Gh Photographer Attempts To Sleep With Model, Tries To Destroy Her Career When She Refuses

UPDATE: We will further like to update our readers, that the matter has been resolved between the model and the photographer, and that the story wasn’t sent to us by the model, but upon our own discovery of the matter. We would also like to emphasize that the ethos of our article was not aimed at this case in particular but a reality of the limitations of models who encounter any such acts, irregardless of how true the situation is. Thanks, feel free to continue reading.

Roughly four weeks ago, a Ghanaian based Nigerian model Afi, took to her facebook to write a post that slandered the behavior of a said Dereck of photography brand FrameItGH. According to the model, the failed attempt to engage with the model sexually turned him into an enemy where he continued to sabotage the models career with various clients as written by herself in the embedded facebook post below.

In case what was written above wasn’t clear, apparently upon failing to sleep with the model or date the model, The said photographer sabotaged the model from a make up job which she mentioned on her wall at the time without acknowledging the photographer himself, but then she shared it with his photography friends.

Apparently his work against the model didn’t stop there, right after Accra Fashion Week, a fellow Nigerian designer whom she has worked with came to showcase and hired the photographer. The designer had been advised by the photographer not to use her. Being that she was intouch with the designer, she was informed by the designer that he had advised the designer not to use her which prompted her to write the rant above.

So now that is clear, and before we get into our thoughts, we would like to clarify what we see here is simply one side of the story, and maybe Derek from FrameItGH has words to defend his decisions. Maybe he really didn’t think she was fit for the job, who knows? So in further looking into the matter, I would like to take into consideration that FrameItGH might have a totally different side to the story and we are simply focusing on the wider aspect of this below.

So first thing to acknowledge is, what support or help did this model get in the case that the above is true. Yes we know in a case of sexual harassment one can call the police (very unlikely in Ghana to yield results) but atleast it’s against the law. But then who runs to your defense when someone attempts to destroy your livelihood because you did not sleep with them?

I know photographers very well, a number of them even tell each other stories about which models are willing to sleep around for shoots. I am not complaining about that, if both parties (model and photographer) are satisfied with what they are giving and getting, who am I to complain. As shameful as it is, if you do not like it, the appropriate thing to do is to find the photographer whose terms you are prepared to work with, be it free, be it you are paying or be it they are paying you.

But what happens when you are pressured to sleep with them and when you don’t then you are slandered, or attacked or you have your reputation destroyed to other potential clients in this such case? Where are the supposed unions, where are the fashion councils. They are all very much aware of this story. In fact we were hoping by the time we jump on it, we can report about some support.

It’s become very obvious that the modelling sector of Ghana is very lawless, and what is even worst is when such behavior is exposed by such photographers, one starts to look at the models in their pictures wondering….”I wonder if she also took her pants off for this shoot”.

Well it doesn’t really matter because one month later since Afi’s post everything is back to normal. So we can be sure all the other young girls who were to timid to speak out just watched this and thought, no point airing out my voice. What if those timid once experience ‘near rape’ circumstances? Its a shame, It is a very small industry and such act do tend to affect the image of the various photographers in Ghana. Especially to those outside of the industry. Not to justify wrong actions, but then again, models also need to be cautious how they present themselves in public.

To really get a gist of what is going on, these articles below might be of help.
THe Reality Of Sex, Models & The Ghana Fashion Industry

Ghana Model Awards Emerging Out Of A Chaotic Modelling Industry

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