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Photographers - MM account brought you business?
General question to everyone reading this, has your MM account brought you profitable business? Honest opinions please. Rating: 1 - Regular 2 - Once in a while 3 - Never Jan 21 13 04:11 pm Link Profitable as in I got some really cool pictures and had fun meeting new people? Absolutely. Profitable as in I got paid? Nope. Although, having the really cool pictures doesn't hurt when it comes to soliciting paying work outside of MM. So indirectly, it has been worth it. However, there are people here who network here to produce images that they resell online. I personally haven't gotten into that yet so I won't say MM is not profitable. I've met people who have made it so. Jan 21 13 04:14 pm Link Thank you Robert for sharing your perspective. Jan 21 13 04:18 pm Link 4: Not directly. I use MM shoots for experimentation, portfolio-building and creating promotional material. I've gotten paid portrait gigs based on my portfolio shown outside of MM, but never got a gig through MM. Jan 21 13 04:18 pm Link Bob, thank you. Jan 21 13 04:31 pm Link After almost six years I can truthfully say:"None, nothing, nada" - I have yet to earn my first nickel from MM. I have made a lot of contacts and some wonderful collaborations with mostly talented individuals ( a few with no talent at all). I think to look at this site and expect it to make money for you is delusional. The only folks who make money here are at Censoring Assholes. Jan 21 13 04:50 pm Link Thanks for your opinion. Jan 21 13 04:58 pm Link Just a week ago someone tipped me a few bucks for helping him start his website. Other then that nothing. Jan 21 13 04:59 pm Link VIP membership to MM is pretty cheap and over the years I've been a member I've gotten a few paid gigs here and there which probably has amounted to turning a profit on that level, so yes, I've profited by having an account here. That isn't why I have an account here though. Model Mayhem is a social networking site, it's not a source for getting new business nor do really think it was designed to do so for photographers anyway. I once got a paid gig because I gave out my business card to someone in line at the grocery store once but I don't consider the Food King to be a standard source of income, if you get my drift. Jan 21 13 05:05 pm Link Never MM has brought me useful models, many contacts from not so useful models, many solicitations from models not fitting my concepts or wanting to be paid MM has brought me some interesting bits of information MM has brought me a few production team people Facebook has brought me a lot of my clients, and quite a higher percentage of useful models and production team people My publications in indie zines have brought clients designers models and production team people as well Jan 21 13 05:05 pm Link about $200 Jan 21 13 05:09 pm Link I've gotten a good amount of paid gigs from MM, but I reply to a lot of castings and pursue the paid work. Jan 21 13 05:13 pm Link Dan, Adam, Gregor - Thanks Jan 21 13 05:13 pm Link Paul & Matt - thanks Jan 21 13 05:16 pm Link I think the amount of business people get on MM is based on 1. their portfolio 2. their rates 3. their perceived fame 4. the inability for people to find them through normal channels, like a dedicated website Jan 21 13 05:18 pm Link A N D E R S O N wrote: You mean there is actually paid work for togs in the castings? I didn't even think that a possibility. You shouldn't have told us lol:) Jan 21 13 05:20 pm Link Not one red cent, but I like this forum of like minded creative people. It is inspiring to see all the talent out there and to hopefully be one of them one day.... Jan 21 13 05:27 pm Link Dan K Photography wrote: You won't find them, I have the spooky downstairs office with the MM X-Files. Jan 21 13 05:36 pm Link 1 Jan 21 13 05:39 pm Link Couple hundred here and there, but not much. The entirety of my boudoir portfolio is made up of MM llamas - and those images sell me to clients over and over - MM has indirectly made me money. Jan 21 13 05:41 pm Link Nope, but my portfolio does. This site isn't for clients, it's for us (the creatives) to network together to maybe win clients. We talk, share ideas, build our portfolios, and talk about what is going on in the business - that hopefully guides us to clients. Jan 21 13 05:46 pm Link Business, NO Headaches, YES Jan 21 13 05:47 pm Link 3! Jan 21 13 05:48 pm Link Same with Bob and Jay.... MM has not directly earned me any profits. However, it has indirectly helped me with being able to produce work to show to prospective clients. As a matter of fact, MM has put me into the red (lol) if we're only talking about MM! Over these past few years I've spent a good chunk of change in traveling, food, and prop expenses not to mention other necessities. Jan 21 13 05:57 pm Link No paid work here. That makes sense though, since I'm not here for paid work. Jan 21 13 06:23 pm Link I helped a fellow photographer out as he needed a second shooter for an event. Turned out pretty profitable both in monetary form, and experience. Other than that, no. Jan 21 13 06:32 pm Link 4. Lost money. As an amateur who makes a little on the side I never expected to make money via MM contacts, and after 5+ years, contacts via MM have been the one area I've lost money, not made money. I have no regrets however. I've had some fun shoots, learned a great deal and produced some art I have enjoyed, even if nobody else has. Despite a whole lot of flakes, most of the models I've actually worked with have been absolutely fantastic. While I've wasted a great deal of time in the forums, I've also gained some great advice from truly knowledgeable people. MM has been more than worth my while and I hope that will continue. Jan 21 13 06:58 pm Link Insignificant of $. Some people just call that chump change. Not even enough to pay for my VIP here. Jan 21 13 07:03 pm Link MM is like standing in line at the DMV. Sooner or later your number is going to get called and when that time comes be ready or else you will get thrown back to the end of the line. Jan 21 13 07:07 pm Link Greg H. wrote: When I first got here years ago yeah a decent amount. But over the years it has been greatly reduced to my doing only selctive picking on here now. Jan 21 13 07:12 pm Link Not a single dime despite the fact that I've been here since 2005, one of the first 1,000 people to sign up! MM is a nice place for some degree of inspiration, exchanging information, displaying and getting feedback on my work, and artistic play, but that's about it. I've done several TFCD shoots with models that I've found here and it was a good source of models for my book of photographs. My photography income comes from weddings, events, portraits and occasional sales of my fine art phootography. My website, Facebook page, and word of mouth referrrals make it happen. Jan 21 13 07:14 pm Link Thanks Star, Dan, Marin. Jan 21 13 07:14 pm Link PTPhotoUT wrote: Hence why I am hardly ever on here now Jan 21 13 07:14 pm Link Anderson, Loki, Jay - Thanks Jan 21 13 07:16 pm Link AJ and PT, thanks Jan 21 13 07:18 pm Link I use MM to hire and book models. By having models, I make much of my income. So, MM has been an important part of my business model. I have made money off of MM, but it is a foggy thing. There have definitely been studio renters that have come from MM. I put on events, but I don't generally advertise them on MM because most of my clients come from other places. On the other hand, most of my workshop clients are MM members and some have heard about me because I have posted on the forums and they have looked at my profile. I have shot two portfolios from MM. To be fair though, I don't generally shoot portfolios. In both cases I was approached and agreed to do it. I don't solicit that kind of work. Beyond that, nothing at all, but I never have used MM to market my services. My commercial and web clients find me from other places. All of that having been said, and I will repeat it, MM has been a great source of models. Jan 21 13 07:22 pm Link Model Mayhem has been very kind. All my photography expenses, cameras lights etc.. are paid through work from MM clients, it also pays for other bills and living expenses... Plus the photography work I get outside MM supports me too.. I have no fame, I'm not famous and I would not say I'm a successful photographer. I'm a working photographer (big difference).. I do a job that I enjoy and it supports me... Until I get in a major fashion magazine I'm still just an average photographer.. I love what I do and the people I work with. I give Model Mayhem a 1. Its been good... Jan 21 13 07:23 pm Link 2, rarely Jan 21 13 07:25 pm Link Jan 21 13 07:26 pm Link I have a free account because this is for fun. Although I did make a contact here who hired for personal family photos, that's it. Jan 21 13 07:26 pm Link |
Just not worth the advil
