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Info for New Nude/Erotic Models
For the sake of brevity, when we use the word "model" here, read it as
referring to both models and performers. When we use the word "photographer,"
it means both photographers and videographers. Likewise, when we refer to
"modeling," it refers to modeling and (video) performing.
You have about 15 or 20 minutes of reading here, but reading it could save
you time and trouble and help you earn more money, so read...
Safety
Probably the #1 concern of new models is safety. We're not quite sure where the
concern comes from. Over what must be millions and millions of amateur and pro
photo/video sessions, Googling reveals only three actual murders of a model by a real
photographer, and only one of those was in erotica.
Yes, there have been murders done by predators posing as photographers,
so the real burden is to make sure you're dealing with a real photographer.
Once you establish that, you're surprisingly safe, even working 1-on-1, as
many real photographers insist.
So the #1 thing to do if you feel you're concerned with your safety and security
is just to ensure that the person you're meeting with is "for real." Does he
have an established business? Does he have a website? Does he have a OneModelPlace.com
listing with plenty of good photos on it?
Most important of all: Will he give you phone numbers of models he's worked with.
Since models are generally quite happy to recommend photographers they've had
a great experience with, any great hesitation to do this should be regarded
with great suspicion.
In actuality, people in most other professions and situations are in far more
danger, statistically. Taxi and bus drivers, postal workers, teachers, real estate
agents, bankers, and babies in their mothers' care are murdered with far greater
frequency. Do you demand a chaperone be with you when you hire a taxi or let
a cable installer into your home? No. Well, you're in more danger in those
situations.
Can a model be subjected to bad language and ill behavior during a shoot? Sure,
but then she can leave the shoot and be subjected to the same thing in every other
life situation, too. Most girls will have stories of being groped or having to
hear offensive things at school, at a bus stop, on an elevator.
If such happens, whether with a producer or anywhere, the advice is to very sternly
or even angrily (depending on the degree of the offense) announce that anything
more like that won't be tolerated and may cause you to leave. And then, be
ready to carry out that threat.
If anything patently illegal happens, in a shoot or elsewhere, you should
report it to the authorities.
If it happens with a producer listed here, let ModelsPDX know.
On the Matter of Chaperones
Some producers will allow you to bring someone along to shoots. Models who
insist upon bringing a chaperone leave the impression that their perception of
the producer and job is that he and the work are probably not very businesslike,
to such an extent that only the presence of a third party will restrain him.
That is laughably so not the case, especially with a pro who earns his living
by producing nudes, erotica, or even porn. You will find them to be, by far,
the best behaved of the bunch. If you are suspicious of anyone, be suspicious
of the hobby photographer, amateur, or even art photographer, who may not
depend on good relations with models, and on staying within the law, to have
a livelihood.
Well, then, why would a photographer object to you bringing your husband,
boyfriend, or just a buddy, to a shoot? Many reasons: liability, potential
interference and distraction, but most commonly we suppose...spoiling the
atmosphere. The writer early on allowed models to bring people to shoots,
but then found the model looking at the other party whenever he asked her
to open her legs or hold her breasts or whatever.
There is another matter that this writer finds even more compelling, and
that is the fact that the best photos happen when the model develops a trust
bond with the photographer. Such a model feels a full partner with the photographer
and will be able to give meaningful references to future models. If she
actually feels safe and secure because she was able to bring a third party,
what can she say when asked for a reference? "I felt okay, but of course my
husband was there" isn't a reference worth having.
In the worst case scenario, the husband or boyfriend interferes or acts
like "Mr. Junior Pimpguy" who takes the "I'm her manager;you gotta deal
with me!" stance. Most photographers would prefer to work with models who control
their own lives and treat modeling as if it's any other sort of employment
situation, where bringing your husband or boyfriend into it is rather
inappropriate. If you worked in an insurance agency, imagine the impact
of bringing your S.O. to work so that your boss or the guy in the next
cubicle didn't say something inappropriate or grab your ass. But...we
know that this sort of behavior can happen anywhere, not just at a shoot.
That Monthly Problem
Modeling can be very exciting for some girls, causing unusual stimulation
to the vaginal area. If it's nearly time to menstruate, apparently this can actually
cause menstruation to start! Or at least, that is the impression of this
writer who has worked with many a model and has observed menstruation
beginning during the course of a shoot on several occasions. Just be prepared
for this eventuality, especially if it's nearly time.
Should you work during menstruation?
This one is up to you. If you have a very heavy flow or are subject to
very painful cramps, you may have to cancel and reschedule shoots. If you must
do so, do it with all possible promptness and apologies.
As for toys, tampons can be stuffed up where they won't be seen, including the string,
allowing toys to be used. There are also stringless tampons and also small
tampons.
This writer, who has worked with nearly 300 girls,
has never run into an instance where this turned into a serious problem.
Toys can even be used as long as they're not inserted very far, and deep
insertion is frequently not necessary. If toys are going to be an issue
and you know you're going to be expected to use them, discuss it with the
photographer in plenty of time to reschedule. Getting paid a week later
may be better than pissing off your photographer.
Of course, care must constantly be taken to make sure that no "evidence"
of menstruation is appearing, either in the area, on your hands, or on your
toy, if you're using one.
Other Preparedness Issues
Okay, the day of the shoot you wake up with a rash or a serious acne issue.
Which is the best way to handle it: a) go to the shoot (which, to raise the
stakes, is in a $200/night hotel suite) and show the photographer the
problem, or b) phone the photographer right away and explain the problem
before he ends up in that $200/night suite? The answer should be pretty
obvious. Trapping photographers into shoots by hiding an issue until it's too
late to change plans is just the kind of abuse that will put you in ModelsPDX's
"Bad Models" list. You don't want that, do you?
And, of course, the same sort of thinking applies to bruises, cuts, scrapes,
scabs, new tattoos, and anything else that a photographer should know in advance.
It may cause a shoot to be rescheduled or canceled, but generally it will
create good will and at least you won't be referred to as an irresponsible
model. It might even get a photographer to recommend you to someone else as
a model who can be trusted.
Be prepared for shoots by being well rested and as "bright eyed and bushy-tailed"
as it's possible to be. Got to be at a shoot at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.
the next day. Ummm... The night before is probably not a good night to go
drinking and dancing and partying and go to bed at 5 a.m.
As mentioned elsewhere, oversleeping hasn't been a valid excuse for a long time.
Alarm clocks and alarm watches aren't prohibitively expensive. You can probably
buy one at Rite-Aid for under $10. Got a cell phone? Almost all of them have
alarm clock functions that work even when they are switched off. This writer
uses his when he travels and he hasn't missed a flight, or even been late at the gate,
yet.
If you'll be showing your "bathing suit area," you'll want to start out
very clean and until the shoot is over, use wipes instead of toilet paper
to clean yourself down there. If the photographer looks at you or, worse,
at the photos, and sees little white "UFO's" down there, he won't be
very happy.
Don't Tell Us Lies
Don't lie, just apologize and reschedule. This writer has heard the dead
grandmother or the "My dog ate some poison and I had to take it to the vet
and didn't have time to call" excuse so many times that he assumes you're
lying even when you're telling the truth. I believed those excuses when I first
got into this business, but then I heard that the model had used the same excuse
with another photographer, and another, and now I feel like a fool.
If you
fuck up, just admit to being a fuck-up and ask for forgiveness and a chance
to redeem yourself. Don't tell me you didn't make it to the shoot because
your car didn't start. If I'm sitting in that $200 hotel suite, Jesus, I'll
pay for a taxi rather than waste $200! At least call me and be honest.
So, I'll say it again, don't lie.
Don't even tell me a truth that sounds like a lie.
Excuses don't fix things.
Hair And Makeup
Your idea of a "real photographer" may be that he has a huge studio and a staff
that includes makeup people and hair stylists and a wardrobe person, and I'm sure
there are photographers like that, but unless you've gotten a gig with a major
magazine, that's probably not going to happen. Most photographers and videographers
in Portland are going to expect you to know how to do your own makeup and hair.
Here's a tip: You can stop by Nordstrom's or Macy's or a store specializing
in makeup and get a makeover on the way to the shoot. Just allow plenty of time
for this (these can take 45 minutes to an hour). Some girls just say theyh're on
their way to get a portrait for their mom and dad, or they're getting ready for
a date (depending on what kind of photography you'll be doing). These girls
typically can't expect tips, so buy something to make their time worthwhile.
The Truth About Exposure
Most photographers are honest, but there are bad
apples. Some of us tell lies consciously and some of us say things we actually believe,
but which are untru, so it's good to know the actual truth, especially when it comes to exposure.
And there are lies models tell themselves, too. We'll be discussing both.
Be sure also to read the section on "Releases and Rights."
In general, if you think your nude/erotic/porn modeling will forever be a secret,
you may be wrong. It depends upon the circumstances. Let's discuss them from the
least chance of exposure to the most.
Private art modeling is probably the most private sort of nude
modeling, assuming it's not for publication or public showing. However, even
if it does end up being published, the poses are typically demure and tasteful
and easy for you to defend.
Art class modeling is next up, simply because you're in front of
multiple people. It's not quite as safe as it used to be since cameras have been
made so compact that they can be hidden in the palm or built into a cell phone.
Modeling for workshops can be fairly private, but sometimes you're
expected to release any photos taken there. This is a negotiating point. You might
be able to wrangle a deal where you get to review the photos before releasing them,
reserving the right not to release photos you don't want seen in the world
at large. It might cost you the job if you insist on this, but it does sound
reasonable since, presumably, a lot of the images may be badly done, which might
be an argument you can use to justify having some control.
Magazine Modeling depends a lot on what kind of magazine, but it
can mean more exposure than you might think if you don't know much about it.
You might think that staying away from Playboy,
Penthouse, and Hustler would be pretty safe, so you might pose
for Barely Legal, thinking it's a minor market where you're unlikely to
be discovered. Well, actually, it's the best-selling
porn magazine in America.
Modeling for minor websites may give you minimal exposure if
they don't use you in the public part of their site or in site promotions, as in
thumbnail gallery posts. Once you're used in galleries given away by the site to
promote themselves, you can count on being discovered eventually. If not next week,
then next year, or 10 years from now. Always remember: you may be a 38
year old soccer mom someday. Some site owners, instead of operating one huge
site, may operate dozens of smaller ones instead. If you're used on 30 different
small sites, it might be equivalent to being on one major site. Bump to the next
description.
Modeling for major websites may not be that different from modeling
for minor websites. Why? Because while you may be one among many hundreds or
(in a few cases) even thousands of models presented on the site, they probably make
a lot money and use that money to fiercely promote themselves. I know of at least
one site that seems give away shots from just about every set I've ever shot for
them.
Your own personal website gives you the most control over content,
but since the site is all about you, your exposure is at the max. Nobody but you
is seen on the tour, and in order to promote yourself, you'll inevitably end up
putting your images around the Internet or arranging for other sites to link to
you.
Releases and Rights
I run into this all the time from newbie models. I invite them over so I can take
a few nude snapshots of them to present them to the sites I shoot for. My clients
prefer these to highly produced, obviously "pro" shots that are more likely to have
been retouched and may be years old.
They will ask if they're going to be paid. The answer is, "For no more than 8 snapshots
taking 2 minutes of your time and that may get you a job? ...No, that isn't
paying work." The next question
is, "Will I get a contract stating that you won't sell or publish the photos?" (or
some request to that effect). My reply is always, "These photos will not be released,
which means I can't publish them or profit by them in any way without risking a
serious lawsuit. The fact that there is no paperwork actually protects you." I find
that many models think I'm pulling some sort of trick on them, but what I said is
actually true: Your #1 protection from your photos being used or profited from without
your permission is not to give away those rights through a release.
Be careful when releasing photos. The release is designed to protect the photographer
and give him rights, while taking them away from you. This is what all releases do.
To make it a fair exchange, you need to get something in return. In the case of a
TFP/TFCD shoot, that would be whatever you consider fair in terms of getting and using
the result of the shoot. Other than that, what you get is typically some dollar
amount, though other exchanges aren't unknown (e.g., special access to the resulting
photo gallery, promoting you as a model in various ways, etc.)
You will probably be given a release to sign, which, since it is the work product
of an attorney (or is derived from one), cannot really be modified, or should not
be. Thus, you're unlikely to get photographers to modify the releases they use.
In this writer's case, I work with so many models that I don't want to concern
myself with different releases for different models. Thus, you'll never get me to
change my release for you. You can work with me or not, that is your choice.
Continued in right column...
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Continued from left column...
Under U.S. law (it's different in other countries), when a photographer shoots a model, there is a distribution of rights and control. Absent a document changing things, when a photographer shoots a model, he or she owns the photos and has the copyright. If he is shooting for a third party, typically the third party will own the photos. What is copyright? It is simply the right to make copies. It is not the right to publish or sell those copies. The right to publish or sell the copies is obtained by the photographer through the model's signing of a release. Until then, publishing or profiting from the photos is legally risky and could actually result in paying damages, in addition to paying a fair price for your modeling. (As an aside, I said it's different in other countries. The only other country whose laws I'm at least passingly familiar with is the United Kingdom. Simply allowing a photo to be taken of you in the U.K. gives the photographer a basic release. There may be written releases establishing particular arrangements, but allowing your photo to be taken in the U.K. gives the photographer the right to use them and profit by them. But, of course, that isn't the law here.) Finally, while it may not need to be understood so much by models, there may be some newbie photographers reading this who still think you need to register their photos to obtain copyright. Actually, every photo is copyrighted at the moment the photographer trips the shutter and the image is transfered to the film or memory card. Registration gives the photographer the right to sue copyright abusers for punishing damages, but even absent registration, as long as he can prove it is his work, he has the right to ask a court to stop the infringement and maybe even be compensated fairly for the use, without damages. There are some rights photographers don't have. One of them is hidden cameras. Obviously, if you release photos, it covers any photos you are aware of or which are described in the release. On the other hand, generally, candids taken of you where you are aware that the photographer has a camera, are in a grayer area. I would assume that if he likes the image of you putting on your stockings and takes a photo of it, it's covered by your release. I'm not so sure that'd be the case if the photo was not intended for the job you'd been hired for. If he is shooting you for AnyOldSite.com but the photos turn up in his art photography site, or his porn site, you can fairly argue that that is separate work and requires a separate release. On the other hand, his release may be so written that any photo he takes anytime you're there is covered. Read the release and ask questions! The Question Of Scams New models are unduly concerned about their safety and security, which has been discussed. Actually, most of the abuse of models is financial, not physical. Because new models want and need portfolio shots, it's usually necessary to do some free modeling. Because they are new and naive and looking for guidance, newbie models are easy to scam and unethical photographers or photographers who aren't nearly as good as they think they are can take advantage of newbies or waste their time making photos that don't help their career. Any model who is new or portrays herself in any way as a learner is likely to be asked to do a "test shoot." I've heard of models doing 2 and 3 hours (or longer) test shoots! That's ridiculous and if a photographer really needs anything like that time to "test" you, what's really happening is that he's scamming you out of some free modeling. Let's be clear, a talented photographer will take a good picture of you no matter what, although he may want some glimmer of what you are like to work with. In which case a brief test shoot might be called for. Find out what this "test shoot" will consist of. Will it last more than 10 or 15 minutes? Will more than 30 or 40 photos be taken? If so, it's time to set some limits. Fifteen minutes and 40 photos is a fair amount to give away as a "test." Tell the photographer that after that what he's proposing seems to go beyond the scope of a simple test and is starting to look like a full shoot for which you should be paid. If you say, "Look, I'll give you 15 minutes of my time" and he feels that isn't enough, I'd say to consider that you're being scammed. If you can't reach an agreement, it may be time to exercise your judgment and possible walk away. If all the photographer wants to do is "test" you, there's no need for a release. It isn't fair for him to obtain the right to publish and profit by your photos without giving something in exchange, so if you feel you must do a test shoot and sign a release, get the photos to take with you (if it's a digital shoot, make sure he takes the time to rotate them, resize them, color correct them, etc., unless you know how to do those things...and sign the release only once this work is done). If he insists he won't do that for you without a release, swell, then you need an addendum to the release stating that the release is void if the work isn't done by some mutually agreeable date, and no such paperwork is useful if it isn't signed and dated by the photographer. I'm going to take some heat for the aforementioned from photographers who regularly get free "test shoots" and are hesitant to pay models, but it's the way I see it. It's a frequently used opportunity for a scam. Not in every case, but in many. Models are mostly modeling for the money not the glory, and you need to impress on photographers that anything you do has that as its end. If it seems unlikely to result in paying work at some point, either directly through getting a job with the photographer, or further on down the road by resulting in a really nice addition to your portfolio, don't do it. There have been examples of "safari shoots" and workshops of various sorts where either or both of two bad things have happened: a) the model was not paid as she understood she'd be paid (either she was paid less than she thought or ended up basically working for "tips") or b) she was pressured or even badgered to be more explicit in her poses that she under stood she'd have to be. In one case, I heard from several models that the workshop they went to on the coast, which was a long drive from Portland, resulted in a fraction of the money they were told to expect. Now, if this writer were to offer a workshop which might include some explicit posing, not only would I know models who would do it, but would happily do it, as long as the pay fairly reflected the work. I don't understand promoters who scam models who just do art nudity into workshops where open poses or even posing with toys is expected. There are lots of models ready to do that, but, of course, they don't expect to be paid the art modeling rate. The point of this section is to ask questions and get anything in writing if it worries you in any way or might be subject to abuse. What To Charge Every geographical area has its "going rate" for various kinds of modeling, and models in markets like LA, NYC, or LV may expect to be paid at a rate that would have local photographers either laughing or spraying coffee across the room. In Portland, the overarching fact of life for models is that this city has more stripper bars per capita than any other city in the U.S. and more than most other cities in the world. I'm not sure we beat Bangkok or Amsterdam, but here in the U.S., no city comes even close to Portland, where at last count there were a good 50 or more stripper bars in the metro area. Many strippers are happy to model. Now, this writer tries to get less worldly girls as models and, thus, rarely works with strippers, but the fact is that the wide availability of strippers for nude posing has depressed the pay for nude models in general. It has also set a tone such that the girl-next-door who graduates from high school and strips or models her way through college doesn't raise eybrows here nearly as much as it might in, say, Lawrence, KS, or Cleveland, OH. So, many really nice and "normal"-looking girls are available to do nude and explicit modeling here. The attitude is different here. This writer has tried to line up models in other cities and states, and has generally run into a spooky silence. This greater availability of models here in Portland depresses modeling fees. This may seem not good, but at the same time, were it not for that, there would be much less modeling work available! So, all of that understood, what are the going rates? They tend to be as follows (and I can't stress enough that these are simply observations and guidelines, not rules, and you might be able to wrangle more or might have to settle for less):
Modeling privately for fine artists (non-photo)—$10-$35/hr Workshop modeling—$200-$400/4-6 hour workday (but can vary widely) Art photo modeling—$50/hr Softcore website modeling—$75-$100/hr Hardcore website modeling—$100-$200/hr (or even more) Softcore video performing—$100/hr Hardcore video performing—$200+/hr Now, remember that even within these categories the work can vary quite a bit. The above are simply guidelines to keep you from being totally flim-flammed into working at sub-par (for Portland) rates simply because you know no better. They are also there to let you know when you might be over-pricing yourself. Other considerations can make working for less money attractive, such as getting some use out of the resulting work in your portfolio or otherwise. This photographer, and many others, actually pays "by the shoot," or "by the day," not by the hour, but a little math will give you an approximation of what it works out to. For example, I'll tell a model she'll be paid $200 for a shoot that runs anywhere from 1:45 to 2:15. Why the range? It allows for anything from technical issues needing to be solved to the fact that some models change in a jiffy while others take their time. Paying by the shoot has the advantage that both of us know what's important to us: I know what I'm going to pay, and so does she. Dragging her feet won't result in any additional pay. Of course, if you've been doing your part and you find that the shoot is running well beyond what was described, you need to have the fortitude to mention this fact and ask for an adjustment in your fee. Be careful about getting into deals where you're told you'll be working for a percentage of the take. Most of the time these haven't turned out well for the model. In a few cases, they have, for sure, but it seems wise to investigate by asking to talk to other models who've worked under the same conditions. When asking for references, get phone numbers. Who knows where that e-mail address goes? It might go right back to the producer. You or I can go to Yahoo, Gmail, or Hotmail and open up an account like SexySarahLee123@(whatever).com, right? It seems prudent that, unless the site has a proven track record as a producer of money for the models, it's best to insist on simply being paid a fair rate for working. Chances are, if you got into a share-the-take deal, you'd have no way of verifying how much money you were earning and would have to believe whatever the site operator tells you that you earned. And suppose the owner moved away, or that you move away, making it even harder for you to confront him or her over problems. Take the money and run is usually the best philosophy. Agents vs. Freelancing Back when I was looking for a house, I worked with a real estate agent. After a while, I realized that even though the agent would earn a fee by helping me, he wasn't really working for me, he was working for the people whose houses were for sale. Why? Because he didn't make any money until he got me to sign on the dotted line, and it didn't really matter which house I got except in terms of the size of his fee. The model's agent is a bit different, but still you need to analyze the situation to understand it. Agents will tell you that they are working for you, trying to get you work, but in reality what they are doing is trying to help producers cast their photographic or videographic productions. Take a successful agency that's been around for a while. At heart, who is their real client? My answer is that it's the long term customer. Is that the model? No, that's the producer. Producers can persist for decades, a model's career is typically about maybe five years. Any agent who is really "working for the model" doesn't know which side his bread is buttered on. ModelsPDX advises models to work with agencies only as a supplement to their own marketing efforts via ModelsPDX, OneModelPlace, ModelMayhem, general networking, and so on. Avoid like the plague entering into any agreement that forces you to rely on them exclusively for leads, or one which gives them a percentage of your modeling earnings even if you find the work on your own. Fair is fair; that is not. Don't sign an agency contract, or any contract, without reading it and understanding it first. Bad Signs or...Who Not to Work With How do you tell which producers not to work with? Long experience has generated a short list of bad signs. Signs that working with a certain photographer won't turn out well. 1) He sends you a picture of himself or describes himself in hunky terms. Example: "I'm 6'2" and work out daily." (Yeah, models have actually gotten self-descriptions like that!) Face it, if the guy strays from talking about photography and it starts sounding like he is replying a person-to-person ad, that's probably a preview of what the session is going to be like. 2) He seems to take the attitude that you owe him a TFP or TFCD shoot. I'm always surprised at how photographers of almost any skill level from pro to newbie seem to expect models to pose for free, or to pose for extensive "test shoots." I've seen absurd situations where photographers with very little to offer will take that attitude with very seasoned models who have kick-ass portfolios and need their contribution about as much as a bad case of food poisoning. Always maintain control over your life. Work with someone on a fair exchange basis at all times. If his work sucks, get money. If his work would be a great addition to your portfolio, donate your time. Somewhere in between? Negotiate a deal involving maybe discounted modeling, or some favor he can do for you. You don't owe anyone your time. 3) He gets testy or adopts a superior tone in his communications with you, especially over pay or limits. This is almost always an attempt to establish a power relationship. 4) He wants you to travel with him or to share a room or suite with him...or he says he'll put you up in his home. There are models who would accept an invitation to stay with me, but they know me. To accept an invitation like that from a total stranger is, not to put too fine a point on it, stupid. Always ask yourself, "Does he see me as some sort of escort girl?" If it smells like that, that's probably what it is! A Common Pitfall If you're in the middle of a shoot and the producer offers you lunch or dinner, that's defensible as "a working meal." However, if you go out after the job is over or if you do something with him that sounded cool on another day when you weren't working, remember that any hint of socializing outside of work can blow your sexual harrassment protections right out the window. You don't have sexual harrassment protections from friends or from anyone you have been out on a date with, no matter how platonic and friendly you thought the date was. I'm not saying don't do it, but be pretty sure of the person's character first, and if you're not 100% sure the guy is a good guy, it's probably a good idea to "keep it businesslike" until you feel you really know him. This can be hard when the invitation seems harmless and the offer seems very attractive, but it may be smart to wait. The converse, of course, is that if getting work (or more work) seems to depend on becoming friendly, that is wrong and potentially illegal. So you do have protections. Just don't give them up! |