Robert Edward Lee Shell (born 1946) is an American photographer and author who was convicted of

involuntary manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th c ...

for the death of his model, Marion Franklin, in his

Radford, Virginia Radford (formerly Lovely Mount, Central City, English Ferry and Ingle's Ferry) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of 2020, the population was 16,070 by the United States Census Bureau. For statistical purposes, the Bureau ...

studio. The events surrounding his case have focused attention on photographers' professional conduct, and boundary issues with their models.

Photographic career

Bob Shell trained in zoology and, after college, worked for the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

. He also studied fine art and worked as a natural history painter. His paintings and drawings were widely published and included wildlife conservation stamps for the National Wildlife Federation. His father was an avid photographer and cinematographer and Shell followed in his footsteps, learning photography and film making at an early age. In the 1970s Shell decided to change careers and began to pursue photography and writing. He wrote his first articles for ''Shutterbug'' magazine in 1973 and continued his association with that magazine, later becoming its editor, a position he held until 2003.

Manslaughter conviction

Shell was known as a teacher of photography, and for his nude and erotic photography. In early 2003, he began a bondage-themed project with the intent of establishing a commercial website ("bound2bwild.com") and producing a bondage-themed book under his ''nom de plume'' Edward Lee. On June 3, 2003, his model (and, in his account, girlfriend) Marion Franklin died of a morphine overdose during a bondage-themed photographic session. Shell was prosecuted in connection with her death by Radford City Commonwealth's Attorney Chris Rehak. After four years of delays punctuated by allegations of police and prosecutorial misconduct, Shell went to trial before a jury on August 20, 2007. Although the sequence of events surrounding Franklin's death was contentious,Shawna Morrison (August 30, 2007).
Shell tells his version of model's deadly day
. ''

The Roanoke Times ''The Roanoke Times'' is the primary newspaper in Southwestern Virginia and is based in Roanoke, Virginia, United States. It is published by Lee Enterprises. In addition to its headquarters in Roanoke, it maintains a bureau in Christiansburg, ...

''. the jury agreed that Shell had administered the lethal dose of morphine to Franklin. On 31 August, Shell was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. All his appeals have since failed.

Publications

*''The Canon EOS System.'' Hove Systems Pro Guides. Hove, East Sussex: Hove Foto, 1990. . *''The Hasselblad System.'' Hove Systems Pro Guides. Hove Foto, 1991. . *''Mamiya Medium Format Systems.'' Hove Systems Pro Guides. Hove, East Sussex: Hove Foto, 1992. . *''Canon Compendium: Handbook of the Canon System.'' Hove, East Sussex: Hove, 1994. . *''Canon Classic Cameras.'' Magic Lantern, 1995. . *(With Victoria Jordan Stone). ''The Complete Idiot's Guide to Massage Illustrated.'' Alpha, 2007. .

References

External links

Shell's siteShell's perspective on Franklin's death and the court case ("bobshelltruth.com").
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shell, Bob 1946 births Living people American technology writers American magazine editors American photographers Writers on photographic techniques