Too sexy for seniors?

[Tommy Scarmardo]

We have received the following anonymous complaint for an ad that we have in a local magazine... here's a link to the online magazine, the ad is on page 28.

"The add for tommy charles photography on page 28 of the Ourlok Fall 2010 issue was most disappointing.
"The Senior Image" as it was titled presents a minor is a "sexpot" manner that I am sure offended many readers.I only hope enough other individuals contact you with objection that you rethink your endorsement of such material."

Despite the fact that we have received numerous raves and positive feedback on this ad, as well as all of our work, and the model and mom are thrilled, there are always a few more "vocal" conservatives that seem to gain the attention, despite their lack of command of spelling or grammar.

Anyway, what do you think? Are these too sexy?

[danchez]

even zoomed in they are hard to see, they seem a little sexy to me, but I'm not very conservative and I don't have a problem with them.

[JohnT]

I think so. Since it's typically the mom & dad who pay for the photos, I would tone it down a bit. What you're using now could definitely be interpreted as too racy/sexy for a high school senior. If I had a daughter that age, I would not contact you. No offense intended but rather my view as a parent.

[kayumangi]

Agree with Dan, too small to say but I've seen more skin than those.

Well you have to accept the fact that Texas is still a very conservative state so you will get similar comments and complaints no matter how you dress it down. As long as there was no malice on your part then I say no worries. Now if you get more than a handful or complaints and those come from your target audience then you better do something about it.

[Tommy Scarmardo]

Originally Posted by JohnT

I think so. Since it's typically the mom & dad who pay for the photos, I would tone it down a bit. What you're using now could definitely be interpreted as too racy/sexy for a high school senior. If I had a daughter that age, I would not contact you. No offense intended but rather my view as a parent.

I'm a father of two very beautiful girls so I can relate It's hard to come to grips with the fact that your little girl is growing up.
It seems that these kinds of images really attract the seniors though and they seem to be our first contact more often than not.

[mmuhlenkamp]

I think they're good images, but if I were a parent I wouldn't pay for those kind of photos of my daughter. I'm sure the seniors like it (coming into their sexuality and womanhood), but I can see why parents would take offense.

I'm a somewhat conservative 25 year-old woman if that helps with perspective.

[BeccaJ]

it is a little hard to see....i dont much mind the style itself for a senior...but that pic alone looks odd. it seems she's barely covered, and it looks a little distorted to the point she looks less covered than she probably really is. perspective i guess. sorry if that doesnt make sense, im not sure how else to word it.

[Tommy Scarmardo]

Originally Posted by mmuhlenkamp

I think they're good images, but if I were a parent I wouldn't pay for those kind of photos of my daughter. I'm sure the seniors like it (coming into their sexuality and womanhood), but I can see why parents would take offense.

I'm a somewhat conservative 25 year-old woman if that helps with perspective.

Mom loved 'em. (Mid forties, goes to my church) I got plenty of shots that would be considered "conservative" but these were their favorites.

[Tommy Scarmardo]

Originally Posted by BeccaJ

it is a little hard to see....i dont much mind the style itself for a senior...but that pic alone looks odd. it seems she's barely covered, and it looks a little distorted to the point she looks less covered than she probably really is. perspective i guess. sorry if that doesnt make sense, im not sure how else to word it.

I understand, some cropping would probably been in order.

[Tommy Scarmardo]

Originally Posted by kayumangi

Agree with Dan, too small to say but I've seen more skin than those.

Well you have to accept the fact that Texas is still a very conservative state so you will get similar comments and complaints no matter how you dress it down. As long as there was no malice on your part then I say no worries. Now if you get more than a handful or complaints and those come from your target audience then you better do something about it.

Yeah, we are VERY careful before any shoot to make sure that no one is uncomfortable with what we are doing. I've actually had moms tell me that they wanted "sexy". That means different things to everyone so we are pretty tedious about defining what they mean by sexy, glamourous, edgy, etc. and we have never had a complaint from a client.

[Shane Jennings]

With all due respect to the technically well-done photos, I'm not writing a check and signing my daughter up for photos like that, especially if they'll be published somewhere.

--signed a loving and very protective dad :-)

[d2creative]

I'm a photographer, I don't have kids, I'm tattooed, I've never been to church and never plan on it, I want to legalize weed and prostitution, overal I'm pretty liberal.... but I agree that those are too sexy for senior portraits. If I had a daughter, I wouldn't want to pay for images like that. Once she's out of the house she can pay to have photos taken however she likes, but seniors are still kids.
That said, beautiful looking pics from what I can see.

[prncfarquad]

I guess I am middle of the road (mind you I have a son not a daughter). The top pic and the bottom right I see no issue with IMO. but the bottom left and middle (I saw the middle on your site) would be a bit too much if it were my daughter.

The reality of it is some people don't mind their daughters dressing/posing like some of your shots and that is their choice. I would think for a main stream ad I would keep it on the conservative side and if the client asked for images that were sexier than traditional stuff then make them happy.

[d2creative]

Yes, i should have mentioned that the middle one is the only one I would have an issue with. The others dont seem too bad.

[SCone]

If you have to ask... then they are... what lead you to use these particular shots for the advertising? do you have there others that are more provacative?