Its quite hard work spending money on models

Spartacusimages said

Art Asylum Reloaded Photo Studio said

my thoughts are do you only shoot at your home or do you do studio days?

Home away and outside within 2 hours

Must be nice living where there are so many models.

I've done 250 miles, four hour shoot, and 250 miles back home in a day more than once, to shoot with who I wanted.
Well worth it.

Spartacusimages said

Is it me? If I send out 10 messages requesting a shoot (*paid) I seem to get only if I am totally honest 2 replies 3 at most. I can right now only offer 1 fully paid shoot a month, I generally start the message with "is possible to shoot you paid ?". I always say the level is set by the model and always try and be extremely polite. It's quite exhausting and frustrating at times.  In the last few month I been only offering paid to extremely professional and well know models but the same result occurs.

In the business world if I offer to pay for sometimes time, I usually get a reply within 24 hours, its seems its not the case with some models (I am talking about full time models). I can hear some of you say but I am so busy and so booked up and don't get time to reply. I say to that well how does the system work then? I keep a record of who dont reply, I mean "pro" models, and its quite astonishing , I wish I could work out what to do.

Before you reply to this thread.

1) I always accept £50ph

2) I always pay travel even for TF

3) I always offer lifts to station

4) I always stay polite (sometimes blunt) but always respectful

5) I send a chase email in 2 days

Yes ok move on..................but I am running out of models with in a reasonable distance. I am shooting less now than I have ever (model wise) done, wonder what to do?

Is it any wonder that 'TF only' plebs like me have Bob Hope and No Hope of successfully concluding a meet up and shoot these days! ??

It more than just irks me a bit when someone I have admired and followed for God knows how many years, gets pissed about or ignored when offering PAID work !! 🤣😔

Worse still when the photographer is (like the OP), clearly in a leauge or several leagues above me re: photographic natural talent!

... when the OP has such a consistent, different (and identifiable, but not laboured or cliché or 'cut n paste' repeat), polished, beautiful and professional portfolio of punchy vibrant gorgeusly saturated colourful images and impeccable forum manners and good humour ... It angers me too! 🤬🤨🤯

Spartacusimages I think one thing that may put off models is not allowing chaperones. If is often viewed as a red flag, and although I don't personally bring a chaperone I know many models who wouldn't work with those who explicitly have an issue with them

That may put some people off

Apart from that, I can't see why someone wouldn't want to work with you and the lack of response of course isn't professional, especially to an enquiry about booking. I'm really sorry you've had a negative experience - I personally check enquiries multiple times a day and make any messages I couldn't respond to immediately as unread so I know to get back that evening

Try touring,(photographers can tour as well ) with the quality of images and money you pay you will be busy i would imagine with an added bonus of plenty of new locations as backdrops

There’s definitely been an exodus of models since the rise of Instagram, which really took off during COVID, with many moving to platforms like OnlyFans. Some models have stayed, of course, but there’s been a noticeable shift in numbers. Back in the '80s and '90s, every girl wanted to be a model, and every boy wanted to be a soldier or a footballer—how times have changed. Now, everyone has a camera in their pocket and is snapping photos all day long. Growing up, I was lucky to have 20 pictures of myself. My kids? They probably couldn’t even count how many photos of them exist! Everyone’s a superstar nowadays.

Edited by ANDY00

Alyssa Taylor thank you for your reply. My partner (female) is here in my home so why would anyone need a chaperone? It's seems odd but of course it's only a small percentage that this affects.

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Huw 250 miles? Amateur!

I've taken to flying to European cities and booking 2 or 3 shoots over the course of a weekend. Prices on the continent are higher, but so is the keenness to secure paid work. Plus I get to see a new city :)

Alyssa Taylor ignore the masses of typos, I do apologize! I was doing the nursery run.

TLDR: Horror stories happen so people can be hesitant especially when newer. But majority of people are safe!

Alyssa Taylor

IMO what you're asking for is too wishy-washy and I can imagine plenty of models, busy ones especially, thinking that arranging the details of a shoot with you will be time-consuming and frustrating. So, if I were you I'd be much more specific about what it is YOU want to shoot and what levels YOU require.

Spartacusimages said

Art Asylum Reloaded Photo Studio said

my thoughts are do you only shoot at your home or do you do studio days?

Home away and outside within 2 hours

ok well we aren't far from you and have plenty of days here

PS I don't tolerate chaperones either but I don't announce that. IMO if a model wants to bring one it's her responsibility to make that clear before booking a shoot. I've never found that to be a problem since those models who have announced one (which hardly ever happens - certainly not within the last 5 years) have backed down when I say 'sorry, but that's a no'. Same with deposits.

I would, though, allow a new model, still finding her feet, a chaperone if she requested one.

Edited by FiL

I note your portfolio notes state you mainly shoot on Fridays. Many models like myself have day jobs and can only shoot at weekends, so that counts a lot of us out.

Firstly, I don't like chaperones either.  I've only ever lost one shoot; either the model has backed down or we've agreed some sort of compromise (he comes in at the start then sits in the car on the drive, etc.)  Nor do I do deposits, but the only model who's had an issue with that agreed to forego it if she was paid on arrival before getting changed.

Back to the OP's point; cold-calling is normally a thankless task with a very low hit rate, but that's normally when you're getting someone else to part with their money.  The money is going in the other direction in this case, so I'm not entirely sure the theory applies.

That said, I do struggle to get a response out of models when I cold-call myself, which is fustrating I agree.  I think it's a combination of things - One, I'm not at a good enough level, which is fine.  Two, they're either crazy busy or have day jobs and only shoot at weekends, which I also get.  Three, often due to the factors in point two, they're in the rather fortunate position whereby they can cherry-pick their work.

A lot of freelancers who are any good are in a position to say "no" more than they say "yes."  If you've got one of the top guys on here who generally stick to the superstar models (and consequently superstar rates) offering you decent bunce to shoot, well, you're going to take that over someone of my level who finds £50ph on the dear side.  Although one doing her own due dilligence, a model I'd worked with apparently told another model "I pay well."

Then there's the elephant in the room that is OF.  Again, I put myself in the model's shoes; do I want to make a fair whack off self-shooting content and selling it on my own platform, or earn slightly less to undress for a stranger who's at least an hour's drive or train ride away?  And again, I totally get that!

The point of a chaperone is that it's someone the model can trust - if the model doesn't know your "partner", how do they know they can trust them or if they even exist? All the model knows is that they are going to be going to the home of a complete stranger and potentially placing themselves in a situation where they are vulnerable. Relying on 270 positive references isn't foolproof because there have been cases where people with lots of positive references have been found out to be less than trustworthy and there's always a "First" victim.

FiL said

IMO what you're asking for is too wishy-washy and I can imagine plenty of models, busy ones especially, thinking that arranging the details of a shoot with you will be time-consuming and frustrating. So, if I were you I'd be much more specific about what it is YOU want to shoot and what levels YOU require.

Nothing in the initial post said how much detail he goes into with his messages.