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?

I agree; I doubt the college would look favourably on this at all. I'd be surprised if they allow him to use the images after learning of her age. And that's not even considering girl's parents - they would be able to press charges if they find out he's taken and then distributed the images.

OP, I think you need to contact the college on your son's behalf as it seems like he's kept her age from them purposefully. Tell them to have a word now before it's too late for a) him be able to take some different (more appropriate) photos and b) for him to delete the photos so he's not storing and then distributing indecent images of minors.

Is there anything more unoriginal in ‘art’ than photographing a half naked woman?

but obviously the real problem is he is taking sexual photos of a minor!

Regardless of his sexual orientation. The images he has taken, are illegal. Simple enough. What do her parents think? If my 17 year old daughter had images taken of her for display, I would be livid. (Also who ever marks the course) Others will see them. I don't get how as a woman you're are trying to claim these are not sexual. She's in her underwear. It's people like you that are the problems report this to the collage and save your son and this girl. You know if this goes wrong he could end up on the sexual offenders list. Like you have a daughter? How can you not see this is wrong? are you blinded by the fact your son is the one who took the pictures? You need to really pause and think!!! I've never gotten this angry reading a tread before. But honestly your thinking is dangerous and I really hope you see sense. If being in underwear on a bed wasn't sexual, then why are these images not everywhere all the time? Shout out to all the OPs who are advocating for this girl and the wrongs that have happened! We don't even know if the girl gave consent or was pressured into it.

It’s a learning curve OP and if he’s gay I dare say he didn’t approach them with a sexual intent. Unfortunately we’ve got centuries of images which were intended sexually and that colours how we see things now. It’s good that he’s taking on board your advice. ( I would have used a big man’s oversized shirt but I dare say I’m no more imaginative)

he would probably just not use the full body ones and might see if she can come into to retake some

Why don't you ask him if he would like to take some photos of you, save her the bother of having to do it again.

He's confirmed that he hadn't really thought about her age. I believe this, I remember being in sixth form and losing track of who was/wasn't 18.

Hi OP, Ive only really read your posts on this thread and im glad your son is rethinking his style of photography.

If he wants to be different then he needs to use the non stereotypical idea of models in hardly any clothes. That would be a good start.

It seems that he has reflected and listened to you and might just push the boundary in a different way, here's hoping. Its all a learning curve.

Well I don't want to model for him for one and I have a job which would prevent me being there at the correct time.

I think it’s a good challenge for him to re work them using the same model - to fix the problem.

@ThatsMyPenguin So now you know he has not considered her age and may not be deemed legal.

You have still failed to say if your going to act on it, I very much doubt he will inform his collage of this now. You have a duty to protect this girl as you now know the facts or you are just as guilty.

Are you going to inform them then?

I think this is definitely a post to show your ds.

He's sent this message - I think he's figured out his errors and will be changing things going forward!

Inform the college of what? He doesn't intend to use them anymore?
I've literally never communicated with his college once since he started, it's not like school they don't expect us to. He's said he won't use them I don't think anything more needs done.

Good for him! He’s able to listen so he’ll learn. I hope his next set of photos are more imaginative, and successful.

Well hopefully he does then, because your quite obviously one of those mothers that would cover up for your son and keep quiet, its not my problem 🙄

What's with A instead of I?

No I’m one of those mothers who trusts her child. He made a mistake, he’s admitted that and made a plan to rectify it.
I know my son, I know he meant no harm by it (though im not surprised man hating Mumsnet has taken his naivety to mean he is creepy predator).
He’s shown me the messages of the girl saying she loves them and still wants them for herself so I don’t think he forced her to do it.

It's a very bad idea to photograph anyone under 18 in this kind of pose. The college will report it if they know she's a child and that could easily lead to police investigation and prosecution.

I strongly advise him to destroy the photos. The consequences of making and possessing such images could be devastating.

Regional accent translated into text, he does it with a lot of things in casual messages.

If he wants to be an original photographer then perhaps he could photograph a woman wearing clothes?

Lots of teens all over the world seem to do it now. Seems really popular on tiktok. Apparently appearing to be only semi literature is a good thing.

Male photographer taking images of a scantily clad young woman… how derivative and timeworn. 🙄

Gay male photographer taking images of a scantily clad young woman… how derivative and timeworn. 🙄

Still incredibly conforming to the male gaze, whatever his sexual orientation. Gay men still sometimes abuse and exploit women just as straight men do, they don’t get a bit of leeway dispensation just because they wouldn’t have full intimate relations with women.

He needs to ponder using his mother as a model in this scenario, as purely a thought experiment to parse in his head whether the images are sexualised. If he squicks at the idea, he needs to reflect on why that is. He might have photographic and processing skills, but at a conceptual level this is as trite and clichéd as all the male gazey page 3s and soft porn that have gone before, back to when humans developed image making.

I'm wondering what the college would say about one of their male tutors being OK with a 'glamour' shoot of a 17 year old going on - and just how much of this 'it's ART you ignoramus, how dare you insult my motives for showing the purity of the female adolescent/virgin form' bollocks is coming from the older man so his students can source further under 18s for this sort of thing?

He likes to be different with his art. Surely taking pictures of semi naked, pretty young women in lingerie is as far away from different as it's possible to get.

That's unfair. If she was that type, she wouldn't be pushing her son to change photos and posting here