Star wrote:

I have never blind emailed rates, or told anyone on MM, that their images suck. I don't think of MM as a place to find paying work. I can't believe anyone falls for that crap.

*shrug* if someone on MM decides they want to pay me for work, i'd take their money for my work.  however, i'm here to get enough experience that hopefully people will WANT to pay me for my work someday.  You're right, though, in that this is not the place to expect paying work.

Star wrote:

I have never blind emailed rates, or told anyone on MM, that their images suck. I don't think of MM as a place to find paying work. I can't believe anyone falls for that crap.

Photographers of your quality do not have to.

A. H A M I L T O N wrote:

DawnElizabeth Moderator wrote:
Professional photos never hurt a model just starting or otherwise.

Take a commercial looking model (true commercial, not commercial fashion), shoot a bunch of high fashion images for them and then send them to high fashion and commercial agency open calls.

The booker is going to open their book and go, now here's someone who's reasonably good looking and hasn't done a bit of research on her look, makes me wonder how hard she's going to work on what we tell her she needs to do to make it.  "Next!"

My point was simply to highlight the fact that advice that doesn't apply to everyone should be qualified.  Nothing more, nothing less. 

Andy

And shots from their drunk uncle, boyfriend or their web cam are going to be taken more seriously?

I will reiterate. A base set of professional shots will NOT hurt a commercial model just starting out. A headshot, full body and a 3/4 shot. Professionally done, nothing fancy, just good lighting (natural preferred), natural look and gives a good idea of the model's features.

And it does come down to the amount of research that a model does when he/she decides to try modeling as a career. At your height/weight/look what can you do? And submit to agencies looking for those kinds of models. If you come in with polaroids and sound like a flake, you're gonna turn the agency off. However, if you come in with good clear shots of you and sound like you actually know what you are talking about or at least know when to be quiet and listen, you might impress enough to get an agent.