MurphyMurphy Studios wrote:
I have been thinking lately....  It is very, very hard to be a model.  Think about it:

Every day, you wake-up and put yourself out there.  You go to a casting.  You are not selected.  Too tall, too short, too heavy, too thin. Face too round. Face too angular.  Nose too wide.  Nose too skinny.  Lips too full.  Lips too thin.  Skin tone too dark.  Skin tone too light.  Legs too short.  Legs too long.  "Oh, and did you see his/her hair?  What was s/he thinking?"

Rejection.

Then, you wake-up the next day and do it again.

And Again. 

And Again .

Oh, you land your share of gigs and you work with your share of great people but, every day, you have to put yourself out there and face the fact that despite your talent and your professionalism and your drive and your determination, your "look" (i.e. something you can do little about) is simply not right for the gig.  You persevere.  You solider on.  You keep your head high as you walk into the wind.

I have been blessed to work with some amazing models.  They inspire me.  Have I had my fair share of flakes?  Sure.  But, I like to dwell on the positive.  Amazing models are a special breed.  They ground me.  The show me daily what it means to pursue a goal despite tough odds.

Girls and Guys:  You are a special breed.  I tip my hat to you knowing that I could not do the same.  Photographers, well, we have our WORK critiqued.  We get the gig or not based largely on the quality of our work. But, that is very different than having ourselves critiqued.   

Models:  you really are a unique breed and I just thought that I would give you credit for putting it out there day after day and to thank you for doing same.

Wow - I love you.

Thank you for recognizing some of the things we go through

again

and again

and again...

K E S L E R wrote:
What about photographers?  without us there would be no models

True.  But without them, we would be photographing trees.

A tree, unlike a model, faces no rejection based solely on its look or its attributes that it cannot change or control.

MurphyMurphy Studios wrote:

True.  But without them, we would be photographing trees.

No body liked my "Rocks on the beach" photos, they seem to love the beautiful women I shoot though.  Great thread, let's hear it for the models ! ! !

rp_photo wrote:
Of course we're only talking about the non-flaking kind.

Don't go there.

We are talking about the kind that put themselves out there day after day after day with heroic perseverance and stoic determination.

rp_photo wrote:
Of course we're only talking about the non-flaking kind.

Can we keep it positive, just for once?

MurphyMurphy Studios wrote:

Don't go there.

We are talking about the kind that put themselves out there day after day after day with heroic perseverance and stoic determination.

...The ones who rock our world and make everything we do have meaning and substance and we're like "Damn, I wish I were that cool!"

rp_photo wrote:
Of course we're only talking about the non-flaking kind.

Thanks mr. Positive.

K E S L E R wrote:
What about photographers?  without us there would be no models

I've seen quite a few threads saluting photographers. Never seen a thread like this that salutes the models.

Immortality wrote:
Wow. This I have NEVER seen here on MM, especially not from a photographer.

I've only ever seen "OMG HE/SHE FLAKED" or similar threads saying how models are incompetent and have a low IQ.

I really, really like this thread.

Models rock and that's a fact.
We as photographer really sit behind the camera and in front of the computer screen but it would be all for nothing without that so very essential element. I know I've been blessed, and there's alot of photographers who feel the same way, they're just no squeaky wheel about it...

Digital Fantastique wrote:
Here here, without them, we'd all have nature photographs, pets and sunsets...

Models do indeed deserve a lot of credit. It is not just about looking beautiful and smiling... It is work, it is a craft, and it requires skill, talent, personality and charisma...

Thank you models for making our work look so good!!!~

Its actually more than that.

Models must literally put themselves --- their physical look -- on the line every time they head to a casting.  They can be brilliant.  They can be funny.  They can be a great person.  They can even be beautiful or handsome.  They can sing, dance, or play piano like Mozart.  But, if they don't have the "look" required, none of it matters.

THAT must be hard to internalize and rationalize.

MurphyMurphy Studios wrote:

Its actually more than that.

Models must literally put themselves --- their physical look -- on the line every time they head to a casting.  They can be brilliant.  They can be funny.  They can be a great person.  They can even be beautiful or handsome.  They can sing, dance, or play piano like Mozart.  But, if they don't have the "look" required, none of it matters.

THAT must be hard to internalize and rationalize.

QFT.

*Big Hug*

MurphyMurphy Studios wrote:
But, if they don't have the "look" required, none of it matters.

THAT must be hard to internalize and rationalize.

?
Honestly, I don't think that's fair. People are on this "look" thing as if there is only one form of meaningful photography, but there are myriads of different looks to suit different scenarios. Ruling people out seems more like a lack of imagination...hopefully, I understood this correctly...

Immortality wrote:

Thanks mr. Positive.

I have much to be thankful for as far as the great models I have worked with, especially the ones who gave me a chance early on.

While I would never call any one model my Muse, I enjoy the "Muse collective" which includes models I have worked with regularly throughout.

Ryan Diezel wrote:
Wow my hat is off to someone that actually recognizes us for what we do.   Not for what we can do for them.  Thank you.

You are welcome.

Twice! 

MurphyMurphy Studios wrote:
But, if they don't have the "look" required, none of it matters.

THAT must be hard to internalize and rationalize.

Knight Photographic wrote:
?
Honestly, I don't think that's fair. People are on this "look" thing as if there is only one form of meaningful photography, but there are myriads of different looks to suit different scenarios. Ruling people out seems more like a lack of imagination...hopefully, I understood this correctly...

If the client wants a model with really "large blue eyes" then, it does not matter if the model has gorgeous full lips, lovely hair, and a fantastic jaw line.  It is very unlikely (not impossible -- just very unlikely) that the model will be selected if she does not have, subjectively "large blue eyes"

Now, s/he has to get up tomorrow and do it again.

K E S L E R wrote:
What about photographers?  without us there would be no models

We can always take self-portraits, that's what a tripod is for! lol

Kindra Marie wrote:
thank you for such a nice thread

You are welcome.

Thank you.

ForSaleByOwner wrote:
murphy,

You get the fu@king high-five of the year!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks.

MurphyMurphy Studios wrote:

Its actually more than that.

Models must literally put themselves --- their physical look -- on the line every time they head to a casting.  They can be brilliant.  They can be funny.  They can be a great person.  They can even be beautiful or handsome.  They can sing, dance, or play piano like Mozart.  But, if they don't have the "look" required, none of it matters.

THAT must be hard to internalize and rationalize.

Allright, what did she do?

MurphyMurphy Studios wrote:
Its actually more than that.

Models must literally put themselves --- their physical look -- on the line every time they head to a casting.  They can be brilliant.  They can be funny.  They can be a great person.  They can even be beautiful or handsome.  They can sing, dance, or play piano like Mozart.  But, if they don't have the "look" required, none of it matters.

THAT must be hard to internalize and rationalize.

AUTONOMY wrote:
Allright, what did she do?

Huh?