THIS

Time starts and ends at the scheduled time.  Even it it wraps early, the model still gets paid the agreed time. 

BUT, if you want to be used again and again, quibbling over a few minutes here or there won't earn you any brownie points.  I'm always at least 1/2 hour to 45 minutes early to my corporate conference shoots.  Sometimes I start early to get some extra shots in.  But I don't bill them for starting early.  Nor do I mind of it goes a few minutes over.  Some clients come back year after year.  Guess who they call?

As a model, coming in a little early to get to know the photographer, the crew, go over the shoot, etc and not worrying about time, will go a long way in this business.  There is no shortage of models out there. ( or photographers).

You're completely right.  But if they do that for two different looks, and they didn't do their basic makeup on the way over, or we have to make a couple trips between the car and the studio because she brought so much stuff (see:  didn't bother to pick an outfit yet), or the outfit she wants to wear is all crumpled up from being jammed into a bag with six other outfits and it needs to be steamed ...

Each thing only takes a couple minutes, and is very forgivable.  But it adds up, and next thing you know you're paying for an hour of prep work that should have been done before the model arrived.

This is a ridiculous argument not because of the math, but because it is a logical fallacy.  You are 'capturing the model's image' any time they are standing in front of the camera - not just when the shutter clicks.  If you need to focus, recompose, look around for a better angle, wait for lights to recycle, change lenses or film - any of that is done for the purpose of taking more pictures.  Even 'idle' chit chat is done for the pictures, as it helps establish a rapport and puts you both more at ease with each other.  Or freaks out the model, if that's your goal.

The only time that a model is ever standing in front of your lights and you're NOT working towards pictures is if you're sitting there silently, not looking at them, and thinking about something else entirely.  And then that's your fault for spacing out on your dollar - not theirs.

The argument is only ridiculous because it's an unusual idea.  Paying for exposure time is basically the same as paying per image shot.  It's an unusual way to structure the arrangement, but it's not insane.

What the model gets paid for really is arbitrary.  If idle chit chat is part of the picture taking process, then it seems strange to exclude hair and makeup..

Why stop there?  Some model's believe that getting a wax job for a shoot is part of their job.

Thee is no one way of doing things that is intrinsically right.  You can pay by the job, by the picture, by the hour, etc.  You can include travel time, pay travel time at half rate, exclude travel time.   You can even pay for the model to get her hair down, get a wax job, or a spray tan.


On the other hand, there is the industry standard for how models get paid. The clock generally starts at the call time, or when she arrives (whichever is later). 


My son used to model.  He did a number of catalog work for international clients.  His agency got him the local standard hourly rate, with a two hour minimum.  There were times he was scheduled for a big shoot for a national client.  He would show up on time, the shoot would be running late, and they wouldn't get to him.  He still got paid from his call time to his dismissal even through he never stepped in front of a camera.  The clock started at his call time.  he would get paid while he was in hair and makeup.  He would get paid while they determined wardrobe.  he got paid when he was changing outfits.  He even got paid while he sat around and they shot somebody else.

This is how the industry typically works.

Unless you have a good reason to deviate, I suggest following industry standard practices.

RKD Photographic wrote:

That's interesting to hear.
I'll tell the model tomorrow I'm only paying her for 35 minutes - after she's spent two hours getting ready - this is going to save me a fortune!

This is a business. What other business or job pays you to get ready?

Hire a construction crew for 7am.  The crane is late and doesn't arrive until 8am.  Try not paying the crew for the hour they spent waiting for the crane.

Hire a lawyer to represent you in court.  Tell him he should only be paid for the time he spends in court, not the time he spends preparing for court.  See if he is still willing to represent you.

Rent a theater for a show.  Tell them you only want to pay rent for the day of the show, and not for the two days spent loading in the show, and the day spent loading out.


These are just the first few examples that pop into my head of situations where it is common to pay for prep time specific to a client.

I understand your thinking, but I'm thinking more on the lines of...........

1.  If I hire a construction crew, they ALL better be there on time and start on time as the contract will state, or there is no pay. 

2. Lawyers preparing for a case is typical research, that's part of the service.  They are actually physically working.  But you are not going to pay them to get ready to do the research.  You  are going to pay him to do the job which include hours of research and court. 

3.  Once again, If I have a project that take three days, that's what I'm going to book, and pay for.   They are actually physically working.  But I won't pay for whatever they are doing to get ready to work. 

But if that's your system, than that's the one you use.  But when it comes to models, I will not pay for make up time, because often I'm already paying for the MAU.

Now if I'm not footing the bill, and someone else in in charge.  They can run the show however they want.

I worked in and around the construction industry for years, also held an associate builders license many moons ago.

I'd suggest you won't be doing much building in the future.

Yup... agreed...
Most construction sites employ people sub-contracted from all over the place.
One housing project I worked on as a teenager (how many of us worked construction during school holidays, I wonder?) had some of the workers over from Germany (this was in the UK) as only they could assemble the (very expensive) kitchen and bathrooms.
They were on-site on time.
The UK crane hire company sent their equipment to the wrong address.
The Germans still got paid for the day they sat and watched football on TV as their equipment couldn't be unloaded...

I get what some people are saying about make-up and hair being prep, but the specific make-up and hair have to be done in the studio.

If a model turns up with make-up or hair I find to be unsuitable (despite pre-shoot comms) then it still has to be re-done, no matter who's at fault.
You might as well bite the bullet and do all the prep in the studio under your supervision - unless of course, you don't care to have any input.

Not paying the model because you are paying for the MUA is an interesting idea.  I assume your rule is that you only pay for one thing at a time.  Does this mean you don't pay the MUA if you are paying rental to a studio owner?   If I pay a printer to make a poster, why should I also have to pay the photographer to use the image?   If I am paying a surgeon, I shouldn't have to pay the anesthesiologist? 

Of course, my client will want to know why he is paying me (the photographer) when he is also paying a model (and/or a MUA).


However, we are digressing.   This is not a discussion of whether one payment strategy is better than another.  The real question is what is typical in the industry.

The answer there is simple and clear.

In our industry the convention is that the model gets paid from her call time to her dismissal.  Unless you negotiate something else, this is what's expected.

If you don't want to pay your model for time she spends on set having her makeup done, this is a deviation from the industry standard, and you should be sure she's aware of this (and agrees to it) ahead of time.


You may believe the industry is wrong.  You may even be right.  However, this is how the industry works, and you will have an uphill battle trying to change it.