Is Self Promote Modeling Dying In The Uk?

  Discuss!

 For many the way to kick start their modeling ambituions is to join a modeling "self promote" - portfolio holding website. The big runners in this over the past few years have been One Model Place,  Model Mayhem, Purestorm, Net Model  Net Portfolio and StarNow. The thing in common with sites such as these is the ease to get yourself on them in the first place - no more difficult than Facebook or My Space.

But times change, are these self promote websites actually promoting modeling for the Industry or just for keen amatuers to have a go, as models or photographers?

Is it just imagination, that both the quality and the number of serious models is going down - even if [and that's debatable] the number offered is greater. And if that is the case whats the root cause, and how to resolve it - do we even want to resolve it ? - Does it actually matter?

As a photographer over these past couple of years I have watched massive changes in the modeling world. Here we are discussing self promotion modeling, the professional sector is strong and orgainised and not relevant to this piece. When God gave us the intenet he gave us a great communication tool - one which has changed the modeling and photographic world beyond reconition. This combined with mass media exposure with television jumping on the bandwagon with talent and modeling shows never before has the Industry and the pastime of modeling been so much in the spotlight. The principle of internet modeling is quite a good one - go to website - find model you like and photograph her/him. Where it falls down is the open nature of these websites. Anyone can join, and then never return! Or they join but panic when interest is shown in them. I was reading on a modeling forum recently, written by a site moderator that "the reason that many new models don't stay on the site is that they get to many messages as soon as they join"! Piffle! Surely the whole point is to receive messages? Agreed some of those messages may be dubious - but thats the world we are in, and for the site moderators to control - and as members they then have the option of reporting said dubious messages. No if they have an issue with the number of messages they should never have joined in the first place. Can you imagine Tesco complaining that in it's latest advertising campaign it resulted in to many customers? Ofcourse there is always going to be a demand for busty young "page 3" type ladies ..and yes there are quite a few to choose from. But the revalation is there is more to modeling than that one style!Most of my work now is with actors and entertainers, and in that sector it is much more controlled, and yes those taking part are a lot more professional and realiable in their arrangements. But as this project has found me concentrating on male rather than female shoots I do shoot new male  models too, as few photographers will! Males are ofcourse greatly outnumbered on the modeling sites, but this also is reflected in the industry as a whole. But certainly the number of males entering these sites seems to be going done - in the case of OMP almost it seems to none in England! This was not the case 2 years ago. There is also great disdain being expressed on site forums about TF shoots. It seems many models who consider themselves "above it" then be little those willing to undertake it. The same sadly seems to apply to some photographers. I can only give my views on this, and thats quite simple - I believe no model should start doing paid work until they actually can model properly - have the techinques to do the job. Whilst many GWC types might be happy if the assets are big enougth to pay newbies, established photgraphers and clients will not. In my case if a model has no experience, but states " Paid work only" - I move on. I watched earlier this year one newbie male try this approach - 6 months later he has not progressed at all it seems, and neither will he until he admits he needs help to get started! Tf still after all costs money, but the photgrapher covers it, not the model.Before someone shouts, yes but all your after is some free models - then I admit true from Purestorm or Model Mayhem for example on their first shoot I probably do. In return they get several hundred images on an experience shoot - a lot of guidance and direction designed to help them acheive paid work, be it with me or elsewhere. If I need a model to be totally realiable I will only employ either from an extablished Agent or from within those I have worked with.  A paid shoot ofcourse does not give automatic rights then to the images - although I did have one bright spark with no experience wanting the following :- Travel expenses + £25.00 an hour  + the images..he can want! So is it the numbers are down or just the quality? Recently it seems photographers everywhere are complaining about "no shows" from these self promote sites - or short notice cancellations. Comparing this to last year it does seem to be a lot worse, or are we simply more vocal about it? Three have said to me recently that they will no longer offer TF - I too have phased it down, but for me TF is expensive if models are unrealiable, so I will major on the Actors where I can actually make money! I do however find this sad, as everyone deserves a chance, and all the pulling away TF will acheive is more business for the "formula shoot" boys - making fortunes out of peoples dreams, by taking advatage and exploiting the situation with massive charges and less than clear sales techniques.. Perhaps this is where all the new models go - get fleeced and then run away from it - never reaching the self promote sites in the first place.

This is a discussion document - so please lets have your views - from a models or a photographers perspective.

e.mail views@wildmayhem.co.uk

Article Date July 2010

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