MC Seoul Photography wrote:
I wonder if they don't have a secret group or something coordinating this.

Thought that last line was very amusing. Been here since 2013 and can assure you that at least from my experience, Retouchers go through similar (In my case it's with models, mua, designers, other retouchers and photographers). I even mentioned something about the "Friend Request" in my profile. It honestly can be just a little annoying, but you can't make it ruin your day, since there really is no ill intent (MM at its base is a community just like Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. so people will eventually reach out to connect, it is what it is). When you get a "Friend Request" and you are not interested, just don't accept or deny (I personally would not feel right about blocking a member unless they actually did something inappropriate). As for the tags, not sure what to do here.

Steven Burnette Retouch wrote:

Thought that last line was very amusing. Been here since 2013 and can assure you that at least from my experience, Retouchers go through similar (In my case it's with models, mua, designers, other retouchers and photographers). I even mentioned something about the "Friend Request" in my profile. It honestly can be just a little annoying, but you can't make it ruin your day, since there really is no ill intent (MM at its base is a community just like Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. so people will eventually reach out to connect, it is what it is). When you get a "Friend Request" and you are not interested, just don't accept or deny (I personally would not feel right about blocking a member unless they actually did something inappropriate). As for the tags, not sure what to do here.

I wish I could "like" your comment..

MC Seoul Photography wrote:
All I do is block you. I mentioned this once before, and the mods should look in to it. Because I seem to get these in waves. In the last few days I've suddenly had 3 retouchers add and tag me, for what seems to be the sole purpose of getting me to look at their profile. I don't know them, so I'm certainly not friends with them. Every once in awhile I get little clusters of these, and I wonder if they don't have a secret group or something coordinating this.

So last few days you've had 3...three...so like basically just a couple + 1?  And, that's a big deal?  Just block, delete, and move on.

MC Seoul Photography wrote:
All I do is block you. I mentioned this once before, and the mods should look in to it. Because I seem to get these in waves. In the last few days I've suddenly had 3 retouchers add and tag me, for what seems to be the sole purpose of getting me to look at their profile. I don't know them, so I'm certainly not friends with them. Every once in awhile I get little clusters of these, and I wonder if they don't have a secret group or something coordinating this.

I guess its very common for all!

anchev wrote:
Maybe after hundreds of such threads all over the forums it is high time that we, who work as retouchers, also make a template answer to this. Here is a suggestion:


Dear photographers... stop advertising your ego by opening threads against retouchers. There are models who work for payment only and send you friend requests too. And their hourly rates are much much higher than ours although they don't come retouched on set. Still you accept them and pay them and never open a thread against their friend requests.

Remember that we get friend requests from you all the time too. And we accept them although you may never be our client, although your work may suck totally, although many of you read "Paid assignments only" but ask for a free test or attempt to devalue our hard work, eye strain and expensive monitors which we buy in order to deliver the best quality work to you.

If you have forgotten you are on a social website which has the function of sending friend requests. You have agreed to those terms when you opted in. Opening a thread just to abuse others under a common denominator is against the site rules.

Yup That works for me!

anchev wrote:
Maybe after hundreds of such threads all over the forums it is high time that we, who work as retouchers, also make a template answer to this. Here is a suggestion:


Dear photographers... stop advertising your ego by opening threads against retouchers. There are models who work for payment only and send you friend requests too. And their hourly rates are much much higher than ours although they don't come retouched on set. Still you accept them and pay them and never open a thread against their friend requests.

Remember that we get friend requests from you all the time too. And we accept them although you may never be our client, although your work may suck totally, although many of you read "Paid assignments only" but ask for a free test or attempt to devalue our hard work, eye strain and expensive monitors which we buy in order to deliver the best quality work to you.

If you have forgotten you are on a social website which has the function of sending friend requests. You have agreed to those terms when you opted in. Opening a thread just to abuse others under a common denominator is against the site rules.

I get far more random retouchers adding me than I get models spamming me their hourly rates, by an order of magnitude. And I should mention the retoucher profiles I get spammed at me are ones that are always leading with their prices, not ones that have any kinds of introduction, point of interest, or anything else. I'd suggest that anyone who simply blanket spams friend invites should have their profile looked at, it's just only been a problem with retouchers until now. Models will sometimes contact me looking for paid gigs if they're travelling in this area, I tell them I'm not interested in illiterate models, we mutually block each other and move on. But those are a drop in the bucket compared to the retouchers.

LA StarShooter wrote:
It's easy to click the deny button. It takes very little time. You can deny models or anyone that doesn't float your Titanic. Just accept this part of the site, retouchers want work and they think its more effective to friend bomb than to write emails. Some have written emails to me, offering me a "test" price. It's been a long time since that has happened. So, the friend bombing must seem or be more effective for them. No is an easy word.

Even denying them doesn't stop them. Last time I denied a couple, they went ahead and added me again a day later. I had to block them.

MC Seoul Photography wrote:
I get far more random retouchers adding me than I get models spamming me their hourly rates, by an order of magnitude.

If they are sending you this in PM - this is spam. But if they are simply sending FR it is not.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spamming

Electronic spamming is the use of electronic messaging systems to send an unsolicited message (spam), especially advertising, as well as sending messages repeatedly on the same site.

I also get far more messages from people who think $100 is some huge business. So what? Should I go to the photographers or models forum and write "Dear people, stop wasting my time. All I do is block you"?

And I should mention the retoucher profiles I get spammed at me are ones that are always leading with their prices, not ones that have any kinds of introduction, point of interest, or anything else. I'd suggest that anyone who simply blanket spams friend invites should have their profile looked at, it's just only been a problem with retouchers until now. Models will sometimes contact me looking for paid gigs if they're travelling in this area, I tell them I'm not interested in illiterate models, we mutually block each other and move on. But those are a drop in the bucket compared to the retouchers.

Do you go to protest in front of each company's office whose billboards you see in the streets? I hope not.

If the problem is the friend request notifications which you may be getting from MM to your email address, just set up a filter on your inbox. I have done this, so the FR emails go to Trash folder automatically while I still get other notifications delivered normally. Then periodically (e.g. once a day) I go to "my stuff" and simply approve them all with 2 clicks. That is not too much work. Or if you want absolute isolation you may browse all the 10k retoucher profiles and block them one by one and keep doing this for every newly registered retoucher.

For the fun of it, just see what kinds of messages I am getting sometimes:


"Hello, I'd really like to work with you if you could refrain from shaving or trimming the pubic area.

In Paris now models with bald pubes have gone out of fashion. Let me know if this is a problem for you."

anchev wrote:
If they are sending you this in PM - this is spam. But if they are simply sending FR it is not.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spamming

Electronic spamming is the use of electronic messaging systems to send an unsolicited message (spam), especially advertising, as well as sending messages repeatedly on the same site.

I also get far more messages from people who think $100 is some huge business. So what? Should I go to the photographers or models forum and write "Dear people, stop wasting my time. All I do is block you"?


Do you go to protest in front of each company's office whose billboards you see in the streets? I hope not.

If the problem is the friend request notifications which you may be getting from MM to your email address, just set up a filter on your inbox. I have done this, so the FR emails go to Trash folder automatically while I still get other notifications delivered normally. Then periodically (e.g. once a day) I go to "my stuff" and simply approve them all with 2 clicks. That is not too much work. Or if you want absolute isolation you may browse all the 10k retoucher profiles and block them one by one and keep doing this for every newly registered retoucher.

For the fun of it, just see what kinds of messages I am getting sometimes:


"Hello, I'd really like to work with you if you could refrain from shaving or trimming the pubic area.

In Paris now models with bald pubes have gone out of fashion. Let me know if this is a problem for you."

Sending a friend request does generate an email to my private email and a notification on the site. But the entire purpose of the FR is simply to advertise their services to me, that is a de facto spam message. They don't send me a message introducing themselves because something in my profile interests them, and I'm sure if the mods checked they'd find those users sending out multiple messages. In fact, sometimes when I get a bunch and don't get back to them for a few days, when I do get around to checking their profiles, about 1/2 of them have had their profiles deactivated, probably because others have been complaining about it too.

and, and now that I look through the history, i find that you were one of them. No wonder you're trying to defend it.

MC Seoul Photography wrote:
Sending a friend request does generate an email to my private email and a notification on the site. But the entire purpose of the FR is simply to advertise their services to me, that is a de facto spam message. They don't send me a message introducing themselves because something in my profile interests them, and I'm sure if the mods checked they'd find those users sending out multiple messages. In fact, sometimes when I get a bunch and don't get back to them for a few days, when I do get around to checking their profiles, about 1/2 of them have had their profiles deactivated, probably because others have been complaining about it too.

and, and now that I look through the history, i find that you were one of them. No wonder you're trying to defend it.

I don't know what your personal definition of spam is but this very thread is 1. in the wrong forum 2. nobody requested this common denominator hate.

I also don't know what you mean "you were one of them". There is nothing to defend as I am not sending FRs to anyone. Last year there was a technical issue with my profile which resulted in a big number of friend requests sent from my profile to others without my knowledge. But that was fixed long long ago. As I said I also receive FRs all the time. There have been times when I receive 100 and more for a single day. I don't check them 1 by 1 if they are deactivated or not because I have more important work to do.

MC Seoul Photography wrote:
Sending a friend request does generate an email to my private email and a notification on the site. But the entire purpose of the FR is simply to advertise their services to me, that is a de facto spam message. They don't send me a message introducing themselves because something in my profile interests them, and I'm sure if the mods checked they'd find those users sending out multiple messages. In fact, sometimes when I get a bunch and don't get back to them for a few days, when I do get around to checking their profiles, about 1/2 of them have had their profiles deactivated, probably because others have been complaining about it too.

and, and now that I look through the history, i find that you were one of them. No wonder you're trying to defend it.

I didn't send you a request and I'm "defending" the opposing stance. I'm not trying to attack you, but this is a little overdramatic in my opinion.

This is on your profile: "I do not compensate models as that would be contrary to the process. If you're coming to me for money, you're not really coming to me for art. If the photos were ever used commercially there could be compensation at that time."

I understand you have a personal belief that this isn't a place for business but.....that's untrue for the majority here, from my understanding. The "art" hasn't been lost. People want to use their skills to earn. Nothing wrong with that. Art's always been like that. Since this is your own, minority, view, you'll have to accept the "spam."

MC Seoul Photography wrote:
All I do is block you. I mentioned this once before, and the mods should look in to it. Because I seem to get these in waves. In the last few days I've suddenly had 3 retouchers add and tag me, for what seems to be the sole purpose of getting me to look at their profile. I don't know them, so I'm certainly not friends with them. Every once in awhile I get little clusters of these, and I wonder if they don't have a secret group or something coordinating this.

1 click- Block, deny or delete. What’s so difficult?

Robert Randall wrote:
I think the real problem is ego, and at times I'm as guilty of that as anyone. I've been working as a retoucher most of my life, starting with acid etching half tone films in 1972, and with my first work station in 1989. Many of the retouchers that contact me weren't even born then. That in itself doesn't mean I'm better at it than they are, but there is a bit of resentment involved when someone with 4 really bad before and after images tells me they can help me to improve my work. However, as with all things in this era of the computer and the internet, with a little self reflection, I've come to the conclusion that if I resent them all, I may miss out on the genius that actually can help my work. So, let them tag away, it can't really hurt anything except your ego.

+1

East West wrote:
1 click- Block, deny or delete. What’s so difficult?

Not so easy.  For some MM cache doesn't purge for a while.

MC Seoul Photography wrote:
All I do is block you. I mentioned this once before, and the mods should look in to it. Because I seem to get these in waves. In the last few days I've suddenly had 3 retouchers add and tag me, for what seems to be the sole purpose of getting me to look at their profile. I don't know them, so I'm certainly not friends with them. Every once in awhile I get little clusters of these, and I wonder if they don't have a secret group or something coordinating this.

Im sorry to tell you this but you are being dramatic, what did you expect when you decided to create your business online? networking is a huge part of it and if you are blocking everyone who wants to add you and be connected with you then you will never grow as a business, and it doesnt matter if its a retoucher, model, mua etc. people remember these people who block you

We are living in a different time, where "friend request" dosen't mean you are BBFs, its just so you have an easy way to find someone online and remember them for when you want to check their work and get inspiration, god forbid that someone wants to get to know you!

for example: if a retoucher decided to add you and wanted to get to know you and follow your work here, they would add you as a friend so they could see your work more easily, and then if they find out you blocked them for no reason?! big mistake! you just don't know who they know, they could have great connections with people who you would like to work with, but if you block them?... guess you never will

all you need to do is ignore their request, blocking is stupid to do for no real reason.

PJKRetouching wrote:

Im sorry to tell you this but you are being dramatic, what did you expect when you decided to create your business online? networking is a huge part of it and if you are blocking everyone who wants to add you and be connected with you then you will never grow as a business, and it doesnt matter if its a retoucher, model, mua etc. people remember these people who block you

We are living in a different time, where "friend request" dosen't mean you are BBFs, its just so you have an easy way to find someone online and remember them for when you want to check their work and get inspiration, god forbid that someone wants to get to know you!

for example: if a retoucher decided to add you and wanted to get to know you and follow your work here, they would add you as a friend so they could see your work more easily, and then if they find out you blocked them for no reason?! big mistake! you just don't know who they know, they could have great connections with people who you would like to work with, but if you block them?... guess you never will

all you need to do is ignore their request, blocking is stupid to do for no real reason.

Agreed whole heartedly!

barepixels wrote:
See this link a retoucher post

https://www.modelmayhem.com/forums/post … st19764847

They don't read they use bots to spam

It seems the opposite is also true - they solicit services in PM (and by email). Some retouchers keep approaching me with offers to outsource my retouching work to them because (as per their words) they would do it very qualitatively and much cheaper.

With so many educators nowadays it is easy to learn all kinds of "clever" things.