Models fees for different levels

Holly Alexander I totally get your viewpoint and it would be lovely if models didn't have to feel that way.

It's just I think that the sad reality for many models is that if they charged a flat rate which covered all levels and was also high enough to be an appropriate rate for nudity, many of them just wouldn't get the work.

For example a flat rate of £20 an hour including nudity is an appropriate rate for fashion but not nudity (imo) but they would get plenty of takers at that price. Nudity for 20 quid? Hell yeah.

£40 an hour flat rate is more appropriate for nudity but can be a little on the high side for fashion for many hobbyist photographers and therefore they may be put off by the higher rates, especially if they are booking for fashion only. Maybe not so much if they were solely wanting nudity.

So unfortunately a flat rate is just generally less appealing for the fashion photographer when they can get a model for the lower rate instead of higher rates for levels they won't use.

But yes, I do agree that stripper rates doesn't exactly feel right but it would make the most sense for a model to give themselves as much appeal as possible for booking as the photographer can choose what level he wants and therefore pay only for that level.

models should also factor in what sort of publicity / exposure their images are going to get. example, images just for purpleport, images for bentbox, images for Instagram, maybe some kind of other website or social media, private use, commercial use, etc. surely its not just about levels, but where the images are going to end up. if your going to have your images plastered all over the place then consider if that's a good or bad thing and what the cost should be accordingly.

Tiered rates make sense in porn - but feel a bit ick in PP land…. ‘I’ll have half an hour of genitals and then 2 hours of puffa jacket and jeans’.

An aside: parkway commercial releases can increase fees by a factor of 5-10, not just a few quid per hour.

Margo Jost I charge £45 per hour for ANY level. I don't know where £20 has come from. People take or leave my rates but I do one or two shoots a week around my full time job and that's more than enough for me.

If I were a full time model maybe I'd have to consider tiered rates but consider myself lucky and glad that I don't have to cheapen my modelling just because I'm not taking clothes off

Models choice and I have no issue either way

Holly Alexander ah no, sorry, I wasn't referring to your rates, I was just refering in general.

I think that everyone has to do what works financially best for them and for some people that's doing a flat rate and for others, it's a tiered rate.

It is a business after all and models are some of the best business people out there 😉

Margo Jost agreed , and there is work for everybody at whatever levels or rates they choose of course

People are free to make their own choices and you can either see if they could be compatible with you or not and not get involved. I am not sure what all the attempts to try and define what people should do, they are all wrong. It is up to each of us to decide what is best for us and whether we have lost bookings that we may or may not want, is entirely up to us.

The only time I ever encountered tiered rates was a model who I shot with several times absolutely insisted on giving me a reduction to the rate we agreed as I had shot some clothed work for a couple of hours. I suppose it depends on what pond you choose to fish in and whether you are looking to argue or set up shoots. It is really easy to do the latter

Then of course, there is the risk that the OP knew all this along and decided it would be fruitful to create a stir up thread, mention it may be controversial and then sit back and feel proud that all the same old discussions and insults have been resurrected. We are nearly at "stripper rates" being used in a derogatory way

Edited by Gerry99111

I don't understand how this 'discussion' helps you budget for next year. Please enlighten us.

Holly Alexander conversely, in the film and TV world, nudity/implied nudity means high supplements added to your pay. (As does being asked to shave your hair, but sadly mine already was 🥲)

My tiered levels reflect the fact that

1) I work in the NHS so having NSFW images in the wrong hands/domain could cost me my job

2). I have PTSD so posing nude and certain portrayals of me could carry an amount of risk to my mental health

3) I love art nude work and really wanted to do it but my husband would only agree to let me if paid more than clothed 😂

Although I have tiered levels, I just quote total rates for a job, and can do half day rates etc if asked. I try not to overcomplicate things unnecessarily, but most of my bookings are for art nude these days anyway.

 Why wouldn't a person charge as much as customers will pay? It's not like it's an essential service - a model can't hold anyone to ransom.

While I absolutely understand why some models have tiered rates, and of course entirely their business, generally I avoid booking them, and when I do I assume the rate will be at a level higher than I’m actually planning on shooting, so will normally be priced out against comparable models. I also don’t normally approach models who don’t have a published rate on their profile. But not short of great models who do.

altenatur I think ( and I could be wrong ) this argument is brought up when a photographer doesn’t want to pay a models highest rates and foolishly thinks a flat rate will make her higher level cheaper but no model would flat rate at a portrait level rate they would simply round off to the highest level rate! My apologies in advance if my comment is considered offensive, it’s not directed at any particular individual

Thelema said

altenatur I think ( and I could be wrong ) this argument is brought up when a photographer doesn’t want to pay a models highest rates and foolishly thinks a flat rate will make her higher level cheaper but no model would flat rate at a portrait level rate they would simply round off to the highest level rate! My apologies in advance if my comment is considered offensive, it’s not directed at any particular individual

Not offensive at all. The thing I've never really understood is why, regardless of advertised rates, regardless of proposed tiers/pricing mechanisms, so many photographers seem incapable of saying 'this is what I want to shoot, for this long, can we agree a fee?' - if you can't communicate with another person on that basic level, maybe go out and photograph buildings or mushrooms instead... Published rates serve to anchor people in a negotiation; they are often not the final rates that get paid, especially for half-day or longer shoots. If, as a photographer, you say 'my limit for this shoot is x' the model can take it or leave it, based on how much they like your work, how busy they are, etc. And if you're desperate to work with that person you can be flexible, if you choose. Still don't understand how this helps with budgeting as every discussion about fees is surely going to be case by case.

The business model of PP is odd.

I stopped shooting models from here a while back, as it is just too hard to be bothered to book someone.

Who loses out?

funny one.....that one.