Stephie and her son HERE

The rest of the serie on my site HERE

Nice shot as always Francois. It is totally different that your other posts yet is very definitely in your style. Good to see you back as I've missed your work
John

My wife and I were looking at this shoot and she let me know quickly that in this country, you'd go to jail for this content. She works for Child Protective Services for the state. And due to the age of the child I'd remove this if I were you. Don't mean to be an ass, just looking out !

Pirate wrote:
My wife and I were looking at this shoot and she let me know quickly that in this country, you'd go to jail for this content. She works for Child Protective Services for the state. And due to the age of the child I'd remove this if I were you. Don't mean to be an ass, just looking out !


Yup.. You are being an ass and I see nothing wrong with this, it almost looks like a protective and loving mother with a child... but I guess its just me

Charles

OK, I'll play. If she is just being a protective mother, why do they both have to be nude

To be honest, I wasn't thinking along the lines of child porno, but I'm sure it could be construed to be.

All in all, not a huge fan of the image, takes the erotic quality out of Francois' work and gives it an awkward spin.

just my take on it

greg

I loved looking through the series and others from your website...

The model seems to pop up alot in your work... wonderful look.. and she so versitile.

I particularly liked the 'petit diable' image... the childs expression makes that shot!

Ok so be it, I'm an ass, and I am certainly not going to exchange insults with you. But I do know the law in these states and this is a violation. On a personal level I have no opinion one way or the other. If you are in favor of this take a similar photo and take it in for processing, I'll send you cigarettes.

Pirate wrote:
My wife and I were looking at this shoot and she let me know quickly that in this country, you'd go to jail for this content. She works for Child Protective Services for the state. And due to the age of the child I'd remove this if I were you. Don't mean to be an ass, just looking out !

There is a huge difference between art and porn...you and your wife must spend a lot of time looking at porn and wouldn't know art if it bit your ass. When was the last time you were EVER in a museum...not the musuem with naked dinosaurs but a fine art museum with painting by the masters from the 16th and 17th century...there are several works done in nudes of women and children....what about the Madonna and the Christ child? fb101s work is art and nothing less.

Have you seen any of James Nachtwey's work? One of this country's pre-eminent photojournalist, his nudes tells a story as only he can tell it.



Edited by pziasd on Aug 31, 2006 at 07:28 PM GMT

Edited by pziasd on Aug 31, 2006 at 07:37 PM GMT

Pirate wrote:
Ok so be it, I'm an ass, and I am certainly not going to exchange insults with you. But I do know the law in these states and this is a violation. On a personal level I have no opinion one way or the other. If you are in favor of this take a similar photo and take it in for processing, I'll send you cigarettes.


Sorry Scott,
Sorry to come off a little harsh.. actually I was being sarcastic because you said in your thread to "call me an ass".. but I was just playing, but I honestly don't like a government agency like child services, they have way too much power and no one to answer to if anything goes wrong.. here in Florida they are still "missing" many children who have been in the system for years... So don't take it the wrong way, just a hardened Constitutionalist giving his two cents (nothing against your wife.. just who she works for)

come on pziasd, if you'd read my post as it's written you'd see that I really am not casting judgement, only stating a fact. In this country, a child of this age can not be shown in the nude. Check with your photo lab, and your personal attack is not neccessary, no one is arguing taste here, I simply stated a fact. So grow up and stop the insults, it certainly does not become you.

But the child isn't being shown 'in the nude.' Yes, he's not wearing any clothing, but there is nothing 'inapropriate' shown in the picture. I can see that it could be taken badly, but I don't see how you can castigate fb101 for showing a nude child when he didn't. By this standard you shouldn't be allowed to show children at all, because they're naked under their clothes...

edit : or this post that's on the first page as well...

Edited by tsaraleksi on Aug 31, 2006 at 08:35 PM GMT

Well, maybe you should take a walk down to your local Borders and pick up a book by Jock Sturges or Sally Mann. You will see a lot more than what he just showed in this beautiful picture. Great work. I loved your site.

Pirate wrote:
come on pziasd, if you'd read my post as it's written you'd see that I really am not casting judgement, only stating a fact. In this country, a child of this age can not be shown in the nude. Check with your photo lab, and your personal attack is not neccessary, no one is arguing taste here, I simply stated a fact. So grow up and stop the insults, it certainly does not become you.

I accept your apology on behalf of fb101.

Thanks.

Great photo...mother and child expressions, composition and lighting.
Best wishes,
Marek

Maybe it's not the "content" that's in error ... but it's the pious, bizarre, quasi-puritanical attitudes we've all allowed to be fostered about such stuff from within the U.S.A.

I'll tell ya: I vote "conservative" because I feel that's the government's obligation - to run a "tight ship" as far as spending MY tax money. But this nation is floundering and looking like an idiot to the rest of the world with it's constant whacko right-wing, knee-jerk vocal reactions from dip-sh*t, loud-mouths such as Jerry Falwell (and others) being allowed to spend way, WAY too much time in the national political spotlight ...

The image is beautifully done, beautifully compose, PERFECTLY lighted and is a fine example of maternal love - shown as art.

There. My 2 cents. Keep the change!

Rgds,

This is definitely my last word on this post, but I could not help but wonder, I've been a member of this board for just a year now and I have learned two things. One being that anytime a member on this board offers an opinion that differs from the majority then all hell breaks lose and that person has to tolerate name calling, belittlement, chastising, and more from the majority of this board. I have not ever figured out why, why it becomes so personal that folks have to lower themselves and sling mud to people they don't even know. I have had enough of this behavior, following this comment I'll move on. This is no longer a place that I care to be. One more thought.... in my year here I have seen many nudes, but not one of you (at least to my knowledge) have posted shots of your wife and child, hhhhmmmmmmmm ?

but not one of you (at least to my knowledge) have posted shots of your wife and child, hhhhmmmmmmmm ?

My child wasn't born from my current wife. Therefore ..... you wanna talk about k-i-n-k-y!!!!

Child's mother should be shot alright - but not with a camera!

=

Rgds,

I have to say...this is why I miss Europe so much.... You can't do much in the US without fearing being charged with something... Personally, I live with fear that one day, something I say or do will be misinterpreted and harm will come to my family in the process of "ensuring the well being" of my kids...

It's like we have taken paranoia to the extreme.... I looked at the whole series of Francois' pictures and saw nothing but great art.... most of the dirt is really in the mind of the people that see or imagine those type of "thoughts" in everyone else... Hell, I come from Spain and I should know...The Inquisition did some damage, and it was all "for the sake of the people, purity, sacredness, etc. etc."....

It is true that a photolab would probably call cops if you sent the film for development, or sent orders for prints, etc. but you see, they would not care that the photos don't show the kid totally naked, they would think something of the likes of "well, the kid was being abused because he was being asked to strip, in front of adults, etc. etc. etc. " nevermind the woman in the pic is his Mom...

And by the way, I also miss France... the French Riviera is definitely a place where you can relax...away from the inquisition, the thought police and the repressed...

In case anyone is wondering, I would be the first one to put a bullet in the brain of anyone that did anything to a child (I have three daughters), but by God, the last thing we need is mental dictatorships...

Francois, keep it up...you, fortunately still live in a place of openmindedness...

We Americans are often uptight and easily offended, bravo to our European friends for being less so. For me, a lack of clothing in no way signifies pornography. If there were obvious sexual intent, either through expression or action, I would feel differently. As it is, a mother protecting her child (even sans clothing) is a beautiful thing and in no way, what-so-ever, erotic. Nice photo.

First Off: Fantastic Shot!!

Second:

Who F$(*&% ing cares what matters in "these states" - the photograph was not taken there.

Third:

As someone who did a brief stint at an over-the counter pharmacy type photo lab- - this would prob raise an eyebrow of the stoner kid developing the photos, unless a photo contains sexual interaction between people (ie home photos of sex) nudity is just considered art and fully printable.

Americans -- (i count myself too) are seriously becoming quite pathetic and winey.

Wow! These are powerful!!! I love the series. One of them where the mother is holding the child arched back and looks "sleepy" or "unconcious" looks very similar to classical art of Mary holding Jesus.

The whole discussion here makes me laugh!
It is a great image and only distorted minds see something in it that is not there !
I think America is a wonderful country with great people and some of the best photographers, but being a European, I often wonder how you guys let your minds be poisoned by minority groups that want to dictate you what you can see, think and do

Johny

PS. Keep up the good work francois, later today I am in Paris and will enjoy it as always!

I find this image disturbing. The child is much too old to be used in this manner in contrast to a nude mother and baby picture that is much more natural.

I, personally, do not have a problem with this shot. I think nudity is natural and there is nothing sexual about these photos. I believe they are works of art.

In the United States, people have been arrrested, jailed, and had their children permanently taken from them for far, far less.

There is no law in any state in the US that forbids a mother and son to be nude or to be photographed in a non-lewd way.

I just had a long conversation with my father who is a lawyer. YES HE'S SURE.