Should this photo be allowed in a yearbook?

Looks like a lot of the yearbook photo shoot pix that I'm seeing over on FB these days (mostly from the centre of the US). The parents are posting the pix, saying they love the photos of their daughters.

I don't get it, but I don't get most of the looks from any other generations' school photos (older and younger). Luckily most of the yearbook pix from years back have disappeared - the internet has changed that - these pix are going to hover around people for yonks.

hahaha

what a surprise. I agree with hamburgboy's take on it.

They did say she could use the photo for her "senior ad" which, I assume, are the paid for pages at the back of the yearbook where kids can write a personal message.

I've taken enough senior photos to know that they are no longer the standard headshot, very few schools require that anymore. People have yearbook shots done with their pets, their cars, their musical instruments, their sports equipment, just about anything you can think of.

There is no denying that this girl is pretty. I'm sure she's pretty when she's not trying to be so seductive too.

Honestly, I think part of what bothers me is the haphazard outfit. If the shawl thingy had not been wrapped around her arms I might feel very differently about the whole image. The mismatch in the styles and fabrics makes me think that perhaps this was something she was persuaded to wear, possibly by the photographer.

I know how photo sessions evolve.

And I'm come across some really creepy photographers.

Her outfit isn't too different from what we see in photos from one of the posters on the yabber-liner thread. I think it's some kind of 'look'.


yearbook photos ...

there's always this approach






and a mighty mighty collection

http://badyearbookphotos.com/page/5

I'll be back in a week or so

Another thing I'd like to add, if that's OK ....

And that's what the purpose of the year book/end of year magazine (in Oz) is ... (I've been editor of quite a few in the schools I've worked in)

(In Oz anyway) it is meant to focus primarily on one year at the school. A lasting record of that year.
Including life at the school, what happened that year, all sorts of achievements, students' writings & other contributions & a record more "social" events & fun, too. And the photographs & articles included would usually reflect that, obviously.

The subject of this photograph is a very pretty girl (everyone at her school knows that already) & any photograph of her in the year book would no doubt show that she is. But I suspect the school would not want to encourage people (complete strangers even) viewing the year book to be sorta lusting over images of any of their students & commenting on their "hotness" .

I did a little photoshopping to see if it was the pose or the scrunched up, skimpy top that only seems to cover her nipple area. I think it is the scrunched up, skimpy top.

Does the larger top area make a difference in your opinions?

Photoshopped version:



Original:

No, the additional coverage doesn't help much.

It still has a very porny look to it.

Boomerang makes a great point, that hadn't completely registered with me but once she said it it became obvious, about the weird non-matchingness of top and bottom.

It looks like she was wearing a more or less normal outfit -- a short yellow skirt (I have skirts that are not so different from that) and then a top of some type -- and then the top came off. The scarf thing seems to be some sort of prop that was pressed into service.

I agree with ehBeth that I do see lots of modelly yearbook photos. Most of them are not nearly as bad as this one but it's still far from the usual headshot school photo. Lots of beautifully lit outdoor shots, that could be either modeling portfolio pictures or the cover of a debut album.

Mostly agreeing.
It's the pose, for me & the "come-hither" look, not the brevity of the top so much.
I can't see many (any?) schools OK-ing any of their students presenting themselves like this in their yearbook.

Boomer, earlier you mentioned that this girl paid for this photograph to be published as an "ad" at the back of the year book. An "ad" as in an advertisement?
If so, do you know what information was included, do you know?

Hey Frank.

The above, which I agree with 100% is most of the reason.

I don't like it. It doesn't really scream highschool to me, unless it's the soft porn version...
I have quite a few kids of this age on my facebook. Relatives, friends kids, and so on. What strikes me the most about this particular generation is their need to self-promote. Almost everyday, I see uploaded pictures, mostly of girls, posing in front of the mirror at home or at school, alone or in groups. Series of photos, sometimes 30/40 in one go. Seriously, if I see one more girl with the tuna pout, I'll scream.. lol
Maybe it's because they all carry a camera phones. Maybe it's because their whole lives have been recorded. Most of the photos are terrible too. They are blurry, bad lighting... the girls look like crap, not attractive at all, but, but!! they keep putting them up. Like it's glamour shots by Annie Lebowitz or something. Even when they're drunk or the shot is completely embarrassing, they put this stuff up themselves!!!
Nothing is sacred. Nothing is private. At that age, my friends and I would have been mortified by most of this stuff. And they don't care who sees it. I'm sure this girl is completely confused by the rejection. I'm sure her friends can't understand and are outraged. But the parents... Seriously?
I think the school should set some standards. Cause it's only going to get worse............

Totally agree with you Ceili

To continue that thought, younger people have always been impetuous.

That is the nature of their brains at that point in life.

However, marry that with the ability to instantly put up photos, etc online is going to cause a lot of regrets sooner or later.

I think she is on her way, which I'm not all for.

I don't like high schools as promoters. Years from now, she may seem a victim, which she may be already.

Alternately, I can always listen to matters re personal rights. This time, I'm registering a no.

Remember my story of living next door to a playboy bunny of the year? she killed a guy recently (apparently, don't trust me for details). The one time we talked, I liked her.

Yeah, the "here's my ass stuck out for you, come and get it." look

Is that person a slut too?

She’s a very pretty girl that has a lot of growing up to do, apparently so does her parents.

Listening.

Speaking as a photographer I can say with some certainty that the people you see and declare beautiful are NOT the same people who photograph beautifully. Some people who photograph beautifully are not at all what you would consider beautiful, or even attractive.

And, as a photographer, I know how easy it is to be "seduced" by someone who photographs beautifully.

I know how easy it is to fall in love with an image you've created and how you can convince the participant to love it too, even when they shouldn't, because "you're the photographer and you know best....."

There is something about this photo that bothers me very much. It just feels to me that someone is exploiting her. It could be her, her parents or the photographer. I don't have any idea. I feel a little bit scared for her, if that makes sense.

I'm glad the yearbook rejected the image and I think in a few years she'll be glad they did too.

Yes! Exactly!

Chai, she probably isn't a "slut".
She's just grown up in an entirely different culture than most of us would ever experienced anything like, as young people.
Part of that culture is to be up-front about your physical attractiveness in what seems to us, a rather exhibitionist way. I agree with quite a bit of what Ceili said about the tediousness of the self-obsession ....
I'm not saying that projecting one's youthful sexiness & attractiveness endlessly is an excellent thing, but that's the reality for many young people today.
And there are all sorts of reasons for that.
The point is that many of them would see little wrong with it.