|
Forums >
Photography Talk >
WHY DON'T MODELS CONTACT PHOTOGRAPHERS BY E-MAIL
It has been an ongoing problem that models after going back and forth at least 4 times and saying they have a serious interest in working with me, don't reply to my e-mail when I give it to them. They continue to communicate through the message center which is slow to keep going back and forth. Sure it's safe for the model, but if the model wants to work with me, and I can provide my phone number, an address of the studio, etc., why do models still do this. I am now making it a habit that if they don't contact me direct after 3 messages through the message center to just stop replying. Anyone have this same experience and if so, how do you deal with it. Thank you, Bill Dec 07 05 04:57 pm Link i've had that problem... i also get frustrated when i give a model my phone number after numerous email/message exchanges and we've already agreed to a shoot and they don't call. Sometimes it comes down to flakiness... but you should always remember that we all have lives. Many of the models and photographers I've met have multiple jobs or are students as well as having jobs. Life gets crazy. on second thought, your specific issue is kind of weird. I don't know what to tell ya... if they're using a website message center like on MM.. what would be so difficult about using email instead?? well, here's a likely issue.. they have a jealous boyfriend who can check their email but doesn't know how to check messages on the website message center. it's a possibility. bottom line is you should ask straight out what their issue is with using email. nothing beats direct communication. good luck! Dec 07 05 05:58 pm Link Myself personally would love to have communication by either email or instant messenger, but if its the case that models rarely use email/IM with photogs ( but rather strictly their own friends ), then that might be a problem for me. I can use the phone somewhat decent, but being hearing impaired I get alot of information relayed much easier via email/IM , or physically standing in front of the person ( I seem to subconciously read lips ). My guess is going to be, in terms of say possible 'flaky' models, emails are a good way to do the whole cut and paste and 'he said, she said' game. The other thing could be they probally get too much stuff in their mailbox, and dont want to have a photographer bugging them on top of it ( if the model feels buged at all that is ). And this may be 100% complete assumption and I could be totally wrong, but I find that most photographers, especially those that are digital photographers are going to be more tech oriented in terms of communicaiton and are more capable of handeling their email to where its not a problem for bunch of clients to have it, where as models may be more insecure with the geeky side of things and may not want to give out everything computer related in form of contact. But like I said I could be completely wrong in this assumption of the general community here. Dec 07 05 06:52 pm Link If after 2 or 3 e mails, there needs to be a phone number exchange and a conversation about the shoot, or it doesn't happen. That's how I do it.........time will tell the overall success ratio, but either way it will save me BS. If they are serious about working with you, that info would need to be known by the other party eventually......this may turn a few off, but I think it's a good flake deterrent. Dec 07 05 06:57 pm Link I usually transition the conversation to email after a couple of message exchanges. Phone numbers get passed then too, but I'd rather make arrangements by email than on the phone anyway. The phone is to avoid last minute screw-ups, not to book a shoot. Details are better sorted via emails than by phone calls taken at non-optimal times. Very few models don't follow through when transitioning to email. The messages of those that fail just go in the trash. -Don Dec 07 05 10:38 pm Link With the number of models who just seem to disappear into thin air I think that your lucky to get one who follows through. If you haven't done so yet, try asking the m,odel if she'd be OK with communicating by email. If she says no, then stick with MM. Dec 07 05 10:52 pm Link I have a question for you all. Since it's only photogs in here..Is it just lately that they've been flaking like crazy and not responding or just period? Maybe because it's holiday time and all the models have other stuff, I don't know. I know myself, I have Finals until a few days before Christmas. But I have telling the photographers that. I, myself, am persistent so I will contact them as soon as Christmas is over or even (if they can) schedule a shoot after this crazy busy time for me. I don't wanna make excuses for flakes, but there are a lot of college student models and maybe that is why. They should be giving excuses regardless. Just put them on your "Do not call, Do not Respond, Do not Say Any Good Things About this model" list. Dec 08 05 01:52 am Link Hrm thats one way to present the logic, another way could be photographers are people too, and they might have "things to do" due to the holiday. Either way its like with any kind of business or social arrangement, call if you arnt going to make it, dont make people waste their time if you are not coming, its not professional. And I'm sure there are stories of both sides having problems not just models. Dec 08 05 02:07 am Link Karl Blessing wrote: I totally agree. Like I said, I'm not trying to give a reasoning behind these unprofessional models-THEY are in the wrong. Right now, everyone has so much crap to do. I'm only curious if maybe it's happening more and more NOW, or it's always like this. It seems to me that photographers always complain to me about how many models flake on them. I would be so pissed if I were you guys. If I were in your shoes and a photog flaked on me, I would make sure that there wasn't some serious reasoning behind it and I would be devious and make it known to other models that they are a flake. In my book, you do me wrong, I do you worse. I know it's bitchy and immature. But honestly, this is business. We are supposed to help each other out. If I flake on you, you set evreything up and spend time putting things together-it's not fair. Same with models, they get hair and makeup done, pack a bag, and leave-no photog no pics. Pissed model. I could never do that to anyone and I don't see how any (even somewhat professional) model can do this. What they did is wrong-make it known to other phoogs around you. It is devious (I'll probably be torn apart for this) buut what they did is SO UNPROFESSIONAL. I guess two wrongs don't make a right, but in my opinion, you are only helping out other photographers that you don't want to see this happen to. Dec 08 05 02:27 am Link ChicagoPhotographer wrote: Umm, yes I have and I'm sure alot of others have as well. I think it amounts to how serious they are, and the fact that they may just be tying to be nice and say they want to work with you, I've seen a variety of posts and avitar comments that range in interest with one photog then same person seems to just be saying somthing possitive about your work, but not really want to work with that photog. Dec 08 05 10:52 am Link I think you are over-estimating the IQ levels of the models youâre selecting  Once a date, time and location is nailed down, all I ask for is a call 2 days before the shoot. If no call or a last minute call after the deadline, the shoot is canceled and I do not work with that model again (unless they have a great excuse and I really want to work with them). As I've stated before, I don't take any of the models on MM seriously until they are in front of my camera. Dec 08 05 11:01 am Link I think maybe they just find it easier to keep track of people on here with the avatars and friends/favorites links etc. Numbers get lost, email boxes fill up and old messages/address can be more difficult to find, it takes more organizational skill to keep track of. I do prefer phone and email but if they're maintaining communication that's usually enough to make me happy. Dec 08 05 01:21 pm Link This happens to us all. Recently I had my eyes opened to a possibility of why it happens that for some reason never accured to me. The email address I had for one model who sometimes took days to reply ended up being her college class email address and she could only check it while at class. and all ditzy-like She tells me this after weeks of correspondance and gives me her normal email address that she can check anywhere there is a computer. I was like, do you realize how many times we could have shot by now? Dec 08 05 02:14 pm Link I worked with a photographer who told me to email him at his normal email (and once I did) would reply to me using the MM message center. He would often bounce between his email and MM, it was pretty confusing! In terms of communication, I prefer the bulk of it to be handled online, either through regular email or through MM's message center (I honestly don't care which route a photographer prefers so long as they pick ONE route!), but I find myself hesitant to use the phone. Of course, I don't mind calling photographers at all after we've set things like date of the shoot, time, etc. etc. but when it comes down to planning I find I'm much more useful when I can sit down and think about things (Being a student designer for a theatre school makes my schedule hectic and somewhat hard to predict), I can pull schedules and call the appropriate people to check my availability. I always feel so rushed on the telephone (and more often then not, I am!) and would prefer to wait and give a definite answer then a string of maybe's on the phone. Although I do understand it may be frustrating going back and forth. Then again, maybe I just need to buy a portable planner (hah!) Dec 08 05 04:49 pm Link You fail to undestand women's brain :-) Dec 08 05 04:55 pm Link And he's gone! This member's profile has been denied. Dec 08 05 04:57 pm Link bc its more convenient here.... we contact you.. wed ratehr talk to you here... and vice versa Dec 08 05 04:58 pm Link The guy who starded this thread is scam...fraud...he was banned before two or three times every time different name i think...very smooth..... he got a good feed back from all of you, sorry guys Dec 08 05 05:06 pm Link Earth Angel 555 wrote: For the initial correspondence I would be ok with that, but I for one would never cold schedule anyone based on some online messages......one phone call as well would solidify a plan, the only other phone call needed would be to confirm.....I use that phone call to discuss shoot details, and gather the model's personality, it shows some commitment on her part. Dec 08 05 06:35 pm Link My experience has been that after exchanging a couple of emails, I give a model my phone number and address and ask them to call me to discuss the project. Guess what? I never hear from them again. Thus, the acid test of a model's interest is giving your phone number to them. Dec 08 05 06:40 pm Link JM Dean wrote: We don't Read?????????? Dec 08 05 06:42 pm Link Alfredo Torres wrote: Dec 08 05 06:42 pm Link Rick Athearn wrote: I just don't understand......if you were going to work with them anyway would they not give you their number to call them? I wouldn't leave the ball in their court and have them call you......seems to me that is what seperates the bullshitters from the professional models. Dec 08 05 06:50 pm Link Louis Braga wrote: All women share the same brain? Dec 08 05 07:00 pm Link I have the opposite problem . We email back and forth . Then I give give out my phone number and say call me to discuss further. Then , dead silence . I don't here from them . What gives ? Now I know if a model contacts me and I dont want to work with her , then I'll give out my phone number and say CALL! . That will stop them.LOL Dec 08 05 07:06 pm Link Scam or not the guy that started this thread had been denied by MM. Beside the point. Still we are talking a real issue here, thanks to the Scam guy. Which is responsability and the desire to truly work with some one. My question is: In some point I need to get their email or phone or whatever make me feel I am dealing with a real person that is serious about working with me. I can not count how many times models had vanished from the earth since the last email that we were suposse to work. Gone, like the scam guy, Adios. Never hear from them again. To the point I do a last email on MM saying: checking on you to be sure you are fine;) Most of te time I am sure they are fine. My whole point is: Welcome to the internet world. You will never know, as some one said ealier, until I have them in front of my camera. I think should be a rule on MM. You fail 3 times you get denied. Like a Better MM Bureau. Similar to BBB. Will not matter to me who or when, Photographer or model, 3 complaints you are out the system. So you wont waste some one else time.  Dec 08 05 07:19 pm Link Jay Farrell wrote: I do, lots of times. Some folks may find it easier to use the phone but I hate playing telephone tag and I like being able to go back and see what we talked about. Dec 08 05 10:28 pm Link I don't care if they use a carrier pigeon, as long as they're reliable about communicating. Some of my shoots are set up only via MM; some the first contact comes into my e-mail (the ones who really looked at my web site, usually); some transition along the way. I usually give them a phone number but that's mostly for the day of the shoot, in case they run late or take a wrong turn or have a last second question. Dec 08 05 10:48 pm Link Jay Farrell wrote: Dec 09 05 02:21 pm Link Jay Farrell wrote: This is an interesting point. I have yet to have an email model give me HER phone number for follow up. I give them my number to set up an appointment for an interview (assuming they are local) and maybe a test shoot. I consider it the model's responsiblity to follow through, not mine. Dec 09 05 02:22 pm Link Rick Athearn wrote: Dec 09 05 02:32 pm Link Jay Farrell wrote: Right on target. At some point people need to talk. If a model Dec 09 05 02:36 pm Link I don't mind conversing only through the message center and on the phone. I like how I can see the whole conversation in one spot instead of 10-15 emails. Plus, when models reply with regular email, they hardly ever include my email text in their reply. That kills me because I usually have several different projects going on and I have to do some detective work to figure out what model has contacted me about what project. Bill Dec 09 05 02:38 pm Link I always give out my # to the models, and I have to talk to them before we set up a shoot. I can usually tell by a conversation if she is serious, or an airhead. Interestingly though, I have my # listed on my profile on omp and they email me for my # anyway. Makes me wonder if they looked at my portfolio at all. Dec 10 05 10:30 pm Link |
