Know Your Rights! The Dos and Don'ts of Distributing Intimate Images

Creating intimate images through boudoir sessions is a beautifully private process for many people, but it’s likely you’ll love the images and be interested in sharing some of the content you make online. The internet is a vast place, and there are many ways that sharing too much can come back to be a problem.

Suppose you decide to distribute your intimate images online or to specific individuals. In that case, there are some important factors to consider to ensure that you don’t end up in a messy situation. Whether your images are intentionally shared by you or someone else or not, there are many factors to consider.

Here are some of the critical dos and don’ts to keep in mind.

The Do’s

Choose Where You Share Carefully

Even with its many benefits, social media makes many aspects of life more complicated. Choosing to post your photos online means that others will be able to see, share, and possibly upload your pictures to other locations. Is this something that you are comfortable with?

Even if you hold some rights to share your images, not everyone online will respect those boundaries. They may share your images on social media platforms where you do not wish to have those images. In this case, you may have the intimate images removed, but sometimes the damage is already done.

It is essential to consider where you share your intimate photos and who has access to them before hitting upload. As long as you are aware of the risks, however, go ahead and share away! It’s beautiful to be able to recognize how amazing our bodies truly are.

Consult Your Photographer

Do you plan to distribute your intimate images online for your job, hobby activities, or other means? If so, consult with your photographer about usage rights, crediting, and any relevant issues.

We’re happy to work with those hoping to use their boudoir images for their work, but we do require a different type of contract when setting up these sessions. All legitimate boudoir photography studios will have similar policies in place.

Before leaving your final photo review session, make sure to discuss distribution procedures with your photographer to ensure there aren’t any miscommunications down the line.

Know What You Are Doing When Sharing

When sharing boudoir photos, remember that you are offering access to a private part of yourself. While we find these types of intimate images powerful and beautiful, not everyone is comfortable allowing just anyone to see them.

Would you be comfortable with your boss accidentally coming across one of your boudoir photos online?

It’s important to ask yourself these questions before you share anything. Even if you only share the images with someone you trust, it is always possible that they will be shared by that person either intentionally or unintentionally. Get comfortable with potential concerns before you move forward sharing intimate images. 

Consider Legal Help

Your legal rights matter. If you fear that your rights are being infringed upon or want to consult with a legal representative, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced Chicago law firm for further guidance.

This is especially important whenever your images have fallen into the wrong hands or when someone that you previously trusted is sharing intimate photos of you in an attempt to get revenge. In many areas, this is illegal, and you can take action to stop this from occurring.

Don’t be afraid to consult with an attorney and find out what your options are. Many firms will be able to help you have intimate images removed from online platforms where you did not personally distribute the pictures.

The Don’ts

Whether or not you choose to share your photos online is up to you, but there are things to consider if you decide to do so. Review these don’ts before you make any decisions; it will help your long-term safety. And remember, you can always ask us for advice or opinions about what it’s like to share boudoir online!

Don’t Work With Nonreputable Photographers

Before you even consider whether or not you want to share your intimate images online or with someone, you want to make sure that your photographer keeps your photos safe. Only work with reputable boudoir photography studios that do their part in protecting your privacy.

When booking a boudoir session, you should receive a boudoir agreement and model release. These forms will go through the expectations, procedures, and distribution rights associated with any photos created. Through these documents, you can decide whether or not your photographer can share your images and where they can share them.

Additionally, make sure to ask any photographer that you are considering hiring how they store your photographs. Are they kept on a physical hard drive with encryption, or are they held in the cloud? It’s up to you what you are comfortable with, but it’s important to be informed. Reputable photographers will have no problem sharing this information.

Don’t Engage With The Individual

If someone is harassing you by sharing your intimate images online without consent, ask them to remove the images but do not contact them any further. The longer you engage with their unfair behavior, the more likely they might be to continue their actions.

Stop talking to them. Move forward with contacting the platforms where your images are being shared, local law enforcement, and maybe even an attorney to help you solve this issue. Giving into the individual illegally sharing your pictures is not going to do anything helpful. Talk to those who can assist instead.

Don’t Let Anyone Scare You

If you have decided to share your boudoir photos online, don’t let anyone scare you out of it! While it is vital to be well-informed about what posting intimate images online consists of, it’s also incredible to do just that!

We find it beautiful to share the beauty that our clients share with us with the world. When given permission, we can do just that. If you are ready to show off what makes you feel beautiful, go ahead and do it. There’s nothing that should stop you.

Additional Resources

What does consent look like? -Helping Survivors Advocacy