BTI #362: Sex Sells Part 3 - Decriminalizing Sex Work with Ariela Moscowitz
Release Date: 04/20/2022
5 Ways to Make More Money as a Photographer
Beyond the Image Podcast
Last week we hosted our annual photo marketing roundtable here at The Hive Studios in Phoenix, Arizona. At this event, a handful of creative professionals (photographers and videographers) sat around together to discuss ideas, strategies, complications and breakthroughs in their business as business owners. Through the course of this discussion - there were 5 main areas that were brought up as important means to generate additional and predictable revenue as a creative professional. Connect with me https://jamespatrick.com/
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Is Peerspace Going to Get Too Expensive?
Beyond the Image Podcast
Peerspace is a brokerage site used for short-term rentals for photo shoots, video productions, events, podcasts, meetings and the like. Historically, Peerspace made their revenue by taking a percentage off of every single booking done through their website. However, recently Peerspace has instituted a bidding system which allows location managers to pay to have their spaces ranked higher in the site's search algorithm. What will this do for renters? What will this do for location managers? Short answer; things are likely to get more expensive for everyone. https://jamespatrick.com/
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Biggest Marketing Mistake Photographers Make
Beyond the Image Podcast
There is one mistake that I've seen photographers, videographers and creatives make over the course of my 20+ year career. This mistake is often what separate photographers who build sustainable and thriving businesses versus those who continue to have peaks and valleys and often find themselves struggling to bring in new business. For those in Arizona - we are hosting a photo marketing roundtable on May 22nd at The Hive Studios in Phoeninx, Arizona. RSVP at
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Why Photographers are Toxic
Beyond the Image Podcast
Let's face it - if you expand the timeline long enough - you're going to find there is quite a fair amount of toxicity within the photography community. From jealousy to envy to downright aggressive competition - no one is immune from it. So let's break down the actual sources behind the toxic traits of so many creatives and how we can navigate it better as a community. https://jamespatrick.com/
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Biggest Mistakes Photographers Make in Lighting Subjects
Beyond the Image Podcast
I want to be clear, right off the top, that I have personally made every single one of these mistakes myself in my 20+ year career. The goal is not to shame photograpehrs for making the mistakes that all of us have made - but to shed light (that is a well-placed pun) on these misconcepts, misunderstandings and mistakes so that we can continue to learn and improve on our craft as creative professionals. https://jamespatrick.com/
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You Bid Too Low, Now What?
Beyond the Image Podcast
You were asked by a client to bid on a project and either intentionally or unintentionally they did not give you all of the information you need to accurate prepare an estimate that fully reflects your services and value. Bluntly - you underbid. So what do you do? In this episode of the Beyond the Image podcast, host James Patrick deconstructs how to prevent this scenario from happening to begin with as well as suggestions on how to navigate it with clients should the situation arise. https://jamespatrick.com/
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Stop Chasing THESE TYPES of Clients
Beyond the Image Podcast
Photographers - there are two types of clients we need to STOP chasing. Clients who don't have money. Clients who don't want to spend money. Instead - let's focus on how we find clients who do have the purchasing power and purchasing assets to support our creative endeavors. https://jamespatrick.com/
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Why Your Social Media Sucks
Beyond the Image Podcast
Social media was never particularly easy - but it sure was a lot simpler. The way to achieve engagement has completely shifted (and we've lost count how many times that has happened). In this episode of the Beyond the Image podcast - we dive into what needs to happen on your social channels now based upon how audiences are consuming content. https://jamespatrick.com/
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Make Better Photo Bids & Proposals
Beyond the Image Podcast
If all you are sending a prospective client is an estimate sheet - then you are drastically under-selling yourself as a creative. In this episode of the Beyond the Image podcast - I dive into my strategy for crafting and desgining well curated proposals that I send to clients when bidding. https://jamespatrick.com/
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Should Photographers Niche?
Beyond the Image Podcast
In today's episode we answer the question "should photographers niche?" YUP! Yup they absolutely should! In this episode of Beyond the Image, host James Patrick dives into why photographers should carve out their specialty and unique selling proposition as well as unpacking the biggest fear they have when it comes to niching down. If I niche down, then I won't get hired for other work again! The reality is - that simply is not true! https://jamespatrick.com/
info_outlineToday, we’re going to be talking about sex. Specifically, we will be unpacking the act of having sex as a means of labor. If you’re thinking, I don’t have sex for money, nor do I want to have sex for money and I don’t know anyone who does have sex for money. Why would I continue listening to this episode? You’re right to ask that question - and what you will discover is that even if you are not in the sex work industry, there is still a lot you can do to both end human trafficking as well as promote health and safety for all those who are involved.
To give this episode some further context - earlier this year, I had an unpleasant interaction with a man who was under the full belief that because a woman was doing a photoshoot in a public setting, that she had given up her own rights to the agency of her body and could be leered at and gawked at by anyone who chose to.
This is the exact same rhetoric that leads to statements like, she would not have been sexually assaulted had she not worn that outfit. What this did was create an ongoing conversation around the idea “sex sells.” I was asking the question, who is profiting? It seemed to be okay if a man was profiting but raised a lot of concerns when it was a woman who was profiting.
I’ve talked to my dear friend and sex therapist, Dr. Jordan Wiggins about what consent is and is not. I also had a conversation with Nikole Mitchell, a top OnlyFans worker, about the misconceptions of sex workers and why there are such stigmas around those who choose to sell images of themselves if they are profiting.
Today, we’re going to zoom out and take a look at sex work from a broader context. My intention is to provide an economic exploration into the world’s oldest profession and efforts to decriminalize sex work.
My guest is Ariela Moscowitz who is the Director of Communications for Decriminalize Sex Work, a national organization pursuing a state-by-state strategy to end the prohibition of consensual adult prostitution in the United States.
“If you really hate it so much and you don’t want people to do it, the best thing you can do is to decriminalize it.”
IN THIS EPISODE
- The true definition of sex work.
- What makes sex work illegal by the definition of the law.
- The difference between consensual sex work and human trafficking.
- The historical context of sex work.
- The 3 major objections to the trade.
- Why sex work needs to be decriminalized.
- Discrimination in the field.
- Selling a service versus selling their bodies.
- How the legal system punishes sex workers.
- The currently role that police play.
- Legalization versus decriminalization.
- Steps we can take to improve the safety of those involved.
Connect with James
Website: jamespatrick.com
Instagram: @jpatrickphoto
Text me marketing questions @: 480-605-3254
Connect with Ariela Moscowitz
Website: decriminalizesex.work
Share this podcast with a friend and remember to leave a 5-star review!
For more, visit jamespatrick.com