My Experience As A Model

[La Maison Des Chats]

I've got to express admiration to all of You Beautiful Models who enjoy your career before media!! You are Lovely, but you put up with some icky stuff!!!!

 

While I am not a model personally, I dabbled with it briefly. Modeling is indeed Wonderful, Lovely, Intriguing, Glamorous, Compelling, Confidence-boosting, and just a nice way to spend the day in creativity with others. However, comma, I've come across some things, that I know are more common to folks, than something that just happened to me.

 

I was asked by a fellow vendor to represent rings that were within their product line (which is the Highest of Privileges, in ANY business), and to produce photos that could be useful. I thought, "Whoa!" This is Huge!" Imagine my delight! I have tattoos on my hands, and my Dear Fellow Business Owner saw some value in this. SO, I asked a photographer friend, who's supposed to be in business, to help me get photos. I took 3 months to finally get a camera on my hands and rings.

 

When I arrived for my photo shoot, I initially asked to have just a close-up, high-resolution shoot of my hands, for the tats, and the rings with them. My photographer proceeded to insist on a different kind of shoot, altogether, based on my Vendor's website and use of models. I knew this photog personally, and had a bottle of champagne with them, so I went with the flow. Well, I ended up looking like a TOTAL clown, and the pictures around my hands and rings were not good, nor were they usable. Imagine having to produce this, and explain it to my Sponsor! In addition, I was scolded for my desire to tip generously.

 

Fast-forward to Last Week. I was told about Pinup Parties that were planned, and I got busy getting a couple of friends involved. Because of me, this photog got 4 new clients, with an entire day of slots, BOOKED! The Photog complained the ENTIRE day about being Overbooked, Late, Inconvenienced, etc. If I calculate correctly, there were 5 slots X $125. Seems like a good day, if you ask me! I had worked with this “Pro” before, but there was a new, unskilled MUAH artist (and NOT that that insinuates ANYTHING), who was starting out, and very nice. I tipped the MUAH artist, and tried to tip the photog, but again, I was reprimanded by the photog, again.

 

The flyer for the Pinup Party advertised this:

Pinup Parties

Full Hair & Make Up

Posing Direction

Access to select wardrobe

3 Final Edits

Only $125!

Email to Book

 

To this date, there are 2 of us are still waiting for edited photos, a week later.  Mind you, this is AFTER we were told that we’d see our pics within the week. The 2 pictures I did get in an email were over-edited, and not printable. I have repeatedly had the difficulty of ever printing anything out by this photog.

 

So, I write all of this to get some discussion going of what we all expect from one another, particularly when money is exchanged. Am I wrong to want more from my photographer friend? There are professionals who communicate clearly and precisely, and conduct business fairly, while providing value to their patrons... But, then, there are those who do not.

[Roxy Tart {PL Team / Comm. Mgr}]

Your post covers a lot of things, and you have quite a few questions, but it seems that the main thing you are asking is what is expected when you pay for a shoot. We have a thread talking about TF shoots and what can be expected from those,  and there is information in there about paid shoots as well.It is a good thread and is worth taking the time to read.

Bottom line is ALWAYS have a release or contract so that both you and the photographer know and understand what is being done and what is expected. Communication is key.

If I'm reading your post correctly, you have worked with this person twice and both times had a bad experience. My suggestion is not to work with him again. We all shoot with photographers that we don't mesh with, or who give us photos we are not happy with.  It just happens. All you can do is learn from the experience, and not work with them again.