Advice for Photographers of Young Female Models

How to treat them fairly and maintain your sanity

Photographers who do nude photoshoots with young, female models usually complain about the same things.

Many models don’t respond to inquiries via their online profiles
Models often don’t communicate well or in a businesslike manner.
Models tend to reschedule shoots
Models tend to cancel shoots
Models may fail to show up for shoots
Models sometimes “ghost” and simply stop communicating
Some models want to control your creative process and choose which pix you can use
Some models ask for unreasonably high modeling fees

While each photographer's situation is different, I will tell you what I've learned in over a decade of working with models.

Models who don’t respond on social media - Some don’t respond because they don’t like what they see in your message. It’s your job to make sure your message is polite and informative, but not so long that they skip over it. People have short attention spans these days. It’s best if you can include a link to a landing page on your own website where models who are looking for work can learn about you and your shoots. You should put a lot of work and attention to detail into the page you link to. As they say, you only get one chance to make a first impression. [Point: you need to have your own website and it needs to look good.]

Some don’t respond because they aren’t paying attention to their inbox. If you really want to work with them, track down their other social media profiles and message them there. If they hide their identity so well that you can’t find them elsewhere, they aren’t really serious about modeling and you shouldn’t waste any more time.

It is also extremely common for models to stop modeling for a while or forever. Often they forget to update their profiles to let people know. Watch out for these zombie profiles by checking their last activity before you send a message.

Models who don’t communicate well or in a businesslike manner - There are still a few serious, businesslike models left over from the Model Mayhem days, so this isn’t about them or the few others who communicate well. Today’s young models are largely modeling because they need money. Some don’t have any work skills above the level of barista or stripper. Our education system has sucked for decades and the damage done by cell phones and social media is obvious. But we should be glad we have them, otherwise it would be even harder to find models!

In order to work with models who have poor communication skills, you need to handle the businesslike communication for them. While you are hopefully using a keyboard to send messages, they are most likely pecking out short messages on their phones. When you see this, you need to ask only one or two questions per message and if they only answer one, ask the other again. I often tell them early in the game that communication is very important to a successful photoshoot so that they understand I’m not being a jerk by repeating questions or resending messages that are not responded to. I think we photographers would be horrified if we could look at a model’s inbox, most likely overflowing and scrolling by so fast she doesn’t see your messages. If they don’t respond within 24 hours, it’s worth resending. Any less than that and you may look like a jerk or a stalker. Models are very sensitive to that.

Models who reschedule or cancel shoots - This can be very frustrating for photographers, but it’s just part of the biz. You have to remember that these young, attractive, female models tend to have chaotic lives. It’s their time to go out partying as often as they can. While some are yoga and organic food enthusiasts, many find themselves with hangovers on the morning of a shoot. They may rely on others for transportation or they may own an old, unreliable car that might suddenly need repairs. They may have childcare issues or boyfriend issues. I try to be sympathetic and see it from their perspective. If they apologize, I will offer to reschedule. Never speak harshly in your messages.

Models who fail to show up or simply ghost - At this level, about the only thing you can do is write them off and not offer to shoot with them again. There is no point sending them a nasty message. I think it’s reasonable to warn your fellow photographers privately. When this happens to me, I remember that I still have the model fee in my pocket (I never pay in advance) so I can find another model. I’ve wasted some time, but not money. It’s not the end of the world and they didn’t flake because of anything you did, so get over it and move on.

How to avoid no shows - In order to avoid no shows as much as possible, remember the importance of communication. When I book a shoot, I insist that we trade phone numbers. If they don’t want to give you their number, it’s because they wish to reserve the option of ghosting without having an angry photographer texting them. Don’t fall for that.

I suggest you check in by text message about once a week before the shoot. Text again on the morning of the shoot and if the model doesn’t respond, you can make other plans for your day. Tell them in advance that this is what you do and that they should expect a text from you around a certain time. One idea I like is to withhold the address of the shoot until the last minute. That way if they ghost, you don’t have to worry about a model showing up at your door saying her cell phone died.

Models who want to tell you what to shoot and which pix you can use - If you are just starting out in photography, you should do this once or twice just to see how much it sucks. Serious photographers never agree to this kind of arrangement.

Models who ask for a lot more money than the going rate - You should always ask around to other photographers in your area to see what they are paying for different kinds of shoots. Buy them a beer, it’s worth it for the information. Then figure out what your budget is going to be and stick to it. You can allow a little more for a model you feel is super hot, but don’t get carried away. There is no guarantee that a model who trips your trigger will help you produce photos that justify her high rate. Don’t argue, just tell her what your budget is. Sometimes she will agree to shoot for that, but if she doesn’t, don’t take it personally. She may have experience in the porn industry where the models are paid a lot more for b/g, g/g, bbbb/g, etc…

One simple hack to avoid a lot of this unpleasantness - It really helps a lot if you work with older models. I’ve developed a fanbase for older MILF images and I can tell you they are a lot easier to work with. Not perfect, because many still have kids to deal with, so give them some slack.

I shouldn't have to say this, but a lot of this advice is useless if you actually do act like a jerk. You have to be a reliable participant yourself. You must act professionally at all times, which means keep your promises and keep your hands off the models unless you've negotiated that kind of photoshoot. If you have to cancel, pay the model fairly for her trouble. Some of the behaviors photographers complain about were produced by photographers not treating models well. There is a feedback loop happening here, bad behavior begets more bad behavior. Don't be one of those!