Prospective Models Information

Prospective Models Information

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• Written by MichaelJ
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Thank you for your interest in my site, and my work as a photographer. I am a creative photographer, and enjoy seeing interesting concepts come to fruition. My concepts do not necessarily always come entirely from my own imagination. Many times they are a collaboration of ideas from everyone involved. I like to get input from everone to make certain that we get the best shoot possible. In that, if you have something burning in your mind that you'd like to do, perhaps a variation on something you've seen, or a completely original idea, talk to me about it... I'd love to hear about it and perhaps make it happen for you!

Cancellation Policy (Please read!)

I want to tell you a little about working with me... and this is indeed the most important thing, the thing that will damage our relationship the most, and is also unfortunately the most common thing in this industry. If you book a shoot with me, it is expected that you will keep it. I have an insanely busy schedule and so my opportunities to shoot are few and far between. When someone cancels on me, especially last minute, it causes me a great deal of angst because the day is basically wasted. I cannot reschedule someone else on short notice, and I end up sitting and staring at the walls, not a good thing given my state of mind. If you must cancel or reschedule, I expect a minimum of 48hrs advance notice with good reason. This gives me time to attempt to fill in the lost time. I can understand sick, or family emergency... life does happen at times. I partied too much last night is not an acceptable excuse. If you No Call/No Show, or can't give me a good reason for why you are cancelling our shoot, you go on my deposit list. That means before you can reschedule a shoot with me, you must pay my 2 hr minimum charge, and it is non-refundable. (A quick way to go from a TF* model getting my photography for free.. to becoming a paid client) PLEASE I take this very seriously, I won't waste your time... please do not waste mine. There are others who do take this seriously who are standing in line waiting for a booking.

As a male photographer how do you work with female models?

OK... got the nasty stuff out of the way... now for the fun stuff.... I am often asked, how is it that you are able to work with female clients and models.. The answer is... you'd have to see it to believe it. I generally take my cues from the subject. If she is very nervous about being nude or exposed in any way, I have my wife or other female assistant help with the posing, I can turn my back, or leave the room so that I am only present for the actual shot, and in most cases I see very little, only what the camera sees. Some models or clients are less concerned, but I still have a basic no touch policy... that again is where an assistant comes in. My photography is something I take very seriously, I am happily married, and I am not looking to expand my love life. I don't get my excitement by working with women who are dressed (or undressed) and acting provocatively. Not even necessarily from the resulting photos... where I get my excitement is when YOU are excited about the photos, and when others see them and think they are great. It is the creation and the pride in the creation that I crave... and I need you for that, if I act like a creep you will not want to shoot with me... so I am careful and professional to a fault.

Do you shoot Male Models?

I have before and I will but only in certain settings. Sorry, but I do have to be inspired, and there are many forms of male photography out there that simply do not inspire me... that's not to say that I look poorly on it, but it's just not my thing... I will occasionally use male models in "role" type modeling.. sometimes a concept calls for a male model.. in those cases I will generally put out a casting call. That said, I do have many photographer friends, so if you are a male model looking to get into modeling, let me know, I can at least hook you up with some trustworthy and reputable people who will take good care of you. I do not shoot adult material (porn) sorry... I have been accused of shooting porn, and some of what I do certainly teases the grey area, (just because it contains nudity does not make it porn) All of my stuff must be inspired by some form of creativity or concept. Simulated sex or other forms of porn just don't cut it... again... if you are in doubt, just ask... I will let you know where the boundaries are... and we can discuss from there.

What do you pay?

Typically I do not pay models up front. But typically I do not charge models either. For the sake of discussion, you are a model if I use your images on my site. This can be a great thing for someone who wants some interesting photography for free... many photographers would charge considerably for this type of photography. I do occasionally get a request from someone who wishes to purchase prints, so some of my best work goes into a gallery where prints are sold, yours may or may not be a part of that gallery, if any of your prints sells for more than $100, then you and I split the profits. If you want to shoot some intimate photography, but do not wish to have it posted here... you become a client, and then rates and fees come into play, but my rates are very reasonable. Client work is almost never posted here, and never without permission and release signed by the client.

I am also registered as a Zivity photographer. If you don't know what Zivity is, I encourage you to look it up.. but first a word.. Glamour Photography covers a wide gamut of "exposure" and you will find all levels of exposure on that site.. including some that I think steps pretty far into that grey pornographic area. There is about 10% of the photosets on Zivity that cross that line.. and about 10% of the models on there never expose any nudity at all.. the rest spans everything in between. Incidentally.. it would seem that nudity does not necessarily have a lot of bearing on success either. I have seen some model who never get completely nude who are very successful on Zivity, and others who go completely nude who rarely get any votes. It's more about interaction..if you interact with your fans.. you get more of their attention.

That said... Zivity is a Glamour website.. and it is a subscription site. I think the basic spirit of the site involves a certain amount of "sexy" content. That may or may not include nudity.. but if you aren't prepared to be "sexy" and whatever that entails for you... you're probably not going to be happy with Zivity. I currently have two models who do not do nude on Zivity, and they are not doing well.. I have another that is coming up in September.. the ones I have currently are not being terribly interactive.. the one coming up in September has already made over 200 friends. I am eager to see what her success rate is, and I am waiting for those results before I consider any more "conservative" Zivity models.

The way that Zivity works, is that members "Vote" for your set.. think of it like a Facebook "like". For each vote you get.. you get 55 cents and i get 30 cents. It's not much.. and you won't get rich.. but if you pick up enough quarters.. eventually you'll get a dollar. The more prolific you are on the site.. the more success you will have. In my first quarter I have already earned enough to qualify for a check... one of the 4 models I have worked with have as well. You will definitely get out of it.. what you put into it. If you are interested in modeling for Zivity be sure to let me know on your inquiry form.

I've never modeled before but have always wanted to do it?

First I want to address something with you, and don't worry.. I say this to all the girls. I see a lot of girls come who think that they are going to be the next Tyra Banks.. I'm gonna play you straight.. that's probably not going to happen for you.. becoming a famous highly paid in demand model is kinda like becoming a rock star. There are lots of girls out there who are VERY qualified who will never make it big in modeling. It takes more than good looks to be a successful model. Even if you have it all put together, the looks, the management skills, a good representative, a good portfolio, a good resume, good business skills, communication skills, and a lot of luck... you still have to be in that "right place at the right time for the right person who is looking for exactly what you have" to get your break.. and that does happen for some girls.. and even then they do not make it big. I'm not telling you not to try... I just want you to have realistic expectations. I just don't want your big break.. to be your heart. Now if you instead expect to just have fun, and enjoy the experience, and all that it has to offer, and if a paid opportunity comes along you'll jump on it... you are probably going to be a very happy and successful model. Not just with me, but with all of the photographers that I network with.

"I don't shoot nude..."

That's ok.. neither do I... Actually, I respect boundaries. We go as far as you want to go with your photo shoot, and no more. I have a long list of models, and of them, I have models whose boundaries lie anywhere from no nudity at all, to models who will do full nude. When I have a project that I am working on, I look for the model who best fits the role, and boundaries is a factor. If the role calls for nudity, I look within the models who are willing to pose nude. If my role does not include nudity, I look at all the of the models for the right one.

It is fair for me to tell you that right now.. my main current focus is on Zivity Content. So new models should bear in mind that I am screening for criteria for that site. My workload is at a point that models who are not interested in modeling for Zivity may have extended wait times to get bookings.  Paid work must always come first.

Can I bring a chaperone?

I not only allow chaperones, I encourage them... but with some guidelines. I strongly encourage you not to bring your boyfriend, husband, or parents for a couple of reasons. First of all.. I don't want the boyfriend, husband or parent to inhibit your creativity, and put restrictions on what we can and cannot do. If I am shooting with you.. you are an adult, and you should be able to do your own thinking. You know what you want, and do not need someone else putting restrictions on you... especially when they are thinking about the "how" you will get the image and not the "result" itself. Let me tell you those two things are a long ways from each other and sometimes the former seems a lot scarier than it really is. The other thing is how will you ever be able to get in character with your boyfriend/husband/parent watching? Can you really role play and act all sexy and hot.. with your mom standing right there? Probably not! Now I do not propose for a second that you not tell your husband or boyfriend. That is definitely not a good idea. Your relationship with them is by far more important than anything we're going to be doing, and they should know what is going to be going on. However, they also need to know that you are safe, and secure, and in good hands. They need to understand the importance of why they are not there, and be assured that they will have access to the resulting photos. As for Mom and Dad? You will have to decide for yourself when and what you are going to tell them.. you're an adult and I deal with you directly, not your manager, and not your parent. Personally I recommend a best friend, especially if they are female. That way they can help with setup and posing.. oh yes.. I'm not above putting your chaperone to work.

How and when do I get my photos? How many photos should I expect?

Typically, I will have photos from our shoot within two weeks. Usually much sooner, but occasionally longer. Most times, I go through your set within a day and pick out the standout favorites edit them and then deliver them to you. How many will that be? It depends on the shoot... sometimes its as few as a two or three.. most times its a dozen or more... these are the ones you should consider as payment for our shoot. (Some photographers only give one or two images for TF* shoots) but generally at some point after this point.. it could be weeks, or even months.. I will go through those images again, and edit more... and when I do.. there's bonus photos in your gallery. Speaking of your gallery. My method of delivery of your images is via my SmugMug gallery. I create a private gallery for you, that only you get the password for. You can share that password to anyone you like but bear in mind... every photo from every shoot will end up in that album.. so share carefully.. its so much easier than me sending you a CD! Quicker too! Speaking of CD's I do not send out CD's for free.. CD's are a product that I offer my clients and they are expensive.. if you want your images on CD.. you will have to pay the going rate.. is it too much trouble to ask you to download your own photos? Also on my SmugMug Gallery you can order prints at my cost. Pay no mind to the prices listed, when you check out, I will provide you with a code that you will enter that will reduce your cost to my cost... so you can get beautiful lab quality prints at low prices with no hassle about content or copyright issues. All of this stuff aside, I think that you will find that I am a pretty reasonable guy, fun to shoot with, with great photography skills, great studio manner, respectful, and respectable, with a great support team. All of the models we've worked with have raved about how easy and fun we ar to work with. You too will quickly become a part of our family, and we will have great fun together, creating and shooting, and putting more and more stuff together. I look forward to meeting you and hearing your ideas!

So How do I get started?

At the end of this article you will find a link to my Prospective Models Inquiry form, I will ask you for a bunch of information. All of this information is pertinent to making a decision as to whether or not I'll be able to work with you. If you've never modeled before we will need to schedule you a test shoot. A test shoot is mostly for me to get a good look at you, talk to you a bit.. and shoot some photos. Where we go with those photos will largely depend on our conversation and what and where your interests lie. I will be getting to know your personality and your interests. I will be testing your creativity, and your ability to act... yes I said act. When you model for concept based shooting you have to get into character, even if that character is just playing supermodel. If you are playing supermodel, I will expect you to play supermodel. Animation is important.. and if you can't animate.. and get comfortable with the idea of acting a role.. you probably aren't going to be successful.. but it takes a test shoot to find that out. One of your tests is going to be how punctual and prepared you are for your shoot. What you've brought to the shoot, and ideas you have for where we are going with it... the best advice I can give you is to bring a large bag with anything you can imagine... and bring a variety, but bring only what you are prepared to wear... don't bring something skimpy and sexy and then say you're not going to do a shoot in it... what does that say about you?

The Prospective Model Inquiry will take you about 10 to 15 minutes to complete if you have all of the information that you will need. You will need the following information

• Your name address and phone number, and an e-mail address
• A photo of your PhotoID with your Legal Name, Date of Birth, Issuing State, and ID number all clearly visible.. all other information can be redacted (blocked out) File size must be less than 2mb
• The URL (http://www.yourportfolio.com) of your portfolio if you have one
• Your Model Mayhem number if you have one
• Your vital statistics - Height, Weight, Measurements, Bra Size, Shoe Size, Dress Size
• Two photographs - A clear head shot, and a good body shot (non nude as long as it shows your body shape.. form fitting clothes or bathing suit preferred)
• Availability Dates

This thing is going to seem much like a job application.. and to some extent it is.. the information you provide for me will tell me if you are physically qualified for any work I might have for you. It is going to seem very personal.. but I am collecting information as if you were going to be one of my regular models and all of this information is data that I keep on file for you anyway. Don't worry.. your information is not shared with anyone.

When you have all of the information gathered from the list above....
Click here to fill out the Prospective Models Inquiry

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