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The Worst Excuses For Cancelling
Well, I had my first official cancellation! (Still waiting for my first collaboration). She did actually contact me before the meet time, so I'm happy about that. But, the excuse was pretty incredible... "Hey I probably can't make it today, my car isn't doing well with the water on the roads." And the best part about this is it didn't rain all day...lol. Wow. What are YOUR worst excuses for cancelling? Sep 08 15 09:09 pm Link Well one shoot day I feared an Alien Invasion and another day I feared a Zombie Apocolypse .... Sep 08 15 09:12 pm Link ...but let me clarrify that these were two different days Sep 08 15 09:12 pm Link Garry k wrote: Haha...well that makes sense. Those two things happening on the same day are pretty unlikely. Nice. Sep 08 15 09:17 pm Link Photographer to me, "I dropped my phone in a urinal and couldn't call you" ... and then he wanted the deposit he sent me refunded. Sep 08 15 09:57 pm Link JoJo wrote: I bet he was PISSED! (much pun intended) Sep 08 15 10:09 pm Link I'm in the hospital. I went in for an outpatient procedure & they kept me for a week. Sep 08 15 10:33 pm Link No Call, No Show. Two weeks later...Model shows up at Studio...he explained to me, he was arrested and was put in jail! Two Fitness Male Models, who are brothers. The younger brother called me the day of the shoot, and said he could not get off from work, older brother called me and said since younger cannot show, he will not show up either. My opinion, still today of those two brothers are....%#>%#%*+%>. Sep 08 15 10:46 pm Link Jim Shibley wrote: Well, at least they went for the injury/hospital theme. It was outpatient...after a week. Ha! Sep 08 15 10:54 pm Link DOUGLASFOTOS wrote: I'm surprised he didn't call you for bail money! Sep 08 15 10:57 pm Link Model: hey there my car window got smashed by a rock I don't think I'll make it. Me: I can pick you up on the way there, I mean it's at the beach and like you live towards the beach and I'm sure you could use the $$ for a window.. Model: Ok! 25 minutes later Model: Sick! My stomach hurts really bad. I'm on the way to the hospital right now.  My reaction  Sep 08 15 11:12 pm Link Gerardo Martinez wrote: That's when you say, "I'm also a gastrointestinal doctor, so you can save some money." Then hand her a bottle of Pepto-Bismol. Sep 08 15 11:25 pm Link Gerardo Martinez wrote: This is a general comment but also directed at you and I mean no disrespect but I looked at your work. Why are you wasting time with models on this site*. Approach modeling agencies and test. My feeling is you and others who produce marketable usable quality work should. When you travel to places like Vegas contact some of the local agencies before hand and see what they say. You won't get silly bs like 'interested' and few last minute tummy aches. I note your Avatar is signed. If you aren't testing agency faces then grab her and two more models. Do a bit more. Make some 11x14 prints and try your luck. Sep 09 15 12:13 am Link Tony Lawrence wrote: There has been a lot of negativity on here lately, so I appreciate your positive comments towards another photographer, Tony! In all honesty, I can't remember any lame or crazy excuses from models who have canceled on me. Perhaps it's because I vett models carefully? It could be because they get to know how helpful I am towards anything they may need to work with me? For example, if a model told me she could not drive her car because a rock shattered or cracked her windshield, of course I would volunteer to pick her up and drive to where we planned to shoot. If she called back and said she was having terrible stomach pains, I would tell her that since I am on my way anyhow, and have nothing else planned, I'll drive her to the hospital. Sep 09 15 01:24 am Link While I understand models changing their minds what irritates me is why accept the shoot to begin with. Worse is sick grannies or car problems. Fuc* the lame excuses just say you've changed your mind. A few years past I planned a shoot in Gary, IN. A MM model was in but hours before called to say her home had been broken into and her clothes stolen. Funny thing is when she called off I said okay and she said don't you want to know why. I said, sure. Then that crap. I accept that many models especially from sites like MM simply won't show. That's fine but why accept shoots you really don't want to do in the first place. This is why any shooter who lives in a decent sized market who produces work that a agency could use should in my mind go to one. Maybe things won't work or they only send a few models. You never know. Sep 09 15 02:50 am Link Had a TFP with a model that lived a little over an hour away from my studio. We planned the shoot for a month out and emailed the particulars back and forth for a few weeks. The day of the shoot I get an email that said, "Oh, I forgot, I have to move today!!!! WTF? Who forgets for a month that they have to move? Another time, a model calls me an hour before our shoot and says that she, "Has a flat, but her father is on his way to fix it" About 4 hours later I finally call her to see if she is alright. She says that she is OK, her father fixed her flat, but she forgot about our shoot! Sep 09 15 03:24 am Link I've had more cancellations off photographers than I've ever had to cancel a formally-booked shoot from my end. Once was because of a job interview was on the same day that could not otherwise be arranged (potential job takes priority over TFP), and the other was because a shoot the previous day in heels on sand had made it painful to extend or contract my legs fully, thus making the shoot that was focussing near solely on wearing heels to be a bad idea. The only other time I had to cancel a shoot was due to a bad experience the first time round, and I still turned up and politely explained why I couldn't do it to his face so then there was no misunderstanding. Sep 09 15 04:07 am Link Still grief stricken over the death of a pet dog a few days before. Sep 09 15 06:30 am Link The model responded to my casting call, we setup a 6pm time for the following week, discussed the entire concept, confirmed at 1pm of the day of the shoot..... and at 5pm got a text message saying, "I forgot I have a doctor's appointment. Sorry.". Upon mentioning this to some other photogs in a closed FB group, I found out that she is the queen of flakes. Word has gotten around and now, despite her attractiveness and potential, she can't get photographers to shoot with her. Depite her currently being active on MM, none of her photographs is newer than 18 months. Sep 09 15 06:38 am Link Worked with her for several weeks setting up a noon to 3:00 shoot. Get a text message at 11:45 "can't make it, got mugged while riding my bike two nights ago, still have bruises and scars". Received another text the next day, "I'm all better now LET'S SHOOT!". Sep 09 15 06:45 am Link I had one model no-show for a morning shoot years ago, and surprisingly she answered my email when I inquired as to why she did not show up. It turns out when she woke up she was struck by the urge to go shopping. To me the excuse don't really matter. The model could just as well have said her grandmother died again. Either way, the result is the same: A model doesn't show up. Sep 09 15 09:06 am Link MN Photography wrote: This is something that I can completely relate to and understand. For some of us long time pet owners, our pets are "our children." It's likely I'd be grieving for a few days over losing my dog too. Sep 09 15 09:21 am Link Patrick Walberg wrote: I was fine when I pulled the trigger because it HAD TO be done; cried when I dug the hole; and couldn't talk for two days after. 10 years later, I still tear up. Sep 09 15 09:31 am Link I can't make it to the shoot today because my car was hit by a meteor and it's radioactive. I would never have suspected that this model owned a geiger counter  Sep 09 15 09:39 am Link My two favorites... Model replies when I texted her 10 minutes after the scheduled start time and said that her brother died over night and was going to have to help her mother make funeral arrangements. I guess she forgot that she gave me her twitter. Later, I saw that she tweeted that she blew off another photographer because she was too lazy to get off her butt and stop watching a Breaking Bad marathon. Model no shows. I message her and a day later she responds that 1) she lost 5 family members in a fire and 2) her engine blew in her car and 3) her grandfather had a heart attack. Perhaps a little overkill on the excuses? Honestly, if a model has second thoughts or something comes up it would be nice just to get call, text or message with an honest explanation. I can respect that. Sep 09 15 09:46 am Link The one that angered me the most was "I have to go shopping with my mother". Sep 09 15 10:54 am Link MainePaintah wrote: I've had variations on that a few times. Sep 09 15 10:57 am Link Patrick Walberg wrote: Except that they're usually lying, just like they do with human deaths. Sep 09 15 10:59 am Link "My roommate's cat died and she really needs me." Closely followed by a post on her IG smoking weed and chugging beers. hahhahahhahha Sep 09 15 11:12 am Link Told a friend that I potentially had a shoot with a big deal person in my field. It must have made them jealous because days later they messaged me to set up a shoot after stringing me along about working with them for years. I go agree to shoot them knowing they are going to back out of the shoot like they always do. Night before they tell me that their coworker had a death in the family and they have to cover their shift. Days later they ask me if they should buy a lens that I happen to have a second one of. They ignore me pointing this out to them and they make it pretty clear that they would rather drive another 30-40 minutes past me and spend money on a used lens from a stranger than do the shoot that they contacted me about an get a barely used lens for free. But they don't think I'm smart enough to see that they like the attention of setting up shoots and never intend to follow through. Sep 09 15 11:13 am Link PhantomShots wrote: And therein is the definition of 95% of Model Mayhem "models". Sep 09 15 11:33 am Link Top Gun Digital wrote: You don't have to. If you are glowing badly, that's usually a good sign as well Sep 09 15 12:03 pm Link rp_photo wrote: Lying? I don't find that to be true at all. Am I the only one here who gets to know people I work with well enough that they know that they can't lie to me because I'd catch them? Often times I know their address to where they live, have been introduced to people they care about, or perhaps we have mutual friends? Sep 09 15 01:31 pm Link PhantomShots wrote: Mortonovich wrote: I don't find this to be true at all. Sep 09 15 01:32 pm Link The most common excuse, is something associated with a grandmother. Don't ask me why. Most simply don't call or offer any excuse at all. Sep 09 15 02:51 pm Link Mortonovich wrote: Only if you happen to consistently like the look of flakes. Which I do. Sep 09 15 03:15 pm Link Lallure Photographic wrote: In 10 years of doing this, I have never got that excuse. However, I've heard the more generic "Family emergency" often. Sep 09 15 03:38 pm Link Patrick Walberg wrote: These days I work a lot with local and traveling pros, some whom I've never met until the shoot. At this level, flaking is not a concern and my main worry is what the weather will be like on a shoot booked a month in advance. Sep 09 15 03:42 pm Link PhantomShots wrote: Be careful when telling others about upcoming shoots as it gives "haters" opportunity to meddle. It's best to keep quiet until after its happened. Sep 09 15 03:45 pm Link two of the best: 1: I was out riding a quad bike and fell off/banged my head 2: Oil light on car came on, its taking sooo long to get fixed! Sep 09 15 04:00 pm Link |
