PITA Model. WWYD?

[elsaspet]

I have had this (what I believe to be) a very unique idea for a TTD session for some time now. I've even done story boards on what I want done.
The idea involves NO nudity and in fact, will only ruff up the dress. No stunts involved. Nothing weird at all. Just a pretty girl in a pretty dress, in mudane household chores.

So I find a girl I would like to use via Model Mayhem. Looks perfect for what I want to do. An amped up version of the girl next door.
On her site, she demands the photog answer all sorts of questions. She's younge, and I feel that maybe she has been/or is afraid of being taken advantage of.

Sooooo, I send her an availability inquiry letter, with about 5 paragraphs answering all her questions about payment (yes) hair and makeup (yes, by one of the most well known celebrity hairstylists in the area), wardrobe (yes), payment for travel and make up/hair time (yes), can she bring people to gaurd her (yes, she can bring an entorage if she wants).....on and on and on and on. Again, I figure she's just scared of shady characters.

So this morning, I get a letter. A FORM letter. Stating my idea would be good for her port, and could I please answer all the questions listed above.

I was miffed at that point. I spent all this time being SUPER specific that this was a fashion shoot, and answering all her questions.

All I wanted to know was whether or not she was even available!
WWYD? I'm tempted to cross her off the list all together.
Am I just being to hard on her?

 

[Big Mike]

If she really has the look that you want, then maybe you may have to suck it up and give her the benefit of doubt. Maybe this is her standard M.O. to keep away the creeps.

On the other hand, if you can find another model that will work just as well for you...send this one a quick note telling her that she blew her chance to work with you. Her loss.


*thread moved to the Shop Talk section*
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95620

 

[elsaspet]

If she really has the look that you want, then maybe you may have to suck it up and give her the benefit of doubt. Maybe this is her standard M.O. to keep away the creeps.

On the other hand, if you can find another model that will work just as well for you...send this one a quick note telling her that she blew her chance to work with you. Her loss.


*thread moved to the Shop Talk section*
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95620

My first tendancy was to tell her she didn't have the attention to details that I would require. LOL.
Actually, there are quite a few that would fit the bill, all of who also received inquiries for availability.

I just kind of felt bad for this girl because she had pretty much all bikini/come get me shots on MM, and she seemed to be trying to step away from that.

Here I was, a middle aged woman with no interest in seeing her so much as partially unclothed. I was offering her a good PAID gig. I had Douglas Fuller (Vogue-Neiman Marcus National-Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders) employed to do makeup. He does makeup on many of my bridals. I am paying for several wedding dresses. This was to be a pro shoot in a art deco home in the heart of the Dallas Art District. Owed by two gay men, who also have no interest in seeing her in the buff.

That's why I don't want to be too hard on her, but it's also a big part of why I'm miffed. I was attempting to help this girl out with a real gig.

Maybe it was just an auto reply kind of thing. I have no idea. But I'm putting out a LOT of money to do this. That's why I wanted to get the council from you guys.
Should I give her another chance and hope she actually takes the time to READ her potential job offer......
Or axe her right now, and avoid any potential problems.

 

[Big Mike]

If you already answered her questions in your first communication...you could just re-send what you have already wrote. That way, it gives her another chance to actually read it...but you aren't' really going out of your way.

Still, maybe it would be a good idea to actually meet with her before you hire her for the job and cut other potential models.

 

[elsaspet]

Hi Mike,
Yeah, I was definately planning on meeting the models. I've worked with models in the past, and some are really stiff. I want someone with a look who can also move.

I've been fairly surprised at how crazy strict and frightened some of these models are.

I'm considering just going with a pro model agency to find who I need. I'd love to give some up and struggling folks a chance, but they seem so "damaged".

Does anyone else who employs web models feel this way? I'd love to find a struggling model at $100 an hour, instead of $500 an hour. I feel it helps both of us, but at the same time, some of these gals feel "flakey" and burned.

 

[AprilRamone]

I'll put my little disclaimer first. I have never hired a model off the web nor do I have plans to in the near future. That being said, I feel like this girl is a waste of your time. Even models who aren't professionals should behave as if they are to get the good opportunities and here you are offering it to her and she can't even respond with a personal message? There are plenty of young girls who are trying to be models so why waste your time on one who acts so unprofessional? Give the opportunity to someone who gives a damn.

 

[Efergoh]

I say give the girl another go.

I've used models from Model Mayhem and have both good and bad experiences. The trouble with MM is that there are just as many creeps with cameras looking to see young girls boobies as there are honest to goodness pros. As a result, the models tend to be a bit cagey.

The other downside to MM is that there are just as many girls who like to mug for a camera or are flakes, or are speed freaks as there are professional models who are just looking to promote themselves.

The only way to know for sure what you have on your hands and she on hers is to follow it though.

Most of what I do doesn't involve cash changing hands. I use the girls there for school assignments, and as such I don't have a budget to pay the girls, so I'm just trading them prints for their time. If you're paying the girl, make sure you're emphasizing that and she is bound to pay a bit more attention.

Look at it from her point of view. If she is a looker, she is probably getting accosted daily by creeps and just sent out the form letter as a matter of procedure.

 

[elsaspet]

I just got another e-mail from her. I had spoken to a few other photogs I know who had hired her. Apparently it got back to her that I wasn't a flakey photog.
Anyhoo, she was really apologetic, and I ended up feeling bad for her again.
I'll probably end up giving her the job just so she knows we aren't all old men wanting to look at her goodies.
(LOL Efergoh! That's exactly what I thought too)

 

[Kipper]

I'll probably end up giving her the job just so she knows we aren't all old men wanting to look at her goodies.
(LOL Efergoh! That's exactly what I thought too)

Aww heck, I was just about to offer to model your dresses for you.... (if you ever see me you will realise why this is such a scary prospect...)

 

[elsaspet]

I spoke to a few people who employed her in the past. I declined to hire her based on the feedback. I was right about her being a PITA.

 

[spiritedwildfire]

Not so sure what PITA means, I'm terrible with all of those acronyms. Sorry the model didn't work out. Personally I don't use model mayhem anymore. I still have a profile, but I should delete because I rarely log in. I had a modeling profile, and met so many bad or creepy photographers that I just threw my hands in the air and gave up on the site. I did meet a few good ones, but for the most part I had bad luck.. I lean towards sticking to the pros as well, but for me a face to face meeting is necessary before I can commit to a job. There are some things that just can't be conveyed through email or phone.

 

[Alpha]

PITA stands for pain in the arse.

Anyway, I say screw her, because a) There are a million other models where you live who I'm sure could fit the bill, and b) For all the perks of the shoot, from pay to makeup to wardrobe, etc, if she won't even send you a real response then she's not worth all that and I think it's a bad omen anyway.

 

[DHammer]

Well aside from her drama, I am really forward to see the shots from your project.

 

[photogoddess]

Cindy - there are plenty of models out there - I would definitely NOT deal with a PITA. I've got a couple of friends that model the might work well for you if you don't find a cooperative one locally. One is Sharon Weston. I'm not sure how much she charges but she travels frequently (in LA at the moment) and is EXTREMELY easy to work with. Pleasant, gorgeous, follows directions well and her natural posing is phenomenal. The other one is a horse trainer that models and acts on the side - Aryn
Good luck locally - let me know if you need any contact info for my friends.

 

[wildmaven]

I do think you might want to suggest gently to the model that she not require the photographers to fill out the same information twice, which could turn away very good modeling jobs for her.

PITA stands for pain in the arse.

When I first saw the title, I thought it said "PETA Model", as in "people for the ethical treatment of animals", LOL. I was wondering what kind of photo shoot this was! Ha ha...