usually your first shoot is the hardest to get off of there. after that it seems to go a lot easier, I have worked with half a dozen girls from there and have only had one that was a nightmare. I found I got the best responces by posting up a casting call. I use them for practicing with basically. working on my lighthing and posing. It's been great for me.
ModelMayem is great... but you do have to know how to use it.
I had little success with casting calls, but I did a lot better searching the models I found interesting and messaging them directly.
It's best if you have some specific shoot in mind. Be sure to talk about what they have (clothes and makeup) and what you want them to bring.
The models get bombarded w/ creepy photographers (not always guys either) so do what you can not be one of them. And even in NY, it's a small pool, so don't pee in it, if you know what I mean. If you ruin your reputation, it will be very hard to find models in the future. The models ALL seem to know either other w/ few degrees of separation, and they TALK to each other about photographers. This means if the model feels creeped out, they will tell everyone they can, right or wrong, fair or not. Don't stand models up, don't offer to pay and then stiff them... this is all common sense... but you'll be stunned at the stories you hear once you start meeting people in this "business".
I was always TFP. Some will do it, some wont. Expect starry eyed wannabes... but they are generally willing and often have good ideas to add.
In NYC I didn't need to pay expenses, but elsewhere you might want to at least pay for gas (depending on how much value you are giving the models in trade).
You can find me there w/ the same screen name, but I haven't been shooting so I'm not that active on the site lately.
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I have all my TPF friends!
