Andrew Bruce wrote:
I am curious how you handle models who solicit you for work that obviously have not viewed your portfolio (and/or gallery on MM).

I evaluate her on her modeling ability.  Her viewing my images is not a prerequisite -- I will, however, view her profile & gallery (and assess other factors).

Ionalynn wrote:
Last weeks portfolio, is less important than next weeks job.

Great summation.

Andrew Bruce wrote:
I seem to average a good 50% of contacts on here who are oblivious to the style/themes/production I do and I have to lead them in that direction.

I looked at both your MM gallery and the one linked in your profile and it looks like you shoot anything except fashion, (but that there's no reason you couldn't try fashion) so I'm honestly not sure what you mean.  Are models contacting you to shoot [genre A]  and you are annoyed because you only shoot [genre B]?  Because your portfolio says you shoot A, B, C, D, and so on. 

Andrew Bruce wrote:
Usually I do not bother with people who approach me in a manner of getting paid only but I am curious as to others how you go about this. There are some very EXTREMELY skilled photographers on this site that produce a quality that would imply the model would be paying you for that talent, and I'm sure you get these solicitations as well.

Published, working photographers still pay models when they want to do a personal project, as these personal projects rarely have any place in a model's portfolio.  If the photographer works on commercial projects, that pay can sometimes be the understanding that the model will be considered more favorably than other models when a commercial project comes around.  Most photographers on MM cannot claim to ever have any commercial opportunities for models, so they are generally going to be asked for cash.

I can sympathize though: there is something about someone with no tearsheets (when you have many tearsheets) sliding into your PM's and telling you they know how to improve your portfolio (it's by paying them money) that's very *omg how dare*.  But.  It's literally just spam.  Delete the message and never think of them again.  Or think of them sometimes to laugh about it inside your head.  There was this one guy who messaged me, who took terrible photos, and then photoshopped them into even worse fake tearsheets (like for Ralph Lauren but the models were orange because he didn't know how to white balance, and in shadow because he only appeared to own one lamp), and thinking about him still makes me snicker out loud.  I should have saved the link to his port.

Victoria Elle wrote:

Andrew Bruce wrote:
I seem to average a good 50% of contacts on here who are oblivious to the style/themes/production I do and I have to lead them in that direction.

I looked at both your MM gallery and the one linked in your profile and it looks like you shoot anything except fashion, (but that there's no reason you couldn't try fashion) so I'm honestly not sure what you mean.  Are models contacting you to shoot [genre A]  and you are annoyed because you only shoot [genre B]?  Because your portfolio says you shoot A, B, C, D, and so on. 


Published, working photographers still pay models when they want to do a personal project, as these personal projects rarely have any place in a model's portfolio.  If the photographer works on commercial projects, that pay can sometimes be the understanding that the model will be considered more favorably than other models when a commercial project comes around.  Most photographers on MM cannot claim to ever have any commercial opportunities for models, so they are generally going to be asked for cash.

I can sympathize though: there is something about someone with no tearsheets (when you have many tearsheets) sliding into your PM's and telling you they know how to improve your portfolio (it's by paying them money) that's very *omg how dare*.  But.  It's literally just spam.  Delete the message and never think of them again.  Or think of them sometimes to laugh about it inside your head.  There was this one guy who messaged me, who took terrible photos, and then photoshopped them into even worse fake tearsheets (like for Ralph Lauren but the models were orange because he didn't know how to white balance, and in shadow because he only appeared to own one lamp), and thinking about him still makes me snicker out loud.  I should have saved the link to his port.

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Maybe I'm trying to decipher who is on here for artistry vs. monetary compensation.

Aside from a more boudoir styled shoot, my main theme is horror. It always helps to have someone two feet first into wanting to present that style than someone just doing it to do it. In my general area/location my themes are rare, especially dealing with erotic Vampiress/undead ideas, which in turn also makes me in higher demand. I can tell when someone hasn't browsed my profile because they immediately go into compensation for making images for their portfolio, so I've always found that odd. The style I produce costs a decent amount of money and planning (as I'm sure does with most shoots).

Andrew Bruce wrote:
Thanks for all the replies everyone. Maybe I'm trying to decipher who is on here for artistry vs. monetary compensation.

Many people are, but art doesn't keep your belly warm at night.

Andrew Bruce wrote:
they immediately go into compensation for making images for their portfolio

Greed, what would we do without it!

Hunter  GWPB wrote:

Andrew Bruce wrote:
Thanks for all the replies everyone. Maybe I'm trying to decipher who is on here for artistry vs. monetary compensation.

Many people are, but art doesn't keep your belly warm at night.

Greed, what would we do without it!

Understandable. I'm coming at it from a perspective of someone who has a career in Graphic Design and do Photography as a hobby. So it's understood some use this as a means to make money.

Andrew Bruce wrote:
Thanks for all the replies everyone. Maybe I'm trying to decipher who is on here for artistry vs. monetary compensation.

I don't understand why that matters?  As the photographer, I'm the "project leader", and I'm just looking for reliable, talented, skilled people to help me achieve what I am trying to achieve.  "Artistry vs. Monetary" doesn't matter to me -- I can easily work with either.

Why does it matter?  Do you only want to work with artists?  Do you only want to work with "professionals"?  Can you only get what you want from one classification & not the other?

Being cynical, I tend to believe that photographers who want to work with "artists" are hoping to find models they don't have to pay.  I kinda believe that photographers seeking "artists" are motivated by money.