04/09/2026
I’ve seen a lot of photographers posting over the last few days that they will no longer share images of children because of the growing concerns surrounding AI-generated child se*ual ab*se material.
I’ve read a lot of those posts. I understand where the fear is coming from. I’m a mom before I’m a photographer, and protecting children should always come first.
But I also think it’s okay to have a slightly different perspective.
At this time, I am not planning to stop sharing images of my clients’ children when I have their parents’ permission to do so.
And I want to be very clear about what that means.
I have never believed that hiring me automatically gives me unlimited access to your family’s privacy. If a parent does not want their child shared online, I respect that. Period. I have photographed plenty of families who requested privacy, and their images never appeared on my page.
If you give me permission to share, I may share.
If you do not, I won’t.
I don’t think either choice makes someone a better or worse parent, and I don’t think photographers who continue sharing work with informed parental permission should suddenly be treated as though they don’t care about child safety.
We also have to acknowledge how complicated this conversation has become.
AI is already woven into an enormous amount of the technology people use every day. It exists in editing software, phones, social media platforms, cloud storage, search engines, marketing tools, and countless other programs.
At the same time, children are photographed constantly.
Schools take photos. Sporting events take photos. Stores have cameras. Restaurants have cameras. Doorbells have cameras. Parents upload thousands of images to social media and cloud storage. Apps regularly ask for access to entire camera rolls.
None of that means we should shrug our shoulders and stop caring.
Quite the opposite.
I think we need to become much more educated about where our images go, what companies are allowed to do with them, what permissions we are granting, and how emerging technology is being regulated.
And I think a much bigger part of this conversation needs to happen outside the photography industry.
Technology is moving incredibly fast, and laws protecting children need to keep up with it.
So yes, protect your children.
Ask questions.
Read privacy policies.
Be careful about which apps and programs receive access to your photos.
Demand stronger protections and better laws.
Pay attention to what lawmakers are doing with technology and child exploitation legislation.
And make the decision that feels right for your own family.
If you never want your child’s face posted online, tell me. I will respect it without question.
If you are comfortable allowing me to share a few images from your session, I will continue to be incredibly grateful for that permission because sharing my work is one of the ways families discover my business.
There is room for both choices.
What I don’t think helps is turning photographers against one another or implying that anyone who makes a different decision simply doesn’t care about children.
The people exploiting children are the problem.
The technology being misused is the problem.
Laws that fail to adequately protect children are a problem.
A photographer sharing a family portrait with a parent’s knowledge and permission is not where I personally believe the blame belongs.
So my policy remains the same:
Your children. Your family. Your choice.
And whatever you decide, I’ll respect it. ❤️📸
