To think the photos aren’t appropriate/too revealing for college work

[ThatsMyPenguin]

DS is 18, he’s in his second year at college doing an Art and Design course, one of the units is all photography based. He’s loving it.
As part of the unit they need to create a mini portfolio of some portraits, landscapes and still life images. There seems to be a fair amount of creative control. He wants to be a photographer so this unit is important to him.

Last night he was working on the computer downstairs and I was looking at his images (he was editing them).
He has taken some pictures of an old school friend (currently 17) in lingerie. They are quite tastefully done (I won’t post them here as like I said they seem inappropriate to me).
Some have been done to look like she is laying on a bed I think and the placement of her hands make it seem quite sexual, another is from behind and the lingerie doesn’t provide much coverage of her behind so that seems quite inappropriate. He’s taken pictures of her which aren’t revealing too, focused more on her face etc. They are much better but he is insisting he will be fine to use a combination and it’s “art”. They are well done I just don’t think it’s appropriate to take pictures like that of a 17 year old!! His college tend to display some of the work too so I’d be surprised if they allow it, DS says they are fine with it but admits they don’t know she is 17.

AIBU to say pictures of this nature aren’t appropriate considering they are for uni and she’s not 18?

Fucking hell. Have you read the Op's posts?

puncheur
That was poor phrasing on my part. I was referring to the images as described on this thread, which a number of posters seem keen to downplay as not a problem.

The wording in KCSIE is
"consensual and non-consensual sharing of nude and semi-nude images and/or videos (also known as sexting or youth produced sexual imagery)"

There's a note that consensual sharing between children of a similar age should be dealt with differently as it's not automatically abusive, but the creation of the images is illegal.

They signpost staff to this on how to deal with incidents

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sharing-nudes-and-semi-nudes-advice-for-education-settings-working-with-children-and-young-people/sharing-nudes-and-semi-nudes-how-to-respond-to-an-incident-overview

Are you new here? Uncouth indeed!

Does anyone else think the laws of sexual age of consent need to be revised? The OP’s son has broken the law here and would be breaking the law further if he sent these images to the girl who is requesting them. However, if the girl wanted to have sex with a 40 year old man who WAS actually a predatory creep and was taking full advantage of her, that would be perfectly legal!

Sex with a much older man is surely much more invasive and damaging than lingerie photos with a long term childhood friend of virtually the same age?

Maybe I am clueless though about this!

DS likes to be different with his art which is why I’d imagine he’s done this! 🙄

Sadly he’s a walking cliche that may mature enough to be embarrassed that he submitted this type of work to be assessed when he’s older.

"DS likes to be different with his art which is why I’d imagine he’s done this!"

LOL, so unique.... taking pictures of a girl in her underwear - never been done before!!

Sorry, ignore me. I seen that he's deleting now.

Wow, a male photographer taking pictures of a girl in lingerie? How groundbreaking. Of course he couldn't possibly submit other photos for his portfolio, oh no, it absolutely MUST be pictures of his mate in her undies. You know, for artistic reasons 🙄

You said that in one of the the photos, the girl is lying on a bed. There's a bed in the college art dept?!

I agree with you.

The idea that a 17 year old can consent to penetrative sex with a 40 year old but is the victim of child on child child abuse if she lets an 18 year old long term friend take photos of her in underwear is pretty rediculous.

I appreciate the the law about images is to protect young people from exploitation, but there is clearly considerable nuance here and the law needs revising to consider that nuance.

All the mocking comments of this lad are uncalled for.

It's OK, were allowed to point out that a man taking photos of a girl in her underwear isn't exactly ground breaking in terms of art ...

Agree with this, Op acted on it and it was resolved. Her son is 18 taking photos of a friend who is almost the same age, it was silly and naive and not thought through. This isn't a 40 year old man taking advantage.

It's grown women mocking a teenager trying to do well in his college course. Obviously he hasn't got ground breaking ideas and is coming out with cliches. He's an 18 year old on an art course. He sounds like a reflective teen from what the op has said. Mocking him is uncalled for.

You'd think that all this would be some of the first things covered.

Especially if he still thinks it would be ok to send them to her even after the tutor said to delete.

No, not appropriate - for the girl’s age and in that further education context.

TBH I’m surprised you need to ask.

@diddl just said this to my 18yo who is doing A Level art and a foundation diploma, both requiring portfolios. I said that, surely, they would give out basic guidance on what is legally not considered ethical as part of the course? If he were doing a food tech or paramedic BTEC, the legal responsibilities around it would be highlighted, wouldn’t they?

However her reply was: but doing revealing pictures of a girl you rather fancy is just a bit weird mum - why would anyone do that and think it was suitable for the portfolio? That’s just going to make the tutors feel super uncomfortable. Ick. 🤷🏻‍♀️

In the nicest possible way I don't really think it's your concern unless of course you think there might be some major Safeguarding issues.
It's his course. Surely what he exhibits is between him and the institution. He's already said he disagrees with you. Now what?

If it's any consolation I would think it's likely he's studied modules around law, consent, internal property, decency etc.

One. Who said he fancied her?
Two. He is on a course with adults, it isn't sixth form, there is definitely a more mature feel to the work submitted by his cohort over all

Quite honestly, I did a level arts and a goodly number including myself included some form of sexual expression such as lingerie photography of one another thinking we were original and subversive. We then justified and explained it with long frilly prose and references. It's just that age. A lot of art pertains to sex and the human body anyway. It isn't inappropriate in my experience, just quite predictable!

Ask does he have good reasoning behind this theme or is it just going to look gratuitous?

I'm not sure if it would be viewed the same these days, sex politics have changed a lot and obviously we can't see the content (youre right not to share it). I don't know about model release forms being needed for coursework, we didn't do this but could be way out of date here.

I'd ask his friend to think through making these images public very carefully if you're in touch with her directly. People will be able to take photos at the end of year exhibition etc.

Not if exhibiting them puts him at risk of being arrested?

And sadly, if you get a tutor or a parent who wants to take issue (after all, if they are displayed her parents may become aware of them) and the police officer on duty who takes the law on this issue very seriously, then he could be arrested. For what? Some photos they simply took for an art project which can be reshot with clothes on…

I’d like to think CPS would be sensible, but I personally know of one 16yo boy who got a record after receiving unsolicited nude selfies from his 15yo girlfriend - and spoke to his parents about it as he was worried… who spoke to hers and the girls’ parents called the police.

He needs to delete them. It’s not worth the risk.

Tutor sounds grim as well “in and out of of the studio whilst he was taking them”. Oooh a very very young woman/girl is having nearly nude lingerie pics taken, think I’ll pop and in and out for a good old shufty.
This whole thing just makes for horrible reading. I’m sure your son hasn’t been malicious or creepy deliberately @ThatsMyPenguin but it’s (exploitation/sexualisation/fetishisation/degradation of women) just absolutely soaked into everything in society isn’t it?
Thank goodness you and her dad noticed what was going on and put a stop to it.

The tutor was in and out helping with lighting/equipment etc. It was his job to be there and support DS (they had others in the other studios which is why it was in and out according to DS)
I'd be more annoyed if his tutor wasn't helping him! The tutor had no idea she was 17!

So to quote you "It was his job to be there and support DS" "I'd be more annoyed if his tutor wasn't helping him! The tutor had no idea she was 17!"

Your DS tutor is assisting his students taking potentially illegal photos of underage girls, as he is not checking their ages. News flash its his studio so he has responsibility to ensure this does not happen, he sounds like he should not hold this position. How many more times has this happened?

If you think you have no moral obligation to raise these concerns with the collage then I despair. Just tell us which college and we will do it for you, unless you want to cover it up to protect your DS obviously.

I’ve posted above and yes the tutor definitely has responsibility to check ages etc.