Should I be PO'd?

[David Whatley]

I have been in the photography ministry at my church for about 2 years now. Mostly that involves shooting baptismal about once a month or so. Well I havent been called on in about 3 months and got to wondering and found out today why. Seems the main photographer didnt know himself, so he asked the person in charge. They said I was "on hold" because someone complained about my website. More specifically, the maternity shots.
The thing that chaps my a$$ is I dont mind playing within the rules, but I would like to know what they are. And if no rules are given in advance, how about letting me know when I brake one, instead of letting me try to figure it out on my own.
Thoughts http://www.thecovenantstudio.com

[Flea77]

Unfortunately their taste may dictate their pocketbooks. I have never understood why some people can not get it that the photos you take (websites you design, etc etc) are what the customer asked for. Do they blame your customers? Of course not, they blame you. Very sad.

Allan

[CaptainTom]

I won't get all religious, but I'll say that whomever complained is not being very Christian.

[miffed67]

^^ People that get offended over something like that usually aren't. The pics are gorgeous, btw!

[Colyn]

As a Christian your church expects you to abide by certain "denominational church" rules. When you don't live up to their expectations they perceive you as being "not Christian".

While your work is good it's not what they think is pure and holy...therefore you get punished...it's called passing judgement...

I left the denominational church for this very reason..

My advise is to find a church that accepts you for who you are and not what you do..

[ChristopherCoy]

on a side note.... that website and theme look REAL familiar. I see Miss Dorthea is treating you well! LOL

[Jeff_Green]

There are some people within "the church" who are more conservative than others. Some are more easily offended than others. Some hold stricter beliefs on what is inappropriate than others. Which one is right and which one is wrong and who is to say?

I have encountered this numerous times and I am sure I will encounter it again. I have been confronted about pictures I have taken before and I take it with the intent they gave it. I appreciate their concern and will weigh what I feel to be right or wrong.

The church has a right to determine what they feel is inappropriate in their eyes. If you are someone who does work for them and others will see your website as a result, they can make that call. I would not want my church linked to images showing a lot of flesh, even if the women are pregnant. Not because it is porn, or whatever, but because I would want to do what I can so others don't link the church to what could be construed as inappropriate.

Make sense?

[mmuhlenkamp]

I can see why someone from the church would have a problem with the maternity photos, but they should have said something so at least he could rectify it (pull the photos down or put up a warning before viewing those photos). They just stopped calling him in though without explanation when it was fine before.

It would chap my a$$ too if some rules were made up partway through and I wasn't told.

[Doubletakes]

Originally Posted by mmuhlenkamp

I can see why someone from the church would have a problem with the maternity photos, but they should have said something so at least he could rectify it (pull the photos down or put up a warning before viewing those photos). They just stopped calling him in though without explanation when it was fine before.

It would chap my a$$ too if some rules were made up partway through and I wasn't told.

+1 (can't believe how long it took me to find the plus sign)

[SpeedRacerSlots]

Hmmm.... how to address this one, since it gets into church, religion and church politics...
* depends on the church
* depends on the minister
* depends on the conservativeness level of the church
* depends on how deep the contribution pockets are of the person complaining

I shoot pictures, I shoot pictures at my church, I am one of 3 leaders of the AV Tech team at my church and I see church politics items like this come and go all the time.

Bottom line, someone got their britches in a bunch, probably when they went browsing and looking for a photog to do some family shots, pointed out their objections to someone else, and so on... thus leading to a person that always tries to make a mountain out of a mole hill...

Sorry that happened, but I would definitely take it up directly with the pastor or lead minister of that area or both... and nip it in the bud from your side.

[Rson]

Sucks. Some people just are not happy with their own lives and thus make hell for others. Hold your head high and stand up for your work.....which is GREAT.

[texkam]

they should have said something so at least he could rectify it (pull the photos down or put up a warning before viewing those photos)

Even if he does HE still believes shooting them is fine (I do too, even though I don't personally get into that whole maternity thing), so it sounds like he needs to find a different church. Sigh, I scratch my head over religion.

Should I be PO'd?

No, saddened.

[Jeff Lane]

I'll jump in from a Baptist point of view. David, I emphathize with you, but I can also see the church's side, SORT OF. The Apostle Paul speaks at great length about eating meat sacrificed to idols, not because it was wrong (he says outright that it isn't) but because some less mature, uptight Christians might take offense at it in the culture of those times (believing that the false god might somehow defile the meat). I don't think the photos on your Web site should disqualify you from full inclusion in the faith, nor from full service to your congregation. But if they're afraid of someone being offended, I can see that they might be tempted to make up rules on the spot. Having said that, they have a responsibility to tell you privately beforehand, and in a redemptive way. They clearly fell short of doing that.

For what it's worth, I'm a member of a Baptist church in Oak Cliff. We don't make an issue of alcohol like most Baptist churches would. Heck, one of our ministers has an open pass to use the kitchen at Eno's (by the way, a GREAT place for upscale pizza in the Bishop Arts district) to brew beer. We don't advertise that fact in the church services because some members wouldn't appreciate it, but we don't shy away from mentioning it in the Young Adult Sunday School class that he and I team teach, either. But our little congregation feeds more hungry people than any other single food pantry provider south of the Trinity River in Dallas County. And we have a ground-breaking and terrifically effective ministry to mentally ill people living in the flop houses all over South Dallas. And (bragging a little here) that church may well be the best place I've ever seen to actually put your hands on the true Gospel by serving others.

Christians so hypocritical. I once attended a Baptist church in another town that expelled a member when he opened an Italian restaurant that served wine. I then brought a motion at the same business meeting to expell Jesus, because he manufactured the stuff.

I wasn't welcomed back, either. Go figure.

[jeffro20]

Such a shame that some can find sin in the beauty of motherhood.

[andyz]

For the time being it looks like you'll need to spin off maternity to another site, or decide if you want maternity or baptisms in your list of shoots.