PhotoEclat wrote:
okay, so i like to shoot spontaneous, trial shots with a good looking girl in a nice looking location. problem is that new digital cameras with camera raw show every single flaw...on her face and/or body. honestly, the girls are shocked...sometimes....this is hardly motivational for anybody.

Honestly, this is no different than quality photographs made from film. Even in the 1930's and 1940's, film was quite unforgiving. As far back as the 1850's, professional portraits were retouched.

In an 1857 essay, Lady Elizabeth Eastlake wrote:
There is no photographic establishment of any note that does not employ artists at high salaries—we understand not less than £1 a day—in touching, and colouring, and finishing from nature those portraits for which the camera may be said to have laid the foundation.

More recently (I'd guess since 1940 or thereabouts), at the high end, the final images would be retouched by professionals, and that's what people saw in magazines.

At the lower end, the final images wouldn't be retouched, and that's what people saw when they picked up their prints from the drugstore.

PhotoEclat wrote:
what to do about the not absolutely perfect? i sometimes feel that i am not only a photographer but also a shrink....where are the days of the slightly imperfect?

The same as they ever were.

Brian Ziff wrote:
what does RAW have to do with showing flaws in your models?  if your aim is to make them look good, you should be able to do it with any available light source, and the mode in which you shoot (whether RAW or JPEG) has nothing to do with how the model looks.

Perfection is a rare thing. All the lighting and makeup magic won't solve some problems. 

To me, digital vs. film is like CD vs. records.  The analog recordings lacked some of the crispness of CDs. Many described records, having a "warmer" tone than digital recordings. 

Film and prints were all optical years ago and it was more forgiving than the digital imaging and printing is now.   I noticed a great increase in detail when I had my film drum scanned and digitally printed .   Digital cameras increased that sharpness of the minute details. 

Thankfully, there is Photoshop for helping to alleviate some of those sharp details that may discourage a model and frustrate a photographer. 

As for how to handle your model. I’m sure they’re aware of any shortcomings they have.  I try to be tactful but I’ll address an obvious issue with skin or shape, if I think it’s going to be an issue.   I do this in a non-judgmental way and don’t make a bid deal out of it.  Because, a lot of times (because of Photoshop) doesn't have to be.