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These are the safety tips that every model and photographer should know

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This is an opinion piece and considering I am not a lawyer or work in law enforcement, this is all just advice from experience. Always check the legal and health legislation in the area you are in. Seek professional advice if you feel you have been the victim of a crime.

I’ve been swimming in this industry since the spring of 1997, ultimately on both sides of the lens. I have witnessed titans rise and fall with the decimation of film in favor of digital pixels. I’ve taken part in the tidal wave of new and incredible talent from around the world thanks to affordable cameras and computers. I watched with mixed emotions at the absolute thrashing that Photoshop and the rise of digital art gave to an industry that overnight transformed successful businesses with 30 years of experience into dinosaurs on the brink of extinction.

In short, I’ve not been around forever, but I’ve been around long enough to earn a couple of my stripes, and seen some difficult things.

I have been lucky enough to witness the start of a movement that has begun to change everything.

The rise of #MeToo has really shifted the dialogue around safety. It’s generations overdue, but at least it’s starting. I wish it had been a thing when I was 13 and a baby in this field, but alas, life isn’t always fair. So, I’m going to keep it going. Each line on my face, each grey hair, and every sleepless night comes from some lesson or experience lived through. Such is the inevitability of aging.

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These are some of the worst models professional photographers can work with

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Modeling has its dark side, as some photographers will use their title and position to exploit models. But there are two sides to each story, and there certainly are some models you wouldn’t want to work with even in your craziest dreams. In this video, Jordan Matter shares a few “horror stories” about some models he has worked with. In an amusing and humorous way, he shows us that it really takes all sorts to make a world.

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The dark side of modeling: what it looks like and how to stay away from it

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We have heard of multiple cases of sexual misconduct in the photography industry. The latest case was revealed only a few days ago. There’s a dark side to modeling, where models are exploited and harassed by photographers who abuse their power. In this video, Jessica Kobeissi talks about this dark side of modeling. She mentions many examples she’s heard of and this video will be useful for both models and photographers. If you’re a model, this video will help you recognize “red flags” and stay away from predators. And if you’re a photographer, there are plenty of useful tips on how not to be perceived as “that guy.”

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I am a model, you should know this…

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I am a stylist. I show up with thousands of dollars in wardrobe, so you didn’t have to provide it.

I am a makeup artist. I went out of my way to get trained on how to apply makeup for camera to make your job that much easier.

I am a creative consultant. I spend non-billable hours upon hours going through your proof galleries and offering the feedback you requested, because I care about the work that we produce together.

I am a travel agent. For every hour that I spend in front of the camera, I spent an average of 2 hours to that one hour of planning and logistics.

I am a master at marketing and brand management.

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Different Types Of Photographers As Seen Through The Eyes Of Models

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Photographers do have some reflection in them, so we know that we divide into groups and that models can teach us quite a bit. But what if we turn to models to define us.  I am sure this would prove to be an interesting exercise showing at least some of our shortcomings.

ModelsBeLike did just that as a humorous video, reflecting back to the photography community what they think about the types of photographers that there have encountered during their Careers.

While I don’t shoot a lot of models now, I have to say that I am probably to be blamed in so many of those on my early days. [Read More…]

A Word About Responding to Model Calls, And Not Being THAT Photographer

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Here is a story on how not to be that photographer. I cringed at the email exchange, and I think any model or photographer will too.

A few days ago Nicole Vaunt, A.K.A Vauntastic – a freelance model – put out a travel call on Model Mayhem. This is a standard practice many models (and photographers) do when they travel so they can book shoots, or meet with persons that would otherwise be too far away. It’s a pretty standard call as you can see, detailing the relevant dates and locations, as well as some information about Nicole.

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10 Things You Might Not Know About Nude Models [NSFW]

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1.Yes, it is possible to make a living doing this. But it takes a lot of hard work and a good reputation. For every hour spent in front of the lens or canvas, roughly nine million are spent networking, updating portfolios, organising work, advertising, applying to castings, travelling to and from locations, packing/unpacking for jobs/trips (because even nude models are expected, often, to bring props/accessories/items of clothing) and attacking what I like to affectionately refer to as ‘the email mountain’. We are grateful for the email mountain; it keeps us in business; we just wish we could hire some hobbit minions to live underneath it and help us out every now and then (perhaps with purpose-built sticks and digging equipment) so that we don’t accidentally offend the creative types who grow more and more anxious by our lack of reply (because we are busy modelling by day, or sleeping by night, or, you know, doing other important stuff).

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Can Models Suffer From Fear Public Speaking? Apparently Yes

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Like so many, I desperately fear public speaking. I physically shake and mentally crumble. I’ve always been a better writer than a speaker with so much to say and no way to say it. So when The Photography Show approached me last October asking if I’d like to talk about my precious Dreamcatcher Project to a large audience on stage…of course I said “yes please” with a confident smile…and then cried for a month whilst quivering in a corner with fear!

So how can it be that a model; a person who spends her life in front of a camera; is so terrified of walking out in front of a bunch of people and being asked to speak? Well, it’s quite simple: I am the muted mannequin.

As a model I am not required to talk nor am I expected to show outward judgement, personal expression or opinions. Of course I am expected to bring those elements of my personality into a shoot as directed by the theme of the images, but I am to predominantly use my body alone to project them. I am a blank canvas, a clothes horse and therefore a mannequin. [Read More…]

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