I am in total agreement with you Igor. I understood this post to be about profesionalism not a rant and rave. I never got the impression you were bragging about your investment or experience either, just making a point about the fact that some people just don't understand what is involved in a shoot paid or not. It goes to show the fact that sometimes some people misunderstand the written word or tone of the comments posted.
P.S. Professionalism applies to all involved......Photographs, Models, Make-up Artists Etc.

I just joined the site but already have had some problems with models. Now I have to admit that I do not possess the experience of working with models. I have done most of my work in weddings and general portraiture. I thought I had a lead on a model willing to do tfp. However, the last I heard from her was waiting to get her new work schedule so we could plan out the shoot. That was two weeks ago. I am not in the habit of pursuing people and therefore consider her saving me time.

ffppro wrote:


You have got to be kidding me! If you are working with agency models, then yes, most probably do not flake. However, my opinion is that for every 5 models I schedule a shoot with, I will probably get 2 to show up. I have had some nice conversations with MUA's while waiting for a no show that confirmed only hours earlier.

To me, it does not matter if you are being paid or just traiding images, if you agree to a shoot, then you show up for a shoot. If I agree to shoot a model, I will shoot the model even if it means turning down a better or paid gig over a TFCD. Being professional has absolutly nothing to do with pay, you either are professional and show up on time, or you are unprofessional and blow off a shoot.

For now I will only use those models from an agency or the ones who have actually made it to a shoot when I have a paying client. The last question I want the client to ask is "What happened to your models?".

I agree about models not showing up, But if you are turning down gigs that you get paid for .... who is really wrong! This is free for free and not bring that extra work to yourself. Photo shop'n polish... lol, I am no longer the model and will not do that type of work for them if it is a free exchange. They should have that stuff done the day before unless they are a Natural model and those are few and far between. Request and hour cal before. ... Have them call you an hour before the photo shoot so you know they are coming. If not, then don't show! This can be a vivid contract agreement through an email even. All there is to it. Try that and let me know.

It happened AGAIN! Another model flakes out.

:eek:

14 e-mail messages, several conversations, planning, scheduling, wardrobe, makekup, production assistant, studio rental, NO MODEL! No call, No TXT, No e-mail, just another F*%$NG no show.

I was teaching studio lighting classes about 30 years ago at a local continuing education school. They decided to add a figure photography class after a bunch of my students asked the administration for a follow up to my portrait class. So I run an ad in the local paper for models, and get boatloads of responses. After listening to a bunch of good sounding models I schedule them in sight unseen. This was the mid 70's. Sure as hell, no show. Happens again the next week, but the next gal calls at the last minute. So I schedule her for the following week. She shows up over an hour late the next time, drunk as a skunk so she would be fortified for the shoot. She can't even sit upright ;-) We finally had to use all prone poses to get some shooting done, LOL! I didn't call that one back either ;-)

Finally the solution was to schedule anyone who applied to a free test shoot at my home in the lower level studio I had. Some objected and I told them I had too many problems with no shows and cold feet, and couldn't afford to keep a class of students waiting on a no-show. I further told them it was a chance to find out if they were or weren't comfortable posing nude before the class time. Probably half of the ones I scheduled at home wouldn't show up, but I figured if it was at home there were other things I could be doing. I wouldn't even bother to get the lights set up until they showed.

The ones who didn't show at home got their card tossed and I didn't bother calling them again. The ones who did show for the most part were okay. A couple were just too uncomfortable or tense, or whatever, and I would just have to tell them they wren't ready for the class yet. The ones who did show for the trial shoot and were scheduled for later always showed.

To me the point would be that a trial or rough shoot would be a qualifier before investing further time and resources to a shoot requiring other people's services or purchase of suppies/props.