Bearing it ALL to Make Some Bucks

I have applied to many jobs that seem ridiculous and unworthy of someone with a BA. I have offered to take the poison ivy out of someone's yard, wear a mascot costume on a busy highway, taste test new foods, be a lab rat for new drugs... the list goes on. (And that isn't including the countless office, assistant, receptionist, etc. jobs I've applied to.)
However, I recently applied to an ad on craigslist that offered $40 for "chubby" girls to take nude and semi-nude photos in an "artistic" not "pornographic" way. And I wish I could say this is the only naked photo shoot I've applied to, but it's not. A while ago there was an ad for a size 12-14 female to have photography students take naked photos of you for $1500 and prints. I applied, I wasn't chosen, but I would have done it.

The new ad that I've applied to, seems much more sketchy than the first. While the original ad that I applied to is no longer on craigslist you can find a similar ad that the same person posted here:

In Need of Exotic Models

The fact that this person has posted for different naked models have me worried. I emailed him and asked to see some of his work and the photos did not seem pornographic (email me and I will send them to you... but I refuse to post naked pictures on the internet). They weren't good, but they were not pornographic. I guess I can understand why he is asking for "exotic" models, considering the way he described his photography project to me:

The basic concept I’m working on is to capture the individual persona of each model I work with, and then digitally alter and enhance the resulting images to highlight their unique qualities, and in general to show that no matter how diverse the female form is beautiful, in all its many shapes, sizes, etc.-- A. Paul

Doesn't sound too bad, right? I'm still nervous about it and since I got the interview with Dr. Litwin, I haven't responded to him in a day or so. Then he emailed me today (hence this blog entry) to ask if I was still interested. Frankly, I don't know what to do. I think I will wait to see if I get this job with Dr. Litwin (please please please please) and then I will email him back and set up a shoot. He has dates available all the way into November. The basic shoot would be 1-2 hours semi-nude/draped and 1-2 hours nude. He says leave about 6 hours in total in case we go over.

Now I know some of you are thinking, 'Why the hell would you let someone take naked photos of you for money?!' 'Do you really need money so badly that you would stoop so low?!' 'What will your boyfriend think?!' And I understand where you're coming from, but maybe you don't grasp my desperation to find work. I cannot get hired, anywhere. I work three days a week at a coffee shop because my friend works there, not because I got it on my own. I have been denied from nearly everything and everywhere you can think of. And, since I don't plan on running for Miss America or becoming famous, I don't see these photos coming back to bite me later. $40 an hour is a lot of money. Especially when in one hour of that shoot I would more than triple my bank account.

I googled to see if I could find some statistics on how many people make money by having naked photos taken of them and I came across an article by Denise Trowbridge that describes someone who is doing exactly what I would be adventuring into. Except she is selling naked photos of herself, rather than getting paid to have someone take photos of you.

Before you judge me, I'd like you to think of a few questions. Have you ever done anything questionable for money? Would you ever consider lowering your standards to get a job? Have you ever had $8.90 in your bank account with no hope of ever breaking $100? What wouldn't you do for money? Think about it, and let me know.

Happy Naked Hunting,

Dara Laine

P.S.--If you missed my first post about being a broke recent college graduate with no job and no prospects in this jobless economy, check it out! Then maybe you'll understand why I'm thinking about getting naked for money.