Naked truth of shoots exposed

• Source: Global Times
• [08:37 August 23 2010]
• Comments

Dong boasted that the waidiren, or the non-Shanghainese models work an average of more than a dozen sessions weekly, earning him a healthy sum of at least 22,000 yuan ($3,240) per week, discounting private shoots, for which the number of requests vary daily.

In between nude poses for the cameras, however, one of the subjects admitted that she was hardly a professional model, having never received any formal training for the job.

Skepticism meets the eye

According to Lin Lu, an associate professor and the director of photography at Shanghai Normal University, the nature of these kinds of photo shoots are very suspicious, and should be met with skepticism.

"When the photographers and the involved parties participate in legitimate nude photo shoots, everyone is required to sign an agreement, which basically states that the photos taken can't be sold for money, or publicly released," he told the Global Times Sunday. "As with any business organizers need a license to operate, and the models and photographers should all be professionally qualified." 

Meanwhile, Yang Shaogang, a lawyer and the director of Shanghai Shaogang Law Firm, said that anyone caught spreading photographs of nude models online face at least three years of jail time for disseminating obscene works.

A challenging chase 

The obstacles in making a case against the activity, however, remain a challenge as seen with the ongoing investigation involving Yan Fengjiao, who rose to fame after nude photos of her first began appearing online in May, after which the 21-year-old eventually admitted that she used to pose nude for such shoots. The photographer, who leaked her photos, has yet to be caught by authorities.