Jeff Maloney wrote:
I have some paying photo shoots coming up. I am desperately trying to find the right models for these assignments.  A lot of what I see is crappy, moody, tightly cropped and dark pix of the models on their profiles.  Models, please delete the selfies, the iPhones, the crummy boyfriends pix and get serious about your image and portfolio.  There are a ton of great photogs out there. Sit down with them and go over your wish list ie: fashion, swimwear, formal, nudes, editorial, whatever it is you want to portray.  Set up multiple shoots for TFP and get a truly professional folio together.  As a professional photographer the ONLY thing I want to see is an accurate representation of how you look this week.  I want front lit, full length, smiling pix in at least 25% of your online portfolio.  That way I can hire you with confidence that the client and I will not be surprised and disappointed when you roll up to my studio.
  If you're fat , show it.  If you're curvy then show it.  If your skinny then show it.  We hate guessing games squinting at low res amateur pix.  Present a professional image and you may be rewarded.

My last stipulation on my profile addresses this issue.

Jeff Maloney wrote:
I have some paying photo shoots coming up. I am desperately trying to find the right models for these assignments.  A lot of what I see is crappy, moody, tightly cropped and dark pix of the models on their profiles.  Models, please delete the selfies, the iPhones, the crummy boyfriends pix and get serious about your image and portfolio.  There are a ton of great photogs out there. Sit down with them and go over your wish list ie: fashion, swimwear, formal, nudes, editorial, whatever it is you want to portray.  Set up multiple shoots for TFP and get a truly professional folio together.  As a professional photographer the ONLY thing I want to see is an accurate representation of how you look this week.  I want front lit, full length, smiling pix in at least 25% of your online portfolio.  That way I can hire you with confidence that the client and I will not be surprised and disappointed when you roll up to my studio.
  If you're fat , show it.  If you're curvy then show it.  If your skinny then show it.  We hate guessing games squinting at low res amateur pix.  Present a professional image and you may be rewarded.

Their port is their port & are free to have whatever it is that's there. (Not to mention that those who probably could use that advice, will likely never have the opportunity to read what you wrote.)

If you don't like it, there's nothing forcing you to allow those "unacceptable" things as a way to cull your pool of possibles.

Jeff Maloney wrote:
I have some paying photo shoots coming up. I am desperately trying to find the right models for these assignments.  A lot of what I see is crappy, moody, tightly cropped and dark pix of the models on their profiles.  Models, please delete the selfies, the iPhones, the crummy boyfriends pix and get serious about your image and portfolio.  There are a ton of great photogs out there. Sit down with them and go over your wish list ie: fashion, swimwear, formal, nudes, editorial, whatever it is you want to portray.  Set up multiple shoots for TFP and get a truly professional folio together.  As a professional photographer the ONLY thing I want to see is an accurate representation of how you look this week.  I want front lit, full length, smiling pix in at least 25% of your online portfolio.  That way I can hire you with confidence that the client and I will not be surprised and disappointed when you roll up to my studio.
  If you're fat , show it.  If you're curvy then show it.  If your skinny then show it.  We hate guessing games squinting at low res amateur pix.  Present a professional image and you may be rewarded.

If you are paying models, why are you even looking,at such ports?

Presumably payment is given to models in return to perform the verb 'to model"

You have to be able to pose, emote, gesture. You have to be relied on to show up, you have to have good references , and a body of work with recognized photographers and other industry people eg artists and designers. You DON'T get those with selfies in your port.

Don't book.models without references if you are paying them. It's just as ridiculous as employing people for any other job. Their references, credits, and body of portfolio work are what gets models bookings.


Besides which, the models that read this forum are generally hoping to learn about and maintain their craft. Wannabes aren't here because they aren't serious. So your advice falls on the ears of serious models and we get a bit fed up of taking flak for girls with selfies ports who don't show etc.

As for what we look like this week, we almost all have access to Polaroid camera so you get those when we are asked. We can only have 15 images here and we tend to have shots from our tears etc. or good creative images rather than those. But one is often asked for dated polas. Easy to do.

Jeff Maloney wrote:
I have some paying photo shoots coming up. I am desperately trying to find the right models for these assignments.  A lot of what I see is crappy, moody, tightly cropped and dark pix of the models on their profiles.  Models, please delete the selfies, the iPhones, the crummy boyfriends pix and get serious about your image and portfolio.  There are a ton of great photogs out there. Sit down with them and go over your wish list ie: fashion, swimwear, formal, nudes, editorial, whatever it is you want to portray.  Set up multiple shoots for TFP and get a truly professional folio together.  As a professional photographer the ONLY thing I want to see is an accurate representation of how you look this week.  I want front lit, full length, smiling pix in at least 25% of your online portfolio.  That way I can hire you with confidence that the client and I will not be surprised and disappointed when you roll up to my studio.
  If you're fat , show it.  If you're curvy then show it.  If your skinny then show it.  We hate guessing games squinting at low res amateur pix.  Present a professional image and you may be rewarded.

I know this will sound crazy, but ever thought about using a modeling agency to hire models.

Jeff Maloney wrote:
I have some paying photo shoots coming up. I am desperately trying to find the right models for these assignments.  A lot of what I see is crappy, moody, tightly cropped and dark pix of the models on their profiles.

With experience comes the ability to see the potential or non potential in those model's crappy photos.

Marie-Lyne wrote:
I am wondering if a buy a VIP membership if will increase me shoots.

Using the "browse" function to sort through, and make initial contacts with photographers in regions you're likely to visit, as well as searching for and attending networking events - will increase your number of shoots.

If you wait for people to contact you, you're going to spend your whole life sitting around, waiting.

/threadjack

udor wrote:

With experience comes the ability to see the potential or non potential in those model's crappy photos.

And I suppose you can tell her potential to turn up, have craft, tell genuine stats from those who put 0 etc, etc etc.

You may get some better clues, but even then they are likely inexperienced and if you have a few hours to nail something where you need the model to be more than just a subject,  you aren't as likely to get it with an inexperienced model...if as I said they show up. And why would you need to pay them if they haven't got decent port shots?

Jeff Maloney wrote:
I have some paying photo shoots coming up. I am desperately trying to find the right models for these assignments.  A lot of what I see is crappy, moody, tightly cropped and dark pix of the models on their profiles.  Models, please delete the selfies, the iPhones, the crummy boyfriends pix and get serious about your image and portfolio.  There are a ton of great photogs out there. Sit down with them and go over your wish list ie: fashion, swimwear, formal, nudes, editorial, whatever it is you want to portray.  Set up multiple shoots for TFP and get a truly professional folio together.  As a professional photographer the ONLY thing I want to see is an accurate representation of how you look this week.  I want front lit, full length, smiling pix in at least 25% of your online portfolio.  That way I can hire you with confidence that the client and I will not be surprised and disappointed when you roll up to my studio.
  If you're fat , show it.  If you're curvy then show it.  If your skinny then show it.  We hate guessing games squinting at low res amateur pix.  Present a professional image and you may be rewarded.

If a model has crap in their port they are actually doing you a favor.  They are making it clear that they are not professional and not worth your time to bother with.  There are so many great models out there with exceptional ports.  Why do you want to waste time with models that have a port full of selfies.

Top Gun Digital wrote:
If a model has crap in their port they are actually doing you a favor.  They are making it clear that they are not professional and not worth your time to bother with.  There are so many great models out there with exceptional ports.  Why do you want to waste time with models that have a port full of selfies.

To be fair this isn't 100% accurate. Keep in mind that what's in a model's portfolio is reflective of 2 things, the images she's been given access to and if she's not with an agency her personal choice about what shots she looks best in. In terms of the former it's possible that newer models may simply be waiting on edits from better shoots, and in terms of the latter I know from my own experience with models that sometimes the shots I as a stylist hate or that the photographer isn't totally in love with are the ones they like the most.

With all of that said a great port doesn't necessarily equate to a great model, it simply means they've learned the art of selecting high quality shots to showcase and not that they'll be particularly professional or dynamic on set, any time you book someone to shoot with it's a bit of a gamble.

OP: If quality ports are a deal breaker before booking that's totally your prerogative and in many instance you'll end up with a great model using that strategy, just keep in mind that photos you deem as bad don't always equate to a model who's unprofessional.

Rays Fine Art wrote:
And as much as rants are discouraged, even in the newbie forum, I'd say that this one qualifies as good advice.

Expanding on it a bit, and particularly for newbies, one of the things we need to be careful of here, photographers and models alike (and I speak as both), is when shooting TFP, to remember that what a model needs in his or her portfolio is often the opposite of what a photographer needs.  Those dark, moody, oh so artistic shots that show what we can do as photographers don't particularly help another photographer to gauge whether or not the model in them will be right for his project, just as the simple, straight forward composite that the model needs often doesn't display the photographer's range.  It's important that both parties understand the other's needs and try to meet them while satisfying their own.  That's what makes collaboration work.

All IMHO as always, of course.

And just as an FYI, duplicate threads are considered a no-no on MM.

Jeff Maloney wrote:
I have some paying photo shoots coming up. I am desperately trying to find the right models for these assignments.  A lot of what I see is crappy, moody, tightly cropped and dark pix of the models on their profiles.  Models, please delete the selfies, the iPhones, the crummy boyfriends pix and get serious about your image and portfolio.  There are a ton of great photogs out there. Sit down with them and go over your wish list ie: fashion, swimwear, formal, nudes, editorial, whatever it is you want to portray.  Set up multiple shoots for TFP and get a truly professional folio together.  As a professional photographer the ONLY thing I want to see is an accurate representation of how you look this week.  I want front lit, full length, smiling pix in at least 25% of your online portfolio.  That way I can hire you with confidence that the client and I will not be surprised and disappointed when you roll up to my studio.
  If you're fat , show it.  If you're curvy then show it.  If your skinny then show it.  We hate guessing games squinting at low res amateur pix.  Present a professional image and you may be rewarded.

Thank the Maker you stopped by. The site should be way better from now on.

O_o

Eliza C  new portfolio wrote:
If you are paying models, why are you even looking,at such ports?

Presumably payment is given to models in return to perform the verb 'to model"

You have to be able to pose, emote, gesture. You have to be relied on to show up, you have to have good references , and a body of work with recognized photographers and other industry people eg artists and designers. You DON'T get those with selfies in your port.

Don't book.models without references if you are paying them. It's just as ridiculous as employing people for any other job. Their references, credits, and body of portfolio work are what gets models bookings.


Besides which, the models that read this forum are generally hoping to learn about and maintain their craft. Wannabes aren't here because they aren't serious. So your advice falls on the ears of serious models and we get a bit fed up of taking flak for girls with selfies ports who don't show etc.

As for what we look like this week, we almost all have access to Polaroid camera so you get those when we are asked. We can only have 15 images here and we tend to have shots from our tears etc. or good creative images rather than those. But one is often asked for dated polas. Easy to do.

+1 except the references, I do not see what you call references when we worked for free with local photographers ...
Maybe my port is enough without references ?

But yes, this thread help... I do not have polas, but a cellphone It is good too :

Koryn wrote:
However, people STILL ask for cell phone snapshots prior to booking me, so I choose to keep updated selfies on my profile page. I use images of myself in underwear, because for many, those are the primary images that get me booked for paying jobs, not the quality of my portfolio.

....

I just booked a very easy $100/hour shoot for next week. Know what they booked me based upon? Not the images IN my portfolio, but the cell phone pictures on the profile page.

Yep, cellphone ok, I will think about it, thank you very much for this advice Koryn
And for the $100/hour shoot.... It is a dream for me

Images by MR wrote:
I know this will sound crazy, but ever thought about using a modeling agency to hire models.

If he do not have the budget, he will have to choose a freelance model that do not cost so much
.........
Finaly, the OP was not really helpful for me, but the replies were really helpful to improve my port and the way I am "selling" myself

Thank you

Koryn wrote:
I have hundreds of professional quality photos of myself, almost a decade of experience, have traveled throughout the US, and have an extensive modeling history. However, people STILL ask for cell phone snapshots prior to booking me, so I choose to keep updated selfies on my profile page. I use images of myself in underwear, because for many, those are the primary images that get me booked for paying jobs, not the quality of my portfolio.

Portfolio quality is a huge factor for models wishing to make the initial move from hobbyist to income-earning, but for those who have developed portfolios, and have been working on a pro level for some time, having unedited snapshots available and easily viewable seems to expedite the whole scheduling process.

I just booked a very easy $100/hour shoot for next week. Know what they booked me based upon? Not the images IN my portfolio, but the cell phone pictures on the profile page.

Precisely, could not have said it better myself!

Zaryana Milan wrote:
Extracted to:
.........
Finaly, the OP was not really helpful for me, but the replies were really helpful to improve my port and the way I am "selling" myself

Thank you

And if I may respectfully submit: (wearing all my hats at once) this is what the MC is all about--"Conversations about, well, modeling".  Thank you, Zaryana, for reminding us, and thank you as well, all the models and non-models who have contributed positively to the thread, for doing so.

One of the things we must all remember, I think, is that whether for pay or play, this is a collaborative effort in which we are all engaged, and even badly phrased shared ideas, needs and frustrations can lead to rewarding conversations if allowed to.  Frequently, the poster of the rant is the one who learns (and therefore benefits) the most and often even brings to the table an idea or observation that the detractors actually might benefit by hearing, even for the thousandth time.  Few though they be, there are those among us who refuse to learn the first thousand times.  They need to be served as well.

The forums, MC included, are like a huge banquet table.  Not every dish will please everyone and sometimes when we come back for a second helping we need to simply pass by the dishes from which we've had our fill, rather than spoil the appetites of our fellow diners by complaining about them.

Or to put it another way, "Strawberries grow out manure.  It's up to you to eat the strawberries without swallowing a lot of bullshit."

All IMHO as always, of course.

Zaryana Milan wrote:
This thread has at least an advantage, and is finaly helpful... I do not speak about the OP one, but all the replies that can really help a newbie in that....

Eliza C  new portfolio wrote:
If you are paying models, why are you even looking,at such ports?

Presumably payment is given to models in return to perform the verb 'to model"

You have to be able to pose, emote, gesture. You have to be relied on to show up, you have to have good references , and a body of work with recognized photographers and other industry people eg artists and designers. You DON'T get those with selfies in your port.

Don't book.models without references if you are paying them. It's just as ridiculous as employing people for any other job. Their references, credits, and body of portfolio work are what gets models bookings.


Besides which, the models that read this forum are generally hoping to learn about and maintain their craft. Wannabes aren't here because they aren't serious. So your advice falls on the ears of serious models and we get a bit fed up of taking flak for girls with selfies ports who don't show etc.

As for what we look like this week, we almost all have access to Polaroid camera so you get those when we are asked. We can only have 15 images here and we tend to have shots from our tears etc. or good creative images rather than those. But one is often asked for dated polas. Easy to do.

+1 except the references, I do not see what you call references when we worked for free with local photographers ...
Maybe my port is enough without references ?

But yes, this thread help... I do not have polas, but a cellphone It is good too :

Koryn wrote:
However, people STILL ask for cell phone snapshots prior to booking me, so I choose to keep updated selfies on my profile page. I use images of myself in underwear, because for many, those are the primary images that get me booked for paying jobs, not the quality of my portfolio.

....

I just booked a very easy $100/hour shoot for next week. Know what they booked me based upon? Not the images IN my portfolio, but the cell phone pictures on the profile page.

Yep, cellphone ok, I will think about it, thank you very much for this advice Koryn
And for the $100/hour shoot.... It is a dream for me


If he do not have the budget, he will have to choose a freelance model that do not cost so much
.........
Finaly, the OP was not really helpful for me, but the replies were really helpful to improve my port and the way I am "selling" myself

Thank you

References from photographers you've worked with, even if they are small photographers, are a help. You aks ones you have worked with successfully can you give them as a referee, so that a photographer interested in booking you can hear from another photographer that you turned up on time, worked hard, and were easy to work with, that kind of thing. Unfortuantely it would appear that many wannabe models on here much photographers around and don't show up when booked. So references are important.

If you get the chance to work with a boutique or a designer, then those references are crucial for other designers, boutiques and press offices. They will generally only send you stuff if you have a good track record and references from other designers/ press officers etc. Just so they know you look after the stuff, return it promptly etc.

So references are a must. Likewise, if working with a photographer you don't know, then they wont mind giving you references eg other models or agency or a third party reference. Ive worked with students and they've given me their lecturers, with hobby photographers who have no experience so give me their employer as reference, etc.

Elizabeta Rosandic wrote:
I have found the critique forum to be an excellent resource, for photographers and models alike.

While occasionally I dip a toe in the critique waters, (from my main profile,) I generally avoid asking for critiques other than the 'one for everyone' threads.

JenB

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
Why wouldn’t a "professional photographer" with paid work use a model agency ??

Budgets for one thing. Not every third party client has thousands to spend on models.

Figures JenB wrote:

While occasionally I dip a toe in the critique waters, (from my main profile,) I generally avoid asking for critiques other than the 'one for everyone' threads.

JenB

This is a good idea.  Not everyone here is really qualified to critique.

Jeff Maloney wrote:
I want front lit, full length, smiling pix in at least 25% of your online portfolio.

Did it ever occur to you that models don't care what you want?

Isis22 wrote:
I do what works for me. My selfies are popular and are unedited. I don't smile in most of my photos because the photographer doesn't want me to. Preachy posts don't change my mind. You can rant all you want about professional this and professional that. Guess what? This isn't my profession, it's a hobby. Like the other poster said, go to an agency if it's too much of a problem for you to go through portfolios.

The OP is addressing professional models who expect pay. None of what he said even pertains to a hobbyist.

And even professional models should have GOOD QUALITY unedited digital shots, on or off their page for clients to see. I believe the OP is talking about selfies with terrible lighting or quality that don't even show the model's natural beauty.

CHAD ALAN wrote:
EDIT: I LOVE SEEING SELFIES. Show's me what the model really looks like. Yay Instagram.

Exactly. Social media is the way of the future. Every model should showcase themselves on, at least, Instagram and link their account to their MM page so people can easily see how they look naturally (and maybe some filters. )