On July 13, 2025, I got a text from my friend that seemed to be too good to be true.
An all-expenses-paid photoshoot in Raleigh, North Carolina. My friend listed the benefits: lodging covered, airfare covered, meals covered, plus a stipend for a multi-day shoot. She told me she could bring a friend. One detail that immediately made me hesitate was that we would be working for an “Australian swimwear brand.” Even though I am a signed model, I refuse to wear certain garments, staying true to what I am comfortable wearing.
Yet, I wanted to give this opportunity the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I could model more conservative swimwear such as Burkinis. Mostly, I was just curious. My instinct was telling me something was very “off,” and I was determined to get to the bottom of this opportunity. My friend gave me the photographer’s Instagram so I could message him. I asked him for more details about the shoot, including the exact compensation. I kept getting conflicting information from the photographer and his boss based in Australia.
I was connected with the photographer’s boss as well. He called me detailing what I should expect at the shoot. I told him my boundaries straight-up — I would not model bikinis. Immediately, I was met with pushback, with the boss saying that I am not an actual model. Calmly, I said I am, with agent representation. Then, as he kept trying to convince me to model swimsuits, one detail really caught me off guard. He said I would be in control of which images are posted online. He told me I would have to model bikinis, but if I did not want any of the photos published, then my request would be honored. What!?
Models are paid to show off a designer’s creation, and all the photos become property of the photographer, designer or brand; that is the contracted deal. At this point, I had no doubt that this was unprofessional and shady, yet my curious self still wanted to learn more.
After a few minutes of going back and forth, the photographer’s boss agreed to have me model clothing that I am comfortable wearing, but for no pay. I told my friend what I discussed with the photographer’s boss, and she insisted that I text him asking for some sort of stipend, as initially promised. The final decision was as follows:
- A fully paid trip
- Merchandise
- Fashion/Swim shoot
- Top notch work
- All images to be approved by you
- $300
Again, I did not agree to model bikinis, so when I saw that “Swim Shoot” was part of the adjusted “deal,” my suspicions only got stronger. The photographer’s boss texted me saying my friend would be paid $500 because she would be doing a different “type of modeling.” Throughout this entire time, I kept my friend in the loop. She was very concerned and told me that if I decided not to go, she wouldn’t either. She then told me to just speak with the photographer and not his boss. I agreed and called the photographer. I told him what I told his boss: that I would not be modeling bikinis, but still expect to be paid. Interestingly, he immediately agreed.
Then one comment really creeped me out.
He told me to calm my friend down because as I was constantly updating her, she apparently expressed her frustration with the photographer and his boss. The photographer said: “I’m just trying to have a fun time.”
After that phone call, I gave my friend the updates, and she agreed that the comment sounded disgusting. Shortly after, she blocked the photographer and his boss. Immediately after she blocked them, the photographer’s boss texted me, saying my friend was behaving strangely and that he’d be happy to work with me alone. The red flags became a red, gigantic banner!
My decision was final, but just for pure amusement, I continued to ask questions. One of the questions I asked was where exactly we would be staying. Surprise, surprise — at the photographer’s house! At his house? Where there could be hidden cameras everywhere!? Staying with someone we never met? Absolutely not!
Finally, I texted the photographer to give me the website of his brand. Yet another surprise, he told me his team recently took the site down. All designers should have a site for people to navigate to. That is how their products are purchased.
Examining the boss’s Instagram page more closely, the account showed more than 99,000 followers, but each post had likes in the single digits. As a cherry on top, I emailed my agent about this “brand” and told her everything.
She responded saying it sounded like human trafficking. I explained everything to my friend and told her my final answer: I would not be going. I asked if she was still planning to go. Luckily, she kept her word and refused as well.
To recap, the red flags were:
- No brand website
- A weak or “sketchy” online presence
- No specific/unclear details on the photoshoot
- Pay rate is unclear
- Staying at the photographer’s house!
- A gut feeling that something is wrong
The crisis was undoubtedly averted. I made my decision final long before I told my friend, as I wanted to gain as much evidence as possible. The moral of the story is to trust your instincts, ask as many questions as possible and never compromise on your values and boundaries.