FlirtynFun Photography wrote:
how ironic from an online magazine catering to women under 5'5" who are into fashion. I imagine they have a sister company catering to 45 year old 5'7" white guys who aspire to be NBA centers.

Just goes to show that you can write any sort of garbage on the Internet and some people will believe it.

I'm 48 an only 5-8 and really wanted yo be a shooting guard. Do you have a web address for the NBA site?

Always remember: the shoot isn’t about you, it is about the product.

i guess those in this for artistic reasons are clearly not professional and cant offer models "real work"

Faith EnFire wrote:
this site is what you make of it.
I'm doing just fine here.

+1
I'm doing just fine myself!

Jerry Nemeth wrote:

+1
I'm doing just fine myself!

apparently art models don't count as real models, and amateurs should pay thousands of dollars to try and get in agencies that promise the petite work...

models like that are models I refuse to shoot as a photographer-as a marksman...

and from the pictures, I can outpose her any day-wait can I say that or is that critique

glumpy wrote:
While I wouldn't call the site a scam, it's hard to argue its not at all what it would seem to be or represent.

It would be hard to deny that the wannabees on both sides of the camera outweigh the serious professionals buy a very great margin.
For a significant part, the  shooters are guys using camera's as a tool to get near girls that wouldn't go near them under any other circumstance and there are a great many girls here that don't have a hope in hell of getting any sort or regular paid modeling work even though that is what their profiles indicate is their goal in life.

I never cease to be amazed how so many shooters will come up with a reason why they need to shoots nudes when they are still not competent enough to take a decent basic portrait and the models can't even be relied upon to turn up for the shoots they say they are so looking forward too.

The fact is that while the impression a reasonable person would have of the site being related to and a stepping stone in the modeling industry, it has about as much relevance to it as it does to the used car industry.... maybe less.

This is not the fault of the site itself, it's only what the members make it and I think most people are aware of the limitation of the membership and audience but it is fair to say that a professional level of involvement is not encouraged.

I'm sure saying this will cause storms of indignant protest and examples of the 1 in 10,000 people that did do something worthwhile  through the site but the exceptions do not change the majority.

Unfortunately I thing this site and those like it do cause a lot of disappointment for the people whom are serious and have no doubt put more than one person with real potential off a pursuit in lifer that could have been rewarding for them.
The site is what it is but that is not really a foothold into the mainstream fashion or modeling industry as it could be reasonably expected to be.

The article is far from accurate but it is not without some merit or fact either.

MM has never advertised itself as really being a professional site.
This is the Myspace of modeling.  A fun silly place to post and bs.  Anyone
is really welcome to join.  From the good to the worst and all in between.
Those who really seek real work modeling work need to go to real
world modeling agencies.  Consider for example.  MM doesn't allow agents,
managers or agencies.  That's a big CLUE

As for guys looking to get women out of their clothes.  We have that.
Always somebody trying to blow a models dress up when she
has no undies on.  Anybody you know?  That doesn't make them a poor
artist.  Its easy to judge other people.  Its easy to speak to a foothold in
the industry when its oblivious that MM is not nor will be the 'industry'
Remember no agent, agencies or managers. 

I'm also NOT so sure about the shooters here trying to use their
cameras to get next to women.  Some perhaps but I see a site full of
mostly people trying to create art or work to make money.  Even those
whose ideal of creative is to have a model pull her top down against
a wall.  Lets not judge, shall we.   In a nut shell almost any website
from omp to Musecube to this one is what YOU make of it.

WHAT IS PETITE?

PETITE REFERS TO STATURE, NOT WEIGHT.
By Ann Lauren: According to the fashion industry Petite is defined as 5′5″ inches tall and under.

a clue for them, the fashion industry considers any model less then 5'8" petite....

glumpy wrote:
The fact is that while the impression a reasonable person would have of the site being related to and a stepping stone in the llamaing industry, it has about as much relevance to it as it does to the used car industry.... maybe less.

The article is far from accurate but it is not without some merit or fact either.

I know in my 15  years in the industry, contracting to various agencies, that statement applies to a lot of agencies too. Many will take a young hopeful's money give them some basic instruction, get them to see me or other photographers, who charge them a decent fee to shoot their folio, and then it sits in the agency file. The agency keeps sending the girls back to get more photos, but does the girl get any work, maybe a charity event or two, but proper paying work, no. At least here, if a llama is careful enough to look through the type of photos a photographer takes, she will get photos for no more than her time. It builds her confidence to then chase work, get an agent etc. So, when she finds a real agency and does a test shoot, she comes out confident and looking her best.

In a society that keeps pushing the idea 'you are not good enough' a bit of confidence building goes a long way. If they come here for experience, good - the site is great for that. If they bring commonsense, even better. If the want to make money from photographers with poor folio full of nudes, lets sing the song 'we're all going to the Zoo tommorrow'

I you want to look at a scam - convince billions of people to throw away perfectly good clothes - because they are stained -no, because they are too small - no, because they are uncomfortable - no -> becuase they are out of fashion for this season (the fashion industry in a nutshell).

glumpy wrote:
It would be hard to deny that the wannabees on both sides of the camera outweigh the serious professionals buy a very great margin.

I doubt anyone would deny that because it's the point of the site. Girls who are capable of getting signed and being paid massive bucks and are kept busy by an agency are just that. If they're not, they can come here, maybe turn some extra money or get their portfolio padded out.

The fact is that while the impression a reasonable person would have of the site being related to and a stepping stone in the modeling industry, it has about as much relevance to it as it does to the used car industry.... maybe less.

Yet every now and then a model announces on the forums that she got signed and the occasional model gets put into a big publication.

This website is not a golden ticket, but it is not without its utility.

And I think that's the big point, the article writer is trying to say "scam" which not only means without utility, it means *negative* utility, it takes something away from you without giving anything.

And that's not true at all.

I don't think anyone is ever promising that this site will be someone's golden ticket, but it is a good place to learn some skills, maybe get some jobs, and produce a portfolio for no cost other than showing up not drunk. And all of that is utility that is not otherwise available to someone.

I know some models who make some decent side cash, and if your options are getting a modeling gig here once a week for $50/hr vs. waiting tables, and you're in school, that's a bonus. Again, there's not the claim of join model mayhem and make the cover of Vogue, but it is very, very far from being a scam.

People with unrealistic dreams exist on their own, without this website, and they will do unrealistic things regardless. Maybe they would be falling for a model agency scam and shelling out $700 for a 'professional portfolio' if model mayhem did not exist. So even in this sense, for the model who should not be modeling, it's a saving grace.

Lastly, I'm of the opinion that modeling is a skill that can be learned, if you are not concerned about the ideal runway body type, then by eating healthy, living well, and exercising you can have a body that is more than adequate for the odd paid job that is generated from this site. So even the "one who should not be modeling" has it within his or her grasp to elevate their game by learning how to be a good model and making their body into what it has to be... excusing the fact that there is a modeling niche for alternative looks and body types anyway.

Renard Photography wrote:
I was sent this article
There is Irony in the air I think,.

just passing it along don't shoot the messenger.  If someone else posted this already you have my apologies.

http://bellapetite.com/model-mayhem-for … l-ego.html

I lol'd.

Renard Photography wrote:
I was sent this article
There is Irony in the air I think,.

just passing it along don't shoot the messenger.  If someone else posted this already you have my apologies.

http://bellapetite.com/model-mayhem-for … l-ego.html

Did she just assert that some guys will say anything to get a girl's clothes off?

Holy crap. What if she's right?

Is there a Pulitzer for investigative journalism?

Reader comment wrote:
"Model Mayhem was a total joke and the photogs were nothing but scammers looking for a good time."

**Puts on Jethro Tull's Aqualung then goes to sit in a dark corner with laptop.**

Flick wrote:
I have been a member of Model Mayhem for many years and now the truth has come out. I feel dirty and abused.

I am going to sit in the shower - fully clothed - until the filth of internet-modelling communities is rinsed from my skin. I might even self harm as a result. Or turn Goth or something. Or even listen to Radiohead on repeat play.

How could you, Model Mayhem? I trusted you and now I find out you are a scam all along? I think you should sit on the naughty step for at least 20mins.

Any room in that shower for one more?

Gary Blanchette wrote:

**Puts on Jethro Tull's Aqualung then goes to sit in a dark corner with laptop.**

Well to be fair, they didn't accuse us of being pedophiles or picking our noses, just of being "predators"...

The Art of Churchwell wrote:
Sometimes I go to Supermarket and other times I go to the general store and when I want true freshness I go to the farm

well put.