How many shoots did you do in 2024 and plans for next year?

James Bessant Photography

Oh James....pull yourself together and make those lovely images!!!

I’m aiming a minimum 50% increase in shoots next year.

I only managed two this year. :(

2024 has been a bit of shock for me.

I used to shoot 2-3 times a week for my wife’s insta influencer account but she gave that up beginning of 2024 and hasn’t modelled since. I also used to shoot every day before COVID (retired now after 14 years)

I ‘reacted’ by spending a lot of £ on buying a lot of film cameras in 2024.  I have loved it. Including additionally moving into Digital Medium format (Pentax 645z).

In terms of photography in 2024, I attended 3 community group shoots (2 as a photographer and I led the third shoot, something I really enjoyed).

I have had time to reflect over the last 3 months and I will definitely be looking to do a lot more community group shoots this year. They are TF (well £5 for a day) and I usually get to shoot about 6-8 models per day. I will also aim to do at least 1 analogue community group shoot.

I am also going to join a local camera group to re-ignite my passion for general photography rather than model photography.

I also have 4 or 5 provisional TF shoots lined up through Instagram with some great models. Some established, some new. All have contacted me as I haven’t made any ‘active’ plans myself to arrange shoots with Instagram.

I am highly unlikely to do any model shoots through PP. Mainly because I love glamour photography and this genre has almost completely disappeared in terms of new and upcoming models. Ditto for glamour nude (lads mag style). And topless is definitely disappearing too (when added to the word glamour). And this site was perfect for finding these models in days past. 

To be fair, this isn’t just on PP. Times have changed.

And in terms of portrait models, the ‘feel’ of imagery in this genre plus the ability to engage with models through comments (either sent or given) on Instagram just feels far more positive and gives a sense of belonging that seems to have disappeared on here. Which is weird as a lot of models on here are also on insta.

But, for now, if I am ‘motivated’ enough to dig deep and travel, there are still a ‘cohort’  very professional, models  who are perfect for the photo shoots I want to do. 

3, that’s all :( Luckily they were great :)

Possibly 50 mainly repeat shoots with my fav models but made some new model friends. 2025 will be many less but again mainly with my regular models. Cash is running low now and need to plan for future especially with new dictator government hitting us all hard. Far less disposable income, and costs all round hitting hard. So model shoots my first cut back

31, although two shoots were so bad I've not bothered to upload the images to the cloud so techincally it's 33.  More than I thought.

Next year will be quieter for three main reasons.

• First of all, as I mentioned elsewhere earlier this month, I feel I need to step back in order to find myself a partner.  I am deeply unhappy and I'm now at the point that I need to do something about that and I crave a relationship like nothing else in this world right now.  The issue is that a single 40 year old gentleman shooting naked girls sometimes half his age doesn't provide great optics.
• Secondly, I'm disillusioned with the way the scene has gone this year.  The sort of stuff I like to shoot (home-based glamour) has gone out of fashion.  Now it's either "naked chicks on rocks" (which has never interested me) or proper Readers' Wives stuff (which I don't find attractive!)  When it comes to that middle-ground, popular in the 2010's, I just can't find models who want to shoot it.  They've all turned to OnlyFans and I can't compete.
• Thirdly, not only am I struggling to find the models who want to shoot that sort of stuff, the few remaining that do generally aren't that serious.  I've lost so many man hours through ghost comms, no-shows, late cancellations, etc. that it's now getting to the point where it's fuelling my depression.  I need to start being kinder to myself if I'm to make myself healthier mentally.

To any models reading this, here's the rub: if you still pose for the sort of stuff I like to shoot, and genuinely want to shoot, I still want to hear from you.  All I ask is you still look like the pictures on your Port, you can turn up on time, pose for the set we agree in comms, and generally just get on with it.  If that's you, please slide into my DMs because if you seriously want work, I'm still prepared to give you work.

Pixelcomposer said

I am highly unlikely to do any model shoots through PP. Mainly because I love glamour photography and this genre has almost completely disappeared in terms of new and upcoming models. Ditto for glamour nude (lads mag style). And topless is definitely disappearing too (when added to the word glamour). And this site was perfect for finding these models in days past. 

To be fair, this isn’t just on PP. Times have changed.

Yes, this is the issue I'm having.  There just aren't the models out there who want to shoot that sort of stuff.  There were some amazing models 3 years ago who were still doing that sort of imagery but they've all just completely vanished off of the scene now.

I did two if I recall correctly. One for pleasure the other for a project.

I am tending to do fewer model shoots now as I have other photographic interests.

These still take organizing. planing, time and money.

I can easily survive on a couple of shoots a year which tend to be bigger productions.

 These are pretty much self created. planned and paid for.