Photographer Marcus Hyde, who has worked with such celebrities as Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande, has been the subject of several allegations of sexual misconduct in the wake of an Instagram post by a model claiming he attempted to bribe her with a free photoshoot in exchange for nude photos of herself.
LA-based model Sunnaya Nash responded to Hyde's model call on Instagram, where he posted a photograph of a model in a wet, transparent bodysuit, with the words "who wants to shoot" written across it. Nash claims that when she messaged him about modeling, he asked for nude photos of her. In screenshots of direct messages Nash shared on her Instagram, Hyde is seen asking her for nude photos. Nash tells Hyde that she is comfortable shooting "lingerie and partial nudity," to which he replies that the price will be $2,000 unless she direct messages nude photos to him. Even after Nash agrees to shoot nude with Hyde, he still demands the price of $2000 unless she supplies him with nude photos beforehand. His reasoning behind the trade: "gotta see if your [sic] worth it." When Nash made it clear that she was not going to message Hyde nude photos of herself, he replied that he would just "keep shooting celebs."
Nash eventually posted the screenshots of the conversation to her Instagram and tagged Hyde's account, which led him to DM her a sexually derogatory message. Hyde has since deactivated his Instagram account.
Instagram eventually removed the story from Nash's page, citing its guidelines against bullying and harassment. (The original post by Hyde, as well as screenshots from Nash's post, can be viewed at the fashion Instagram blog @diet_prada.)
Nash took her post over to Twitter, where she shared screenshots from several women who messaged her about similar experiences they'd had with Hyde. One even accused him of sexually assaulting her. The common thread here is that most of these women blamed themselves at the time, feeling like they had somehow led him on, or, as new models, they believed this was how the industry worked.
Ariana Grande, who has worked with Hyde in the past, took to her Instagram stories yesterday to urge women not to work with any photographers who make them feel uncomfortable or demand more money for non-nude photos. She also urged her fans to shout out the great photographers out there who were respectful and provided positive experiences.
A quick search for Marcus Hyde on Twitter brings up tweet after tweet mentioning his name and the allegations. Although most are against Hyde, some of these tweets point out that Nash was indeed willing to pose nude for him, and one expresses confusion: "nude photographer gets in trouble for asking to see nudes."
What are your thoughts on the allegations and actions of Marcus Hyde? Discuss in the comments.
Marcus's Hyde built his career on the backs (and other body parts) of women who generously lent their time and trusted him as a professional. So to see him sink this low and disrespect women who are putting themselves out there like that is just disgusting. If anyone actually believes that Marcus would need to see a woman's private parts in order to know whether they were worth shooting with then that person is delusional. He figured out how to make instagram legal pornography, selling sex and celebrity to achieve "success". If you believe money and celebrity are truely markers of success then I suppose he's been very successful but to me this guy is a total failure who is now hiding in shame. Go check out his instagram and see for yourself. https://www.instagram.com/marcushyde/?hl=en
I think his Instagram page has been taken down.
That was fast.
Not fast enough apparently :-)
Exactly, that's my point.
Got to remember, Allegations are just that, allegations.
Not that I'm condoning anything at all.
I don't follow the tabloid shite of the Kardashian lot, so no idea why the dude is, but that doesn't matter. If true, bam! career twist happening right there.
The convo speaks for tiself really. It's not his first rodeo so while they are allegations for now, they are very credible...
From what I could (or couldn't) find, doesn't even sound like that dude is denying any of these allegations.
"Ill keep shooting celebs"
I think, not.
This guy is a predator and it goes far beyond just asking for nudes from what I've read on diet_prada. Seems like he's a GWC that got boosted by Kim K. work and uses that fame to rape, assault and harass female models. This is not the first time something like this has come out in the media about a predatory photographer and it sadly won't be the last. I just hope the models that have been affected by this filth seek out help and this guy lands in jail.
Geesh people, stop taking your damn clothes off in front of cameras if you don't want them seen in public. You know they will eventually come to light. SMH
1) that is not remotely what this article or issue is about. No one is complaining about photos being shown in public or "com[ing] to light."
2) F*** off with this victim blaming crap. He was extremely inappropriate and verbally abusive with her in these messages, demanding nude photos from her or money, and has been accused of *physical* assault by *multiple* people. He uses his power and fame to exploit and intimidate women.
But sure, SMH. That's an appropriate response.
You F*** off, I stand behind my original comment. Wasn't blaming anyone, I just said keep your damn clothes on and the pics won't get out. You take your clothes off in front of a camera (in public or private), they are bound to get out at some point.
THERE IS NO MENTION ANYWHERE OF PICS GETTING OUT. THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM.
Presumably, if she is a model and doing a shoot with a professional photographer, they are not private photos. Likely they would be used for her portfolio.
Also, even if that were the situation here (which it isn't), you can still f*** off with victim blaming - which is exactly what it is when you blame the person for taking her clothes off instead of the person who released the photos. This isn't 1819, people do nude shoots, for a variety of reasons, many artistically.
Maybe instead of deflecting to telling the model to keep her clothes on, think about the actual issues that are pervasive in the photography industry - issues of abuse, assault, rape, and exploitation by powerful photographers toward women.
Whatever dude, I wasn't blaming the victim, but if that makes you feel good, knock yourself out. And it's not just the photography profession where this crap goes on, you've heard of Hollywood, Politicians, Corp America, Sports, and on and on.
Oh my god. Yes, I know photography isn't the only place it happens. I literally work in the film industry. I'm more than aware of the stuff women endure in the film industry.
I was specifically talking about a model and a photographer - the topic of this article.
The thing is, Reginald, you are victim blaming. Nude work is just another genre in the vastness we call photography. This article and the GWC male photographer that is preying on female models, have absolutely nothing to do with telling someone to keep their clothes on. You're trying to include issues that are not the topic at hand. It's great that in your opinion you feel XYZ should not be done and you're well within your right to have that. But it seems you didn't either grasp what this article was about, or you never read it and just read the title.
Reginald did not grasp what the article was about.
So far off the point.
*WOOOOOOOSSHHHHH*
Sexual harassing women. Working with celebs. Taking shitty photos. Did this dude do an apprenticeship with Terry Richardson?
In all seriousness, I am glad people like this and Terry Richardson are being called out and quickly ousted from the industry. It's a shame they've been allowed to work for so long (especially Richardson) but I'm glad we're at a point where this stuff is no longer ignored.
Sad if true...
I don't get why some men need a boost to get with women.
I assume someone else will mention Jason Lanier who is accused of similar things with multiple YOUNG girls.
Because some men are losers.
No way, not King Fedora (who's usually in a trilby). I have it on good authority that all the shooting he does in 3rd world countries is legit, and that all those girls (no matter how 12 they looked) were actually in their mid-30s
Fedora man requiring models to sleep in the same hotel room with him was not cool.
In regards to Jason, I watched these videos, and, I have to admit, I was taken aback:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGb1HFXOT3vHAlwR7j1Gy4Q/videos
It baffles me how many of the predatory types climb to the very top of the industry. The vast majority of male photographers are respectful and harmless but somehow the monsters climb to fame and harm the reputation of us all.
This sort of behavior is despicable and it is horrible that men like this aren’t utterly black listed long before they reach this level of influence.
I was once invited to a shoot with a bunch of models. While I set up my gear, the models were accounting their horror stories. Damn! I just like the process, comradery and sharing a like desire for imagery.
Yeah, I mean anecdotal at best but it is unlikely to be more than 1 in 10 or 20 photographers but at those ratios, it means virtually every model will have experience with monsters. What baffles me is that I'm pretty sure ratio at the top is higher than the ratio at the bottom which makes one wonder: "What is it about predatory tendencies that give a photographer a competitive advantage?"
I've always figured that exactly what you describe happens, models talk and share horror stories, which would then have a massive deteriorating effect on the reputation of an unethical photographer. But it doesn't seem to happen.
It’s sadly very common and the word does get around quickly, but there’s always a new supply of models.
Should we step back and have someone contact Marcus’s family and let him know about this behavior ? I am not condoning any inappropriate actions by any means. But I was a fan of Marcus’s work and followed his story. I believe he was in a horrific car crash back October that left him in a wheelchair and dealing with some serious mental health issues .
https://www.gofundme.com/marcus-hyde039s-finances-amp-expenses
These recent Instagram DM‘s could be a result of maybe something more serious that we don’t fully understand.
Why does someone who "shoots celebs" need a gofundme campaign ?
Shouldn't he have enough money in the bank plus insurance to handle his own business?
Hard to say, even at the top, photography isn't a high yield field. He may not have much in the way of savings. I've also noticed that a lot of high success creatives have very little business or economic acumen. It is possible he has no clue how to handle money. Ability to earn does not necessarily correlate with the ability to save. (which is why so many millionaire pro athletes end up bankrupt shortly after their career ends)
Of course, it also could just be that he knows he has the clout to make others pay his med bills, so why pay them himself?
Thousands of dollars in gear...posting pictures from exotic locations he travels to. Attitude like he's got Jupiter's c*ck and needs a gofundme campaign to pay bills.
Pro athletes have insurance/pension etc. to fall back on even if they go broke.
Sell the equipment and buy health insurance.
Thousands of dollars in gear and exotic locations means he is spending money, doesn't mean he is saving it. Though it is also possible that he rents all that gear and bills it to the client. Many top-end photographers do this because they can't afford the liability of owning and maintaining 6 figures worth of gear.
Also, while there is a correlation that ties income potential to pricing, it doesn't always go hand in hand. Most photographers have very little or no business acumen. That acumen doesn't instantly come into being when someone like Hyde gets a "big break" with a celebrity. It is also very possible that his cost of doing business is higher than what he is billing.
Not defending him in any way whatsoever but I can totally see how easy it could be that the guy spends all day pretending to be "bling" but in reality he is broke.
And so we should gofundme for him because he's a phoney?
Let me say this...I frequently rent gear. I have my core assets that I can get most work done with at a moments notice. For anything else it makes little sense to keep them on shelves gathering dust between jobs.
So what do other photographers do with the money they save by renting?
I personally have insurance that covers me in the event of short term illness, my partner doesn't need my salary to live our lifestyle and no kids so absolutely no need for life insurance which is simply income replacement.
If you don't have your health, then you have nothing.
I think a money raising campaign for a guy "shooting celebs" is a slap in the face to others who find themselves in bad financial shape and are deserving.
When I read that message exchange it was obvious that he's coming off as some big shot who doesn't need her services unless she's willing to send him nude images.
Just my two cents.
I never said it was justified or he deserved help. I merely was explaining how someone who seems like a rich/successful photographer might not be wealthy at all which could be why he turned to IGG looking for help.
Sounds like this is not new behavior and was present before the accident.
Jeff, these issues go FAR beyond what has been brought to light by this model. If you dig a bit further, this guy has been actively doing this sort of thing since 2013. His predatory behavior is not the cause of his car crash and you shouldn't try to use it as an excuse for him acting this way.
I'm sorry... you don't need to see nudes to find out if it's "worth it". Please take the creep train elsewhere (preferably off a cliff).
The industry needs to be cleansed of these scumbags.
Sounds like he recovered from being in a coma from that horrific car accident he was in.
I wonder if he communicated with women/models in a similar fashion prior to the accident?
Yep, it appears he has been since 2013. I'd suggest looking at diet_prada 's IG story to see the full gist of what's going on.
Wow! I just checked out their story and those stories are insane. Although things like this should never happen, the people that partake in these kind of actions should know that it will eventually come to light in this day and age.
If he was marketing himself as a nude photographer, is asking for nudes inappropriate? If you think so, is there ever a situation where it is appropriate? Obviously, it could have done it more tactfully, but if you're a swimwear model you would need to send images of yourself in a swimsuit before getting hired for a job as well.
I think it's a stretch.
If the model does nude work I'm sure there is enough examples in the portfolio. If he/she needs an idea of how the model looks now it's an easy ask to get a set of recent polaroids. If she's not up to "his" standards how does she know he will delete those images?
Some GWC asked one of my sisters to send nude images that would be a problem for me...and him.
Asking the model for nudes is not the same as asking photos of her in swimsuits.
And, I don't think asking was/is the issue, it's the behavior when the assholes gets turned down.
The guy is asking for her to DM nudes as in "go to the bathroom and take a selfie" not "do you have an examples of nude modeling you've done in the past" the way he asked and they way he leveraged his power over her is what's so wrong about this situation.
I am so happy that this issue is being talked about more and more in the Photography community. Unfortunately all these pervs are giving us photographers and especially male photographer a really bad rep.
It seems that a lot of people do not understand how to be professional and respectful with a model. Models are not pieces of meat, they are people that deserve respect to not be touched without permission, deserve to be called by their name ( not sweety or honey etc ) deserve to not be hit on while on a job.
Reading some of comments here made me even more disappointed...
Slut shaming, victim blaming, sometime i really feel like this industry is absolutely disgusting
I agree with everything you're saying, Irene. One thing that I may add is that many photographers don't seem to realize that one's reputation is a commodity that should be protected and cared for as if it were a child, and steps should be taken to to ensure it. It's baffling to me that some "high end" photographers seem to fall off the rails in this regard.
Just being kind to people with whom we work goes a long ways.