Creeps in the modeling industry
So I have been a professional model since 2012. I will tell you that 2/3rds the people you work with are decent but 1/3 are creeps.
So here are warning signs to look out for:
1. Catfishing: Often people will send you photos and claim it’s their work. Make sure you get their portfolio and cross reference it with other sites to make sure they aren’t stealing. It’s easy to steal someone eles’s photo and say “ hay look what shot I did.” Yeah... did you though? Talk to other models and photographers to see if they know them and if they have worked with them. How was the experience?
2. MWC stands for Man with Camera. That basically means a man who takes pictures of beautiful woman not because they love photography but because they just want every opportunity to be alone with a woman. AKA a pervert
3. Follow safety guidelines for meeting new people.
Meet first for a test shoot in a public space
Have phone calls talking about the shoot, ideas, professionalism, expectations, etc
Read their guidelines for shooting, you can check out mine here: https://www.mistedforest.com/aggreements
Talk to other models and photographers, join public forms for creatives and websites like model society and model mayhem
Join a club or agency if it makes sense for you
Have strict cancelling policies
Talk about money v.s trade up front
Talk about and have in writing what will happen to the photos after shooting.
4. JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS TALENT, FAME, or MONEY doesn’t mean they are a nice person!
5. There are plenty of good, professional people out there. The sooner you set you boundaries the quicker you will work with people who respect you, your time, and your talent.
Sadly it is really common in the modeling industry to have agencies, photographers, set directors etc take advantage of models. This could be threatening, coercion, blackmail, or being really tricky for the model to do things they don’t want to do. BE STRONG. That behavior is against the law and is not moral. You don’t have to be harassessed.
And yes I have herd of some really terrible and unprofessional behavior from models as well. But this blog isn’t really the place for that. I can talk about it somewhere else.