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Who Commissions Who?
Recently I have been contacted by a couple of models on this site wanting to work with me. Now I have been a photographer for quite sometime but I have to ask who is suppose to pay who when a model contacts a photographer because I thought if I reach out to a model then I am obligated to compensate them and not them contacting me expecting to be paid by me when they are trying update their portfolio. May be I missed something here. I understand this can be tricky but I am under the impression that some models assume that they never pay a photographer and the photographer pays no matter who contacted who. Feb 28 18 01:14 pm Link Mike, to the best of my knowledge. Who contacts who first has nothing to do with who pays in the Model Mayhem universe. You are free to ask anybody for anything and equally free to make any counter-offer you wish. It has been said that "you don't get what you want, you get what you negotiate." That quote doesn't come from Model Mayhem, but it most certainly applies. Feb 28 18 01:40 pm Link I agree with Brian. When a salesman calls you are you obligated to buy? Take a look at my portfolio. Every model in ther worked for trade, as did I. I was able to provide them with the pictures they wanted and they were able to provide me with the poses I wanted. It was simply an exchange of services that we considered to be of approximately equal value. Had I considered their poses to be less valuable to me than the pictures I took were to them I might have charged them something and vice-versa. Sometimes the model pays, sometimes the photographer pays and sometimes they trade. As the saying goes, "If it works, it works." All IMHO as always, of course. Feb 28 18 03:12 pm Link Who initiates contact doesn't matter. Advertisers don't buy something from you just because they were the first to reach out. Feb 28 18 03:36 pm Link Myke Newman wrote: Both should be clear and concise. and it doesn't matter who made the first contact. ain't tricky at all. Feb 28 18 04:09 pm Link The one with the greater need pays. If a model wishes to work with a particular photographer and that model brings zero benefit to a trade shoot, then that model pays the photographer. If a photographer wishes to work with a model and that photographer brings zero benefit to a trade shoot, then that photographer pays the model. If both are somewhat equal in skill and experience then there might be a trade between them depending on how the images are used. Scenario 1: A photographer needs a red haired model with green eyes who can fit into a selected wardrobe. There may only be a small number of models in the area who fit that criteria and if a model does not see value in a trade shoot then she will ask to be paid for her time and look. Scenario 2: A brand new aspiring model and actress needs headshots for upcoming casting calls. The photographer she wants to work with has thousands of headshots already. Photographer may charge money or offer a trade if the model is willing to work on another project in exchange for headshots. Scenario 3: A local business wants a photographer to shoot photos for their ad campaign and pays both the photographer and the selected model. Feb 28 18 06:01 pm Link These are some interesting responses. Mar 01 18 06:17 pm Link Myke Newman wrote: In my experience, although those models exist, they are not numerous. Mar 03 18 02:21 pm Link Myke Newman wrote: OTOH there are some photographers who maintain that they never pay models. Mar 03 18 02:39 pm Link Myke Newman wrote: Myke: Mar 03 18 02:40 pm Link I'm a big, big believer in local supply & demand. It doesn't matter who initiates the contact. Mar 03 18 04:24 pm Link Hi Myke, just a few thoughts. 1. You are not obligated to pay anything you don’t want. 2. The model mayhem universe is not the only universe. I find non MM models often haven’t been convinced they are owed high rates. 3. I’ve come across many models here who accept rates well below their asking rates and well below rates many here claim are standard. Mar 04 18 01:43 am Link |
