Honderd verschillende gezichten

Tijdens haar studententijd liet Shubnum nietsvermoedend een professionele pasfoto maken. Jaren later kreeg ze een bericht van een vriendin dat ze Shubnums foto had gespot op een pro-immigratieposter in Canada. En er kwamen steeds meer foto’s boven water drijven. Zo was ze onder verschillende namen te zien in een McDonald’s campagne, op datingsites en verkoopt ze vloerkleden in New York. Wat bleek? In de kleine lettertjes van het contract dat ze moest ondertekenen, stond blijkbaar dat de fotograaf de foto’s zou gebruiken om te verkopen.

Lange lijst

Via Twitter doet Shubnum haar verhaal en dat uit zich in een lange lijst met dingen waar ze haar foto terugvindt. Ze legt uit de foto’s zorgen voor een misleidend en oneerlijk effect op de producten. Ondertussen heeft ze heeft contact opgenomen met de fotograaf en hij verwijdert de foto’s als het Shubnums carrière als schrijver in de weg zit. Via het Twitter-account van Shubnum lees je haar hele verhaal.

So today I'm going to tell you the story of How I Ended Up with my Face On a McDonald's Advert in China – A Cautionary Tale. Six or so years ago, a friend in Canada posted a pic on my FB wall to say she found an advert of me promoting immigration in a Canadian newspaper. pic.twitter.com/QJ0nWpYNmQ

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

Naturally I was shocked and… confused. I studied the pic and agreed that it was me. Now I didn't mind that I was promoting immigration in Canada but I couldn't understand why my face was in a paper all the way on that side of the world. pic.twitter.com/GBquWEFlek

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

After some wtf moments, a friend reminded me we did a photoshoot a few years ago. When I was at university I heard about a free photoshoot by a CT photographer who promised us professional portraits in exchange for shooting us. It was called the 100 Faces Shoot & the photographer

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

took photos of 100 various faces of all ages & races in Durban. Young friends & I were excited; we signed a release form at the start (I thought it was to give him permission to use the photos for his portfolio). We didn't read the small print. I know. It was stupid. pic.twitter.com/wAykaSpcub

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

So I contact the photographer and he says, yeah, we signed away these photos (we took 3 photos – straight faced, smiling and crazy) and they're now stock photos that he sells. He says I might start popping up in places. So I start a reverse google search of these images & well, pic.twitter.com/etwsDanNEk

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

It feels like I sell everything! If I'm not welcoming immigrants to Canada, I'm selling carpets in NYC, leading treks in Cambodia, or looking for love in France.

Let's start with something light: here I'm the face for dental sedation in Virginia Beach. Innocent enough, you say, pic.twitter.com/KScqqLCoLx

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

but then I get into the hard stuff and I'm all about getting rid of those pesky eye bags. Haloxyl is the stuff to inhibit facial muscle tightening and is the buzzword (obvs) in anti-ageing eye cream pic.twitter.com/38pzU18Ybo

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

And then suddenly all this facial work has you getting attention and you're Dina M, with a baby and post pregnancy melasma until Dermolyte comes to the rescue and gives you photoshopped finished skin. pic.twitter.com/uC0BXZfiwU

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

But also, some hyper-pigmentation just doesn't leave and then you must resign yourself to your fate with a sad glare, pic.twitter.com/rJsKLSySxx

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

but once that's all treated you can grace some book and magazine covers. pic.twitter.com/GwBOziNUmS

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

I can also take on new identities. The most shocking of these are adverts to teach & care for kids – so who is actually with the kids? When I asked the photographer abt this, he says I signed away rights to 'distortion of character including false names'. pic.twitter.com/2MzIZPAfi5

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

Also, I love my ethnicity varies according to whim. I'm Seng Bonny leading Cambodian tours, Phoebe Lopez from San Francisco, Kelsi from San Francisco, Chandra from California, Christine from LaTrobe Uni, Dina M etc. pic.twitter.com/p105obTnLH

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

I've also looked for love online on a French dating website. This roughly translates to: 'I’m here, do not click too hard I’m fragile. Here I am looking prince charming of my dreams, who comes on his white horse to steal my heart…' pic.twitter.com/Qod17B3LSf

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

Also, I love my ethnicity varies according to whim. I'm Seng Bonny leading Cambodian tours, Phoebe Lopez from San Francisco, Kelsi from San Francisco, Chandra from California, Christine from LaTrobe Uni, Dina M etc. pic.twitter.com/p105obTnLH

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

And the list goes on; numerous testimonials for different products, someone spotted a poster at a bustop in London, posters for McDonald's in India, China and S Korea, banking brochures, eye clinics, make up websites, laser eye treatments etc. pic.twitter.com/D9ODY9k45R

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

So beside the fact that all of us were never paid for ANY of these advertisements, there's also the misleading and downright dishonesty of promoting these products. Eventually I contacted the photographer and said I didn't know I signed up for any of this, pic.twitter.com/ocpacnYd0W

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

He explained he was sorry I felt hard done by but it was all legal & explained to us beforehand (I really don't rem anyone telling me my pic would become a stockphoto & that it could be distorted) pic.twitter.com/lQapT2igXU

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

but he agreed to take it down from his site since I complained as an author I could be recognised (I don't think this was a legit excuse but it worked in making him take it down). He also said I could still keep popping up where my image was already purchased. pic.twitter.com/8zUMz94FxZ

— Shubnum Khan | Order The Djinn Waits (@ShubnumKhan) July 28, 2018

Lees ook
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