RANTS OF AN ANGRY PHOTOGRAPHER
Well XEX readers, if you are a model, photographer, agent or have anything to do with the fashion/modeling industry this is definitely a must read!
We received an anonymous email that caught our attention!
XEX MAGAZINE Presents:
THE RANTS OF AN ANGRY FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER
I’LL START OF BY SAYING I AM SICK OF MODEL MAYHEM “MODELS”
I AM SICK OF PEOPLE THINKING THEY ARE OWED A FREE SHOOT BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY ARE ATTRACTIVE! EVEN IF YOU ARE DECENT LOOKING YOU STILL NEED TO PAY! IF YOU LOVE WHAT I DO, WANT TO SEE YOURSELF UNDER MY LENS YOU NEED TO PAY!
LET’S BREAK THIS DOWN:
YOU CANNOT GO TO A STORE AND SAY YOU WANNA TEST THE SNEAKERS AND WALK OFF WITH THEM!
YOU CANNOT TEST YOUR MEAL AT THE RESTAURANT!
YOU CANNOT TEST THE CLUB YOU GOING TO ON A FRIDAY NIGHT!
YOU MUST PAY!! SAME GOES FOR A PHOTO SHOOT!
IF A PHOTOGRAPHER DOES DECIDE TO SHOOT YOU, IT SHOULD BE ON THE PHOTOGRAPHERS TERMS AND SCHEDULE. YOU SHOULD BE GRACIOUS THAT THE A WORKING PHOTOGRAPHER AGREED TO SHOOT WITH YOU, AND GIVES YOU THE PICTURES WHEN THEY ARE DONE, WITHOUT BEING HOUNDED FOR YOUR HOT MESS IMAGES.
ANOTHER POINT IS, SAY A PHOTOGRAPHER AGREES TO NOT TAKE A FEE FOR PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES THE QUESTION IS:
• ARE YOU GOING TO PAY FOR MAKEUP ARTIST, HAIR STYLIST, AND WARDROBE STYLIST (BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE COUTURE IN YOUR LOW BUDGET WARDROBE)?
• WILL YOU PAY FOR MY CAB FARE TO THE STUDIO?
• WILL YOU PAY FOR THE STUDIO SPACE?
• WILL YOU PAY FOR THE RETOUCHING TO FIX THE WHOLE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR FACE, REMOVING THE UGLY AND DEDUCTING 75LBS FROM YOUR STOMACH AND THIGHS?
GETTING PICTURES IS AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR CAREER AS A MODEL OR ACTOR. THE PHOTOGRAPHER MADE THEIR INVESTMENT BY PAYING FOR THEIR $800-$3000 CAMERA, LIGHTING EQUIPTMENT, SCHOOLING, ADOBE CS4!
• IF YOU ARE 5’2 BAD SKIN, SIZE 8 AND BAD WEAVE! GUESS WHAT YOU ARE NOT A MODEL! YOU ARE FAR FROM BEING THE NEXT KATE MOSS! THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ENCOURAGING YOU ARE SETTING YOU UP! FOCUS ON SOMETHING ELSE,MAYBE BEHIND THE SCENES!
• I AM FED UP WITH EVERYONE IN THE WORLD CLAIMING THEY ARE A MODEL! YOU ARE NOT A MODEL UNTIL YOU GET BOOKED FOR A PAID JOB, WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE MODELED FOR A CLIENT AND THEN RECEIVED PAYMENT THEN CLAIM IT ON YOUR TAXES! IF YOU HAVE SHOT WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS IT IS JUST THAT, A SHOOT WITH A PHOTOGRAPHER EQUIVALENT TO TAKING A SEARS FAMILY PHOTO!
• THEN IF YOU ARE A MODEL YOU SHOULD KNOW YOUR CRAFT! YOU SHOULD STUDY POSES, KNOW YOUR BODY AND KNOW YOUR LOOK! IT BOGGLES MY MIND WHEN I TEST WITH A GLORIFIED “AGENCY MODEL” AND THEY COME TO MY SET AND STAND UNDER THE LIGHT, IN FRONT OF MY LENSE AND DO NOTHING BUT STARE IN PUT HANDS ON THEIR HIPS.
WHAT THE HELL DO YOU PLAN TO DO WHEN YOU BOOK A JOB? YOU WILL BE SENT HOME! THERE ARE 5 MODELS WHO LOOK JUST LIKE YOU, AND CAN DO THE JOB NO PROBLEM!
LET’S GET IT TOGETHER MODELING INDUSTRY!
SINCERLY,
FED UP ANGRY FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER
Photographers/Models please share your thoughts! Agree? Disagree? Similar experiences?
Models! Makeup Artists! Agents! Wardrobe Stylists! Share your story! Send us XEX an email to submissions@xexmag.com
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I can relate!! What many fashion wanna bee’s don’t understand is that
the photographer is key. Take a model for instance. A photographer can
jump start a fledging career as well as create a career.
At the end of the day, it is the photographer that pulls it all
together. Take a beautiful model, great hair/make-up, pitch perfect
styling and a bad photographer (or even a good
photographer, but wrong for a particular assignment ) and the whole
day is a total loss. Respect the eye that pushes the button. 1/100 of
a second makes a huge difference in a good image
and a great image. Had Richard Avedon been off by a second, the iconic
image of Natasha Kinski and the snake would have been lost forever.
My first thought was “Just say no to CAPS.” My second thought was, If the models are such a mess that they need 75lbs of retouch work and entire sides of their ugly faces edited, what are you doing even agreeing to a shoot?
Your problem is solved if you work with models. Go to an agency if you don’t want the extra-curriculars that come along with working with internet models.
Also, the reverse can be said. Yes, it’s all frustrating. But real models could say the exact same things about the internet photographer. Just because one has a camera and calls themselves a photographer does not make it so.
And this is why I am so glad I’m a fetish model.
Sorry the fashion shooter has so many problems, most of the girls in my genre are a delight to work with. As are the photographers.
I will address only the things wrong with this particular posting:
1) You can test shoes, in fact. That’s why you go to a shoe store. To try on shoes. And then buy them if you like them.
2) Caps lock is not your friend.
3) Spell check IS your friend.
4) Grammar is good as well. You can test with “an agency model” or you can test with “agency models.” You cannot test with “a agency models.”
5) If I plan to pay a photographer, it is because he or she has something that I need, not because he or she has spent thousands of dollar on equipment.
6) I have had great, legitimate photographers book me for paying shoots (where there was a client). I have had great, legitimate photographers who I have worked with TF. I have had great, legitimate photographers who I have paid. And we are all happy with the results in each case. If you choose not to work a certain way, good luck to you. There is, however, no need to insult others for how they chose to run their businesses.
7) Legitimate models could say the same thing about many internet photographers. I would argue against them as well. Yes, the sense of entitlement is ridiculous. However, stereotyping all models or photographers as the same is also ridiculous.
8) There are models outside of the fashion industry who do make money shooting with photographers (for various reasons), who are not fashion stats, and they do claim it on their taxes. Pretending they don’t exist doesn’t make it so.
9) Until I had met the requirements listed here to be a “real model,” I had never paid for a shoot. I know models of all levels who have never paid for a shoot, though many of them would if they decided it would benefit them enough.
Sincerely,
A Proud Model who got her start on Model Mayhem.
http://www.modelmayhem.com/735684
http://www.kellikickham.com
A Proud Model who got her start on Model Mayhem.
http://www.modelmayhem.com/735684
http://www.kellikickham.com
HA! Exactly the point proven by the “Ranting Photographer”. A random MM Model sticks her neck out to defend her MM status. Honey, you are NOT with an AGENCY and you are only popular on MM. No one at IMG, Ford, or any sane agency wants that nose and jawline in their agency lineup or portfolio…good luck!
Kelly Kickham’s comments do have relevance! It’s really hard when Photographers are expected to upfront the cost of a model’s portfolio development, and forfeit usage to the models too. The truth is that Professional Photographers should now become more disciplined in their projects and work-flow procedures in order to better deal with these ridiculous sense of entitlement expectations that wannabe models have. This includes qualifying prospective clients. It’s costly, but we must aim higher. I’ve now established a firm business regiment towards selling and protecting my intellectual property. And that’s exactly what I consider my works, intellectual property; not photos. As an example: upon photographing on speculation, or TFP I certainly supply all images on disc, on the spot —but the images are PDF because I license the high-res JPEG file format at a premium. Along with a “Terms of Use” file, I watermark every image with an unobtrusive © in the lower right corner of the photos.
I totally agree there is so much that goes into a shoot that people just don’t understand it takes more than just standing there looking pretty. It’s the passion behind and in front of the lens!!
http://www.rawfashionmagazine.com
Hello,
Well i want to start by saying, that I agree with why a photographer would be so angry with models. Yeah i am a model and i have gotten some paid booking, but not a lot because here in Ohio the fashion industry is all about scams and people want to just take your money! Back on topic, yes I always tell models when they go to photo-shoots the minute you step out of your car and into the photographers establishment you MUST be in Character!!!! Modeling is a craft, either you GOT IT or you DON’T!!!!