That is Anne on the left. She is not a model. She's a very good friend and, like me, she's a hobbyist photographer. We both attended TriCommunity Photo School a couple of years ago and have shot together on a few projects. This past Monday, though, she was my saving grace as two models I had scheduled for a project canceled. I've worked with models with great attitudes who wanted to come up with great shots and some who think modeling is just about booking a shoot without having to do it.There was a time when photographers held a little more esteem, when they knew the ins and outs of their craft, when they didn't have an LCD on the back of the camera to chimp every shot. Now that DSLRs are readily available, lots of people call themselves photographers. Personally, I already have a day job and do photography as a hobby deriving very little, if any, income from my camera. But I always try to make the best shot possible. Seriously, what's the fun or point of having a $2000 camera if you're going to shoot it in program mode? With the advent of the internet, it seems like anyone can put a gallery of pictures online and "justify" their photographer status.
Then there's the model.
The internet has also made most any girl who's had their picture taken by anyone other than a relative a model. There are many sites that feed these delusions of grandeur. There is the waning myspace that really poured gasoline on that modeling fire. How many cell phone pics have we seen of a girl in her bathroom aiming that lens at the top of her head to the bottom of her cleavage? Another site is Model Mayhem. While still touting itself as a place where "Professional models meet photographers," it has become much more mainstream opening up to myspace models.
The good news: there's more pics after jump. Bad news: they come after the rant. Proceed with caution.
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It's not as bad as it sounded about as most of the rant has already been spewed. Without going in to too much detail, I spent over two weeks putting together a shoot and getting "commitments" from two mayhem models. About four days before the shoot, one model disappears - profile is gone, no more contact. Next day, the other model says she has to work so I offer to move the shoot for a later time and accommodate her schedule. It wouldn't have been so bad except that I already had a make up artist lined up. So the day before the shoot, my backup models couldn't do it anymore and I canceled the make up artist.
Later that night, the "working" model calls to let me know she wants to shoot after all and was getting her hair done in the morning. I asked her to call me by 11 am on shoot day to confirm we were still on. I call the MUA to let her know we may be back on but I would confirm with her after hearing from the model.
At 11:30 am on shoot day, there was no word so I texted the model asking if we were still on. In reply I got "I dnyt think so." That killed the shoot for that day and let the MUA know again.
Much like the chicken and the egg argument, photographers wonder if models will show up and models wonder the same about photographers. I may stick with shooting models I've already shot with or with models with a lot of experience - maybe even paying a model instead of TF* (Trade for print, cd, etc). I've got to do something different because days like last Monday will make things not fun.
In the meantime, Anne came through big time for me. She's been calling to set up a shoot with her niece and I gave her this rant. Anne then volunteered to model for me as she was looking for a new look for herself. She definitely saved the day. When you get a chance check out Anne's Model Mayhem Photographer profile.
All shots below are unedited, straight out of the camera.
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