recommend a model site

donkeymusic

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Carlo
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Hi,

can anyone suggest any sites that offer models? have a googled a few but wondered what others on here could suggest with positive feedback.

cheers
 
they're all about the same.

Purestorm, Net-Model, Model Mayhem, TFP Models, Net Portfolio, etc.

They all have pretty similar ratios of flakes, no-shows, and decent hardworking models.
 
Model Mayhem :thumbs:

Purestorm :thumbsdown:

I completed the registration for Purestorm six months ago and still not accepted!
 
My dislike for Purestorm is more for the administration than the members. The admins over there are words I can't use on this forum without being suspended. :)

Model Mayhem's great though.
 
Model Mayhem IMHO is about the best. I do have a Purestorm account (no problems with admins or getting accepted) but it just doesn't seem to work as well.
 
cheers will have a look into them,

i have set up a studio in a garage, looks okay but not professional enough for what i would like but at the moments it does the job, are these models likely to come to a garage for photos?
 
It's worth calling an agency in your area and asking for new faces. More likely to get someone who is serious about it that way.
 
I'm currently giving Purestorm a test run. Haven't had any models yet but I should have a few lined up soon hopefully. Looks good so far.

Btw: The Model Mayhem registration is muck. I failed and they wouldn't tell me why... plus they told me "don't contact us, figure it out for yourself" :lol:

Model Mayhem :thumbs:

Purestorm :thumbsdown:

I completed the registration for Purestorm six months ago and still not accepted!

Just on this, I had to click a "contact admin" button someplace to give them a nudge. When I did that they processed my application. Seems they'll wait until you tell them to process it... try that... and let me know if it works!
 
yeah, purestorm, if they don't accept you, make a new account or something, probably just one of their acceptance monkeys not having had their coffee...

both work for me.... though the quality of models is and always has been, uh.... very variable, shall we say... probably the most polite way of putting it :P
 
cheers will have a look into them,

i have set up a studio in a garage, looks okay but not professional enough for what i would like but at the moments it does the job, are these models likely to come to a garage for photos?

yes if u pay travel costs ontop of their fee or negotiate an all in price.....for a few hours work they may wave travel costs

Gary
 
Interested also in signing up with one of these sites, but as I have mainly shot wildlife / landscapes there won't be much I can upload as a portfolio.

How did you all get started? ... was it a case of begging friends and loved ones to pose for a couple of portraits before you were accepted.
 
Btw: The Model Mayhem registration is muck. I failed and they wouldn't tell me why... plus they told me "don't contact us, figure it out for yourself" :lol:

Wow, never some across that.... did you submit something terrible?

Interested also in signing up with one of these sites, but as I have mainly shot wildlife / landscapes there won't be much I can upload as a portfolio.

How did you all get started? ... was it a case of begging friends and loved ones to pose for a couple of portraits before you were accepted.

Yeah I guess grabbing hold of a few people who you know will help to build your confidence before you have to direct strangers.
 
First thing I did was go to some group shoots.

You're generally not going to get incredible shots on a group shoot (you just don't get enough time with each model to really do something special), but you get to network with a decent range of photographers and models, and you'll be able to seek help and advice from the others there. The ones I went too were very friendly in that respect, and willing to help each other out (I even had 2 models as Voice Activated Lightstands for a short while at once of the shoots, heh).

But, it'll get you started, it'll get you used to working with models, it'll get you some images that you can take home and study, learn from, and start building together a portfolio that you can use to help you get some one-on-one TFP sessions.

TFP has to benefit both parties, and so a model won't generally do TFP with you unless they think the images they see in your portfolio show that you're a good enough photographer to help with their portfolio.
 
TFP has to benefit both parties, and so a model won't generally do TFP with you unless they think the images they see in your portfolio show that you're a good enough photographer to help with their portfolio.


That's very true, but if you look at some of the newer models on some sites like Model Mayhem then a charcoal drawing would be better than the facebook style stuff they have in their ports. I think there are people at all levels needing stuff, it's probably just a case of aiming for the right people. Group shoots would be a good confidence builder. The biggest complaint I hear from models is photographers who don't direct, that can take a bit of getting used to.
 
Definitely. With newer models that have nothing in their port though, you're taking a big risk.

They may be great, but they may be crap. As you say though, photographers need to learn to direct, but they also need to learn how to shoot people. If you've got a beginner that doesn't know how to pose and doesn't know how to take direction, then you're too busy stressing about that to pay attention to half the things you're trying to figure out with your lighting, camera & composition. :)

That's why I went with the group shoots to start. Mix of models at different levels generally. If the day's laid out in timeslots, as they have been on the ones I've done, you can try to start the day with a model that's a bit more experienced, and requires a little less direction while you're playing around with your lights and learning to direct with somebody who knows a bit about what they're doing.
 
You pay your moody and make your choice I guess. Some shoot days seem a bit expensive to me though, to the point where I've thought about setting a couple up just to get some studio time. There are some good books of poses about too but you could do equally well with a copy of Vogue.
 
Yeah, some of them are definitely a little too expensive, especially once you start adding in your travel costs. There's a couple I'd have loved to have gone to, and while the shoots itself was relatively inexpensive, they'd have ended up costing me a couple of hundred quid in travel and accomodation for a couple of nights (due to the distance). So, wasn't worth it for me.

I've done one in a studio, but I prefer to shoot on location, and group shoots on locations can be great fun. The one I did in the studio I ended up using my speedlights anyway. There's no point me going and using lights and modifiers I won't have regular access to in future shoots or with clients.

You're right, there are some great books on poses, but it's the models that should be reading those mostly. A good professional model who knows how to pose and how their body looks best on camera may charge you double what another model may cost that isnt' quite sure what they're doing, but if you get your shots done in 1/3rd of the time instead of trying to work with a less experienced model, you've saved money.
 
Wow, never some across that.... did you submit something terrible?

I do believe it was because I didn't have 100 words in my profile :lol:. I haven't got around to resubmitting my application yet
 
I'm currently giving Purestorm a test run. Haven't had any models yet but I should have a few lined up soon hopefully. Looks good so far.

Btw: The Model Mayhem registration is muck. I failed and they wouldn't tell me why... plus they told me "don't contact us, figure it out for yourself" :lol:



Just on this, I had to click a "contact admin" button someplace to give them a nudge. When I did that they processed my application. Seems they'll wait until you tell them to process it... try that... and let me know if it works!

I've clicked it 3 or 4 times!
 
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