Jerry Nemeth wrote:
I've taken some great candid shots that I love at the Shootout.

Do you like to see candid photos of models when making your decision on whether to book them?

IDiivil wrote:
Do you like to see candid photos of models when making your decision on whether to book them?

It's not necessary.  I usually book models who know how to pose.
I first became interested in working with you when I saw your Cherrystone photos.   

IDiivil wrote:
Do you like to see candid photos of models when making your decision on whether to book them?

Unedited "Polaroid" equivalents can be very important.

Candid "I'm drinking some peppermint tea", "out for sushi with the gang", "hiking in Peru", "I voted!", "my dog and I have the same hat" photographs, or BTS shots, are unimportant to me. The more of those types of images I have to sift through to find the shots that demonstrate a model's talent and skillset, the less likely I am to work with that person.

A caveat to the above is that I appreciate candids which demonstrate a model's other creative abilities (sketching, dance, acting, painting) because I enjoy working with artistic people.

IDiivil wrote:
Outside of agency stuff:

How important are candids, behind the scenes, etc to you as a photographer when considering a model?

Showing candids and lifestyle is exactly how the major agencies like models to use their Instagram (sans BTS.)
Its very important for booking purposes and why Instagram accounts are linked to a models's online book.

I think the same would apply to a non nude freelance model

IDiivil wrote:
Outside of agency stuff:

How important are candids, behind the scenes, etc to you as a photographer when considering a model?

Those are completely irrelevant to me.  I want to see the model's best work.

The port and profile are your resume.  You have 30 seconds to show me what you have done.  What do you do as a model?  What type of work do you do?  What have you accomplished in front of the camera?  Whatever you present is what you are.  You can present too much information.

Each week I browse local active models in the area, along with casting calls and availability announcements.  I'm looking through 100+ models.  The avatar is the first screening item.  If the model passes that, then it's the profile for a few seconds.  Likewise, if the model passes that, the port is viewed.  If it looks good, I look to see if the port is current.  Has she been working lately and consistently, or is it a stale port?  Do her photos match her profile?

Unless the candid or bts shot is extraordinarily good, a weak photo says to me the model doesn't care about her work.  Someone mentioned Instagram.  One time photos on IG encouraged a shoot with a model, while another time photos on IG discouraged it.  In both cases I started out neutral with the models.

IDiivil wrote:
To be clear, my question wasn't intended to discuss models putting candids/bts work in their portfolio. I think the general consensus for portfolios is that the images should be professionally done save for maybe an agency style Polaroid photo or few.

This is more along the lines of, "Do you go out of your way to see non-professional images of models you are considering for whatever reason (better feel of who and how they are, etc)?"

Thank you for all the responses otherwise. It's interesting to see the effect (if any) that social media usage may have on bookings.

Yes I do. When agencies send me "availability/test packages" I always look at their digitals & IG before choosing a girl

IDiivil wrote:
This is more along the lines of, "Do you go out of your way to see non-professional images of models you are considering for whatever reason (better feel of who and how they are, etc)?"

Sometimes I do. If I'm on the fence about hiring them based on their portfolio pictures, I'll go looking for other photos outside their portfolio. I don't care where they are posted or whether they are "candid" or not, I'm just accumulating as many data points as possible before making a decision.

I will say that, at least in my case, having more photos available will never hurt you and can only help you. If I go looking for photos outside the model's portfolio, it is not because I am trying to find a reason to reject her, but rather because I am trying to find a reason to hire her.

GoldRoseMedia wrote:

I will say that, at least in my case, having more photos available will never hurt you and can only help you. If I go looking for photos outside the model's portfolio, it is not because I am trying to find a reason to reject her, but rather because I am trying to find a reason to hire her.

This has always been a point of interest for me. A lot of photographers (clients, etc) do want to see more images, but making an effort to provide them (even on a totally separate platform like Tumblr) can run into the following counter criticisms:

1. Over time, images may no longer be up to date and may not show the model's current appearance

2. Quality or quantity? Inevitably, an overabundance of photos will always rank some images weaker than others.

3. Risk of repetition. If the model is frequently hired for one specific style, it may be harder to find the other unique bits s/he can offer on set since you'll be sifting through so many of what s/he's generally being brought on to do.

Considering you have the 'best of the best' portfolio to look through first, are these valid concerns for a model to have when showing more work via tumblr, FB, etc?

IDiivil wrote:
"Do you go out of your way to see non-professional images of models you are considering for whatever reason (better feel of who and how they are, etc)?"

Mostly the same answer - don't really care too much if the work is good to begin with.  I can see where it might help - or possibly hurt - depending on what's there.  I've had models show up looking nothing like their "good" photos....better and worse.   Social can also reveal elements one doesn't want to know about - or ones we wished we had known about in advance - so it might just be a two edged sword.

R_Marquez wrote:
If you're concerned about diluting your portfolio just use a separate platform for more candid/bts content.

I don't really need to see candids but I work with bloggers and not girls who consider themselves models so the difference between bts and posted content is not big anyway.

Photography by Riddell wrote:
Of zero importantance.
I only want to see professional photos, so I can see how the model works with a professional in a professional enviroment.

A major reason for me rejecting models in a fraction of second is that they have amateur style images on their portfolio. Even if I could accept it, I certainly couldn't pass it along to my client.

To reiterate again, this is NOT about candids in a portfolio...

This is also a question of preference and theory regarding it... It has zero to do with me personally, my marketing style, or my portfolio.

IDiivil wrote:
To be clear, my question wasn't intended to discuss models putting candids/bts work in their portfolio. I think the general consensus for portfolios is that the images should be professionally done save for maybe an agency style Polaroid photo or few.

This is more along the lines of, "Do you go out of your way to see non-professional images of models you are considering for whatever reason (better feel of who and how they are, etc)?"

Thank you for all the responses otherwise. It's interesting to see the effect (if any) that social media usage may have on bookings.

That clarification is helpful.  I do often look at Facebook accounts and other social media, more to get an idea of the person's character than to see what they look like.