Our Approach to Photography and Privacy
One of the most magical things about Naughty N’awlins is the energy in the room.
Packed dance floors.
Creative costumes.
World-class DJs.
Immersive lighting, video mapping, LED walls, and theatrical production.
It’s a one-of-a-kind atmosphere that many attendees want to relive and share with friends who are curious about the event. But there’s a challenge: many of our guests value their privacy, and we respect that completely.
Why Privacy Matters
Naughty N’awlins is a judgment-free space where adults can explore, socialize, dance, learn, and connect in an open-minded environment.
However, we understand that many attendees:
Have professional careers
Value personal discretion
Prefer to keep their participation in alternative lifestyle events private
Because of this, traditional event photography doesn’t always work, and we never want someone to worry that attending our event could expose them online and that is why we strive to make attendee privacy, comfort, and safety a top priority.
The Old Approach: Staged Photos
In earlier years, we tried a few different approaches. One option was to ask couples if we could photograph them, and then our photographer would take a staged shot, usually against a backdrop with no one in the background. See some examples below:
This worked out OK, people could see who attended our events, the creative costumes, and a sexy atmosphere, but it only told a small part of the story.
Another issue we would face is that someone would say “Yes!” to being photographed in the moment, then later change their mind and ask us to remove the photo after it has been used on our website or social media. So we tried AI for the first time and started using it to change the photos so the overall image stayed the same, but the people were not recognizable. We also asked AI to remove recognizable tattoos and sometimes add random ones to further protect the couple’s privacy and avoid the issue of changing their minds after the fact. Look at the photos below, and compare them to the photos above, and you will see what we mean:
Another method we have used was to invite volunteers to arrive early so we could photograph them before the event opened. With the lights on and music playing, we could simulate the event atmosphere.
While this produced better images than posed studio shots, it still didn’t capture the event's true energy.
Naughty N’awlins is about the crowd, the movement, the excitement, and the shared experience of hundreds of people celebrating together.
A small staged group simply couldn’t recreate that magic.
The Challenge with Event Marketing
Many events face a difficult choice when it comes to marketing imagery.
Some events solve the problem by using fully AI-generated promotional images that look like massive festivals or stadium concerts—even when the actual event may have only a few hundred attendees. Those images can look impressive, but they often misrepresent what attendees will actually experience.
We believe that’s misleading, and our goal has always been different: we want to show the real event.
The real production.
The real venues.
The real dance floors.
The real stages.
The real immersive environments.
Just without exposing the identities of our guests.
Our Modern Solution: Privacy-Preserving Photography
Today, we use a hybrid approach that combines real photography with responsible AI tools.
These images document the real event, venues, production, and atmosphere, based on photography of the actual event.
Real venues and ballrooms
Real lighting and production
Real DJs and performances
Real video mapping and LED installations
Real dance floors and VIP areas
Real crowd energy
Then we use AI tools to protect attendee privacy.
These examples have been processed so identifiable attendees are not shown.
Instead of publishing original faces, we use AI-assisted editing to replace or modify identifiable individuals with the goal of making them no longer reasonably recognizable.
This may include:
Replacing faces with new ones
Adjusting hair, makeup, or accessories
Modifying distinctive costumes or recognizable features
Softening or stylizing certain details
Importantly, we do not change:
The venue
The layout
The stage design
The production
The lighting
The crowd density
The overall experience
One of the hardest things for us to realistically represent is our playfloor, called the Royal Salons. With AI, we can simulate what they look like, including people, without having to take photos of real people in these areas. No one does playrooms as we do, and now you see why in the images above. This is where you can truly “Rule your Fantasy”.
The images are intended to accurately reflect the event environment while protecting attendee privacy. They protect the identity of the people in them.
Why We Believe This Is the Right Approach
Using AI this way allows us to do two important things at once.
First, it protects the privacy and anonymity of our attendees.
Second, it allows us to show prospective guests what the event is really like.
Our goal is transparency—not exaggeration.
When you see photos of Naughty N’awlins, you’re seeing the real environment you’ll walk into when you arrive.
What This Means for Guests
If you attend Naughty N’awlins, you may see photographers capturing the energy of the event.
Please know:
Our policy is to avoid using identifiable attendee images in our marketing.
As part of our publishing process, we review event photographs and edit identifiable individuals before marketing images are published.
Even distinctive costumes or recognizable features may be altered slightly to ensure anonymity.
Your privacy matters to us.
While we make every reasonable effort to protect attendee privacy through careful photography practices, human review, and AI-assisted editing, no image-processing system is perfect. If you believe an image published by Naughty Events could identify you, please contact us immediately. We will promptly review your concern and, when appropriate, remove or further edit the image.
Questions? Scan the QR Code
Our photographers may hand out cards explaining this policy.
You may also see signs around the venue with QR codes linking to this page.
We want every attendee to feel comfortable, informed, and confident that their privacy is being respected.
If you ever have questions or concerns about photography at the event, please speak with our staff. We are always happy to help.
A Community Built on Trust
Naughty N’awlins exists because of the incredible community that attends each year.
Trust is the foundation of that community.
By combining real photography with privacy-protecting technology, we can document the energy of the event while honoring the discretion that many of our guests value.
The result is something we believe is both honest and respectful.
Real events.
Real energy.
Real experiences.
Just with your privacy protected.
We look forward to seeing you on the dance floor.
Photography Policy: This article describes Naughty Events' current photography practices and goals. Individual circumstances may vary, and our procedures may evolve over time as technology and privacy best practices continue to improve.