless of ethics or morality.

It's too tasteful to be pornography in my opinion. Her images were not created for the sole purpose of giving visual, erotic pleasure to the audience (or at least that's what I assume).

 

[rexbobcat]

to use their naked bodies to make a statement.

You've hit this right on the nose. Children do not have the ability to consent to the thematic content of these images - to use a child's body to convey a political or social agenda to which they are not capable of understanding is inherently immoral. I would go even as far to say a parent who consents on the child's behalf is acting equally immoral; parents ought to side on caution when using their children to promote even remotely controversial ideas.

Every time I am offered a release to allow my child to be used in promotional purposes, I always decline or add "non-commercial purposes only". This is not because I have a problem with his speech therapy clinic using his image on their facebook page, but rather because I have a responsibility to protect his privacy.

I'm sure National Geographic totally agrees with this view.

 

[Dominantly]

Am I now on some list for having clicked a couple of those links?

 

[unpopular]

I'm sure National Geographic totally agrees with this view.

Oh come on, photographing nude children within their environment where cultural norms accept it is not at all the same thing. I've already discussed this.

It's too tasteful to be pornography

So what about met-art?

Beautiful Naked Women And High Quality Erotic Images: MetArt Erotic Photography