/Interview: Nettie R. Harris
Model boundaries
Interview by Christina Voss
Terry Richardson has been under scrutiny over the past few months after it was suggested that his conduct with models has been less than professional. While we take this sort of accusation seriously, we’ve also watched speculation spin wildly out of control. When Jezebel went after Richardson’s editorial for The Journal and asked, “How old is this model?" and "Did she freely consent to both posing like this and having the pictures published?” the implication was that the model was under-age and did not consent. Speculation fuels rumors. We wanted to speak with the model directly.
A few facts: the model is Nettie R. Harris. How old is she? Old enough to vote, drink, and buy cigarettes, old enough to make her own decisions. Not only did she consent, she collaborated with Richardson.
I sat down with Nettie to ask her a few questions about this, about how models can protect their boundaries, about her experience with photographers, both positive and negative. She’s an amazing person - playful, happy, creative - with long, beautiful hair and a natural body that’s rarely seen in nude images. Her bush is epic. She’s quite possibly one of the most self-possessed and free-spirited women I’ve ever met. And I think that self-possession might be why she’s such a great model. Rather than act as a blank canvas for the photographer’s projections, she brings her own energy and creative spirit. And she’s an independent thinker.
*
How did you get into nude modeling?
I got into modeling actually because I was pregnant and I wanted nude pictures. I was really scared to get pregnant. At the time I was a hardcore Christian so I didn’t even consider an abortion. I got pregnant by accident - my mom had nine kids and I remember asking about the stretch marks on her belly. When she explained them, I was like “Shit…” I was eighteen when I got pregnant, so I wanted to get pictures taken before that happened. But it ends up my body was fine.
I remember [the photographer] saying “Oh you did really well.” And then people started saying, “Oh, you should be a model,” and I would always say, “Well, I’m too old and I’m too short.” (Laughs)
And you were, what, nineteen?
Yeah, I thought models were 15. So then I started modeling for art classes, and then I modeled for photographers and it just went from there.
So you were a hardcore Christian… are you still religious?
When I was a missionary for a year in India and Africa, I realized that religion is just a product of culture. I wasn’t really rebelling when I stopped being religious. I’m just not religious anymore. I’m an independent thinker.
You started just to document your body, but then built on the shoots that you had. Were you always a nude model?
Yeah, because of the art classes. I was always appreciative of nudity from an artistic standpoint. I don’t really consider what I do pornography - it’s erotic sometimes. I like artists’ perspectives. That was a good intro, art classes. They really made me feel open.
I want to ask what it was like the first time, but it sounds like there were a few first times… photography, art modeling…
The first time nude was really comfortable. The first time in front of a photographer, as a model who wasn’t pregnant, it was a little… “Shouldn’t I have my clothes on?” But [the photographers] were always really encouraging, in that it felt like what I was doing was working well. And then it became a matter of finding people I could be comfortable working with.
You kind of have to find your niche. I discovered that I didn’t want to work with photographers who just wanted to shoot a pretty girl. I like artists.
Have you worked with photographers who, maybe, weren’t so professional?
I’d say that everyone is harmless, in that you’re not going to get into a bad situation, unless you’re getting drunk. You just feel out the situation. Everyone’s harmless, no one wants to rape you. And if someone’s like, “Want to masturbate now?” I just say, “Not really, dude…”
There’s this huge controversy right now over Terry Richardson with speculation over how he treats his models. Some say he pressures them beyond their comfort level. I was wondering what you thought about that.
Terry Richardson shoots a lot of edgy, provocative things. I think Terry Richardson is getting shit because he puts it out there. And I think that not just any girl should work with him. His work is really edgy.
Just to get this question out of the way, did you consent to the Terry Richardson shoot for The Journal?
Yes.
Did you ever feel like anything in the shoot was out of line?
Richardson, like many photographers, did play with my sexual boundaries. Once he reached the level where I declined (he asked if I was okay with something in advance before he just did it) he pushed me no further. I was comfortable with all contact. No, I do not think he behaved out of line. I got the impression he always wanted me to be comfortable.
So say you're going into a project, and the photographer tries to push you into something you’re not into, how do you handle that? I know you were saying earlier that you just tell them you’re not into it.
The most common thing is that a photographer will just try to have sex with you. They’ll just take out their penises. I always try to defuse the situation because I don’t like embarrassing people. Usually it happens about halfway through the shoot, so it’s awkward because you can either walk out and probably not get paid or keep going and deal with it.
And when people ask me to masturbate, it just pulls me out of the moment. I just stay calm, politely refuse, and I’m out of the situation. I’ve never been in a situation where they’ve been really pushy. Sometimes they back off and then back on again, and it gets annoying.
And I would say definitely stay sober. Because you can get into sketchy situations. Sometimes it’s like a party, like Boogie Nights, where you’re expecting it’s a regular shoot but then, all of a sudden, there are all these women and all these men, and then there’s this orgy that you didn’t know existed. So the shock value is really high. But you just do your thing and stay sober.
No, I do not think he behaved out of line. I got the impression he always wanted me to be comfortable.
I sat down with Nettie to ask her a few questions about this, about how models can protect their boundaries, about her experience with photographers, both positive and negative. She’s an amazing person - playful, happy, creative - with long, beautiful hair and a natural body that’s rarely seen in nude images. Her bush is epic. She’s quite possibly one of the most self-possessed and free-spirited women I’ve ever met. And I think that self-possession might be why she’s such a great model. Rather than act as a blank canvas for the photographer’s projections, she brings her own energy and creative spirit. And she’s an independent thinker.
*
How did you get into nude modeling?
I got into modeling actually because I was pregnant and I wanted nude pictures. I was really scared to get pregnant. At the time I was a hardcore Christian so I didn’t even consider an abortion. I got pregnant by accident - my mom had nine kids and I remember asking about the stretch marks on her belly. When she explained them, I was like “Shit…” I was eighteen when I got pregnant, so I wanted to get pictures taken before that happened. But it ends up my body was fine.
I remember [the photographer] saying “Oh you did really well.” And then people started saying, “Oh, you should be a model,” and I would always say, “Well, I’m too old and I’m too short.” (Laughs)
And you were, what, nineteen?
Yeah, I thought models were 15. So then I started modeling for art classes, and then I modeled for photographers and it just went from there.
So you were a hardcore Christian… are you still religious?
When I was a missionary for a year in India and Africa, I realized that religion is just a product of culture. I wasn’t really rebelling when I stopped being religious. I’m just not religious anymore. I’m an independent thinker.
You started just to document your body, but then built on the shoots that you had. Were you always a nude model?
Yeah, because of the art classes. I was always appreciative of nudity from an artistic standpoint. I don’t really consider what I do pornography - it’s erotic sometimes. I like artists’ perspectives. That was a good intro, art classes. They really made me feel open.
I want to ask what it was like the first time, but it sounds like there were a few first times… photography, art modeling…
The first time nude was really comfortable. The first time in front of a photographer, as a model who wasn’t pregnant, it was a little… “Shouldn’t I have my clothes on?” But [the photographers] were always really encouraging, in that it felt like what I was doing was working well. And then it became a matter of finding people I could be comfortable working with.
You kind of have to find your niche. I discovered that I didn’t want to work with photographers who just wanted to shoot a pretty girl. I like artists.
Have you worked with photographers who, maybe, weren’t so professional?
I’d say that everyone is harmless, in that you’re not going to get into a bad situation, unless you’re getting drunk. You just feel out the situation. Everyone’s harmless, no one wants to rape you. And if someone’s like, “Want to masturbate now?” I just say, “Not really, dude…”
There’s this huge controversy right now over Terry Richardson with speculation over how he treats his models. Some say he pressures them beyond their comfort level. I was wondering what you thought about that.
Terry Richardson shoots a lot of edgy, provocative things. I think Terry Richardson is getting shit because he puts it out there. And I think that not just any girl should work with him. His work is really edgy.
Just to get this question out of the way, did you consent to the Terry Richardson shoot for The Journal?
Yes.
Did you ever feel like anything in the shoot was out of line?
Richardson, like many photographers, did play with my sexual boundaries. Once he reached the level where I declined (he asked if I was okay with something in advance before he just did it) he pushed me no further. I was comfortable with all contact. No, I do not think he behaved out of line. I got the impression he always wanted me to be comfortable.
So say you're going into a project, and the photographer tries to push you into something you’re not into, how do you handle that? I know you were saying earlier that you just tell them you’re not into it.
The most common thing is that a photographer will just try to have sex with you. They’ll just take out their penises. I always try to defuse the situation because I don’t like embarrassing people. Usually it happens about halfway through the shoot, so it’s awkward because you can either walk out and probably not get paid or keep going and deal with it.
And when people ask me to masturbate, it just pulls me out of the moment. I just stay calm, politely refuse, and I’m out of the situation. I’ve never been in a situation where they’ve been really pushy. Sometimes they back off and then back on again, and it gets annoying.
And I would say definitely stay sober. Because you can get into sketchy situations. Sometimes it’s like a party, like Boogie Nights, where you’re expecting it’s a regular shoot but then, all of a sudden, there are all these women and all these men, and then there’s this orgy that you didn’t know existed. So the shock value is really high. But you just do your thing and stay sober.
The Journal. Photos by Terry Richardson.
Has that happened before?
Yeah, there’s a couple of guys where… yeah. And I’d just say don’t get drunk. Don’t get drunk and you won’t regret anything.
Those photographers are playing with fire in a way. That’s dangerous territory, blurring the line between professional and personal…
Yeah, in southern states it doesn’t happen so much, but I see it in big cities like New York, LA, Washington DC.
What are some of your most memorable photo shoots? I mean, a photographer taking his dick out unexpectedly would be pretty memorable…
I think I’ve done something like 300 shoots. I think if you ask me on any day, I’d give you a different answer on which ones are the most memorable. I have a hard time picking favorites…
The worst was toward the beginning of modeling, one of the first guys I ever worked with. And I didn’t have a firm grasp on what I wanted or didn’t want. It was a really formal shoot, like a shot of your front, standing straight, and then from behind, with a male. And we’d discussed all this beforehand. And then he said the male would be him. And I don’t mind if photographers are part of the shoot…
So then he put his hand over me [gestures to her lap] like an Adam and Eve scene, but then I felt him, like… probing. And I realized he was really hard, to the point where he was dripping, (laughs) and I was just in shock, I just didn’t know what to do. And then a few minutes later, I said something like, “I didn’t think this is what you were going to do…”
And to me that was the worst because I didn’t really hold my ground. And I don’t blame him because I could have said no. But I wasn’t really confident then. So it’s hard for me to say he took advantage, but at the same time, I think he kind of did take advantage.
And amazing ones? I’d say… I've had a lot. The best shoots come when I’m doing a lot of work that I really like. Like in New York, a really high percentage of the shoots are what I really love to do. I’d say it’s great whenever a shoot is collaborative. One woman I like to shoot with is Norma Cordova. I think I like that she’s female, I guess, but her shoots can be grueling. She works you really hard, but some of her images are some of my favorites.
Todd Hido, I like to shoot with. I worked with Terry Richardson yesterday and I brought five different things with me to shoot, and I really felt accomplished because I added a lot of myself to it.
What did you bring?
(Laughs) I brought random things. I brought a really cute pair of clothes, and I have armpit hair, which I know he likes. I have a Mardi Gras bead necklace that has black penises on it. And I brought this journal that I kept. When I was religious, I lived for a while on a monastery, and I drew these pictures when I was seven.
What religion is that?
Orthodox. Russian Orthodox. So I brought this to the shoot. (Points to her drawings) It’s amazing how they all look the same. I just changed, you know, the faces.
So usually you need to get to know what the photographer likes, so you bring in a little bit of you and complement that bit of him. That’s what makes a shoot great.
How do you do that, collaborate with a photographer?
In the case of Terry Richardson, his work is out there, so you get an idea of what he likes, what kind of photography he shoots. For one shoot [The Journal shoot] he said, “Meet me with flowers.” And I was like, “Is he serious? So he can recognize who I am?” And I didn’t quite get it (laughs). And he said, “Well, I asked you to bring flowers because I wanted to know what you would bring. If I were to bring flowers, I’d bring this other kind but I wanted you to bring flowers that would represent you, your personality.”
Most of the time, when I come into a city, I send emails to photographers to talk about the shoot so I can be as organized as possible. Then I ask what kind of clothes do they want me to bring. Do they like stockings? Do they like pants? And then I ask if they have any concepts. And usually they say that they like to collaborate, so they ask me for my ideas. And I might toss out a bunch of ideas and sometimes they use them.
And I bring magazine tears with me, just stuff that I like. Usually recent stuff that I’ve collected. And if I use a concept from a tear sheet, I don’t re-use it. But usually, I find that photographers say, “I hired you so you can just do your thing.” So I try to add some variety, so it isn’t all the same. And if a shoot is, say, three hours, I put aside four hours, just so there’s time to talk about it.
So you’re really active in the process…
(Laughs) Yeah. I try to keep it interesting for both of us.
Has anyone ever asked you to shave?
Yes. People asked a lot in the beginning, but now I’ve built up enough contacts who’d rather I not shave, so now I just say no.
Anyone you want to shoot with that you haven’t shot with?
I would like to shoot with David Hamilton. And an impossible person… Sally Man. She said no. She said that she’s only working with black male models right now. Juergen Teller - I love the oddness. And I really want to work with a guy named Kurt Markus. I found out about him is because I have this weird thing for John Mellencamp. Kurt Markus shot him, and when I looked up his work, I really liked it.
What advice would you give aspiring nude models?
To be open minded, to build relationships, to enter slowly, like I did, so you don’t look back and have regrets. And don’t get drunk or do drugs. Especially if you’re working with someone for the first time. I would say, working hard is important. And I don’t do a lot of this, but reference checks are always good. Models know each other. It’s a big community [online], but also a small community, and you can ask one of them, or they can refer you to another girl. All the girls online know each other. I might not know a girl, but I’ll know her enough to be able to ask her if a photographer is good to work with.
And trust your intuition.
Yeah, there’s a couple of guys where… yeah. And I’d just say don’t get drunk. Don’t get drunk and you won’t regret anything.
Those photographers are playing with fire in a way. That’s dangerous territory, blurring the line between professional and personal…
Yeah, in southern states it doesn’t happen so much, but I see it in big cities like New York, LA, Washington DC.
What are some of your most memorable photo shoots? I mean, a photographer taking his dick out unexpectedly would be pretty memorable…
I think I’ve done something like 300 shoots. I think if you ask me on any day, I’d give you a different answer on which ones are the most memorable. I have a hard time picking favorites…
The worst was toward the beginning of modeling, one of the first guys I ever worked with. And I didn’t have a firm grasp on what I wanted or didn’t want. It was a really formal shoot, like a shot of your front, standing straight, and then from behind, with a male. And we’d discussed all this beforehand. And then he said the male would be him. And I don’t mind if photographers are part of the shoot…
So then he put his hand over me [gestures to her lap] like an Adam and Eve scene, but then I felt him, like… probing. And I realized he was really hard, to the point where he was dripping, (laughs) and I was just in shock, I just didn’t know what to do. And then a few minutes later, I said something like, “I didn’t think this is what you were going to do…”
And to me that was the worst because I didn’t really hold my ground. And I don’t blame him because I could have said no. But I wasn’t really confident then. So it’s hard for me to say he took advantage, but at the same time, I think he kind of did take advantage.
And amazing ones? I’d say… I've had a lot. The best shoots come when I’m doing a lot of work that I really like. Like in New York, a really high percentage of the shoots are what I really love to do. I’d say it’s great whenever a shoot is collaborative. One woman I like to shoot with is Norma Cordova. I think I like that she’s female, I guess, but her shoots can be grueling. She works you really hard, but some of her images are some of my favorites.
Todd Hido, I like to shoot with. I worked with Terry Richardson yesterday and I brought five different things with me to shoot, and I really felt accomplished because I added a lot of myself to it.
What did you bring?
(Laughs) I brought random things. I brought a really cute pair of clothes, and I have armpit hair, which I know he likes. I have a Mardi Gras bead necklace that has black penises on it. And I brought this journal that I kept. When I was religious, I lived for a while on a monastery, and I drew these pictures when I was seven.
What religion is that?
Orthodox. Russian Orthodox. So I brought this to the shoot. (Points to her drawings) It’s amazing how they all look the same. I just changed, you know, the faces.
So usually you need to get to know what the photographer likes, so you bring in a little bit of you and complement that bit of him. That’s what makes a shoot great.
How do you do that, collaborate with a photographer?
In the case of Terry Richardson, his work is out there, so you get an idea of what he likes, what kind of photography he shoots. For one shoot [The Journal shoot] he said, “Meet me with flowers.” And I was like, “Is he serious? So he can recognize who I am?” And I didn’t quite get it (laughs). And he said, “Well, I asked you to bring flowers because I wanted to know what you would bring. If I were to bring flowers, I’d bring this other kind but I wanted you to bring flowers that would represent you, your personality.”
Most of the time, when I come into a city, I send emails to photographers to talk about the shoot so I can be as organized as possible. Then I ask what kind of clothes do they want me to bring. Do they like stockings? Do they like pants? And then I ask if they have any concepts. And usually they say that they like to collaborate, so they ask me for my ideas. And I might toss out a bunch of ideas and sometimes they use them.
And I bring magazine tears with me, just stuff that I like. Usually recent stuff that I’ve collected. And if I use a concept from a tear sheet, I don’t re-use it. But usually, I find that photographers say, “I hired you so you can just do your thing.” So I try to add some variety, so it isn’t all the same. And if a shoot is, say, three hours, I put aside four hours, just so there’s time to talk about it.
So you’re really active in the process…
(Laughs) Yeah. I try to keep it interesting for both of us.
Has anyone ever asked you to shave?
Yes. People asked a lot in the beginning, but now I’ve built up enough contacts who’d rather I not shave, so now I just say no.
Anyone you want to shoot with that you haven’t shot with?
I would like to shoot with David Hamilton. And an impossible person… Sally Man. She said no. She said that she’s only working with black male models right now. Juergen Teller - I love the oddness. And I really want to work with a guy named Kurt Markus. I found out about him is because I have this weird thing for John Mellencamp. Kurt Markus shot him, and when I looked up his work, I really liked it.
What advice would you give aspiring nude models?
To be open minded, to build relationships, to enter slowly, like I did, so you don’t look back and have regrets. And don’t get drunk or do drugs. Especially if you’re working with someone for the first time. I would say, working hard is important. And I don’t do a lot of this, but reference checks are always good. Models know each other. It’s a big community [online], but also a small community, and you can ask one of them, or they can refer you to another girl. All the girls online know each other. I might not know a girl, but I’ll know her enough to be able to ask her if a photographer is good to work with.
And trust your intuition.
- 06/03/2010
