MODEL PORTFOLIO PHOTOGRAPHY RATES
Suggested Model Photography Service Rates for Tampa Bay
When to use caution with photography rates in Tampa Bay.
Too high, too low. Too hot, too cold. Look around to
find a photographer who is just right for you.
CAREER RULE: If is seems too good to be
true, it usually is, and needs to be scrutinized!
Use caution if you experience or notice:
01. A
photographer who is cheap.
02. A photographer who is expensive.
03. Unbalanced work in their portfolio.
04. Model agencies who limit your
photography choices.
05. A photographer who seems way
too interested in you.
06. A photographer who offers
to manage you.
07. A photographer who you cannot
get along with.
08. A photographer who bad mouths
their competition.
09. A photographer with a bad
reputation.
10. Pictures that remind you
of others you have seen.
11. A photographer who lies to
you.
12. A photographer who seems
too good to be true.
A
photographer who charges rates that are cheap.
Often, you get what you pay for. Model portfolios are an investment.
Would you buy into an investment which has a low chance of paying off?
This kind of photographer might have trouble getting models to work
with them because of quality, ethical, or professional issues, and they
pitch their rates super low to try to get work.
A
photographer that charges rates over $600.00 .
These photographers either think they are better than they actually
are or use deceptive, manipulative tactics to trick models into buying
their services. To the untrained eye, their work might look like it
is high quality, but that may not be the case. Usually, these photographers
convince naive models into booking services with them with false claims
or promises of work. Another reason that their rates could be high is
that they may not be getting that much work, and have to charge more.
Either way, the model spends too much on services that should cost a
lot less.
Too
much of one thing.
If you see too much of one thing, such as studio pictures, pictures
all taken with the same look and/ or composition, or too many of one
type of photography (such as nudes, glamour, or work that is not model
photography such as wedding), then be careful. The photographer may
not have the skill or the creativity to give you the variety of different
looks that you need. Do you really want to limit your appeal to art
directors who book models into jobs with a composite card or portfolio
with pictures that all look the same? Don't handicap your ability to
market yourself as a model!
A
model agency who limits your selection of photographers.
While there is the change that an agency can be making money by splitting
fees with a photographer or getting kick backs for photography referrals,
the risk is reduced if the agency is SAG affiliated. It is against the
law in the State of Florida for an agency to make money from photography
or photography referrals. A main reason that agencies are regulated
today is that, in the past, there were lots of "model agencies"
set up to make money from model portfolio photography and composite
cards, and these agencies made money that way and not by actually getting
models the jobs that they promised.
Today, there are fewer agencies breaking the law and in situations that
are conflicts of interest. The biggest concern is that agencies, like
all of us, tend to play favorites. There are some great photographers
out there that are overlooked by agencies because of politics, and the
model could be limited if they get a photographer through an agency
referral. If you must have a model agency recommend photographers to
you, make sure that they give you a long list of different photographers
who do not work together. Also see if other agencies recommend the same
photographers, as that can be a good sign.
A model agency should NEVER recommend against a photographer if the
photographer is not doing anything unethical.
A
photographer who seems way too interested in you.
Some photographers get into the model photography business to meet beautiful
women and date them. Others are model molesters who want to take advantage
of models and use them for sex. Either reason is not only unprofessional,
but it is a violation of trust and is unethical. Many of these kinds
of model photographers have psychological issues and low self esteem,
and use the company of beautiful women to feel better about themselves
and brag to their peers. They need to grow up.
A
photographer who offers to manage you.
Photographers are not licensed to book models into jobs and get paid
for it, and if they are licensed as an agency it is against the law
for them to make money as a photographer. If they promise you jobs or
magazine work if you get your portfolio done by them, you need to realize
that they cannot legally make money booking you into any work. What
motivation do they have to follow through on their promise? Think about
it.
A
photographer who you cannot get along with.
If there is a personality clash with a photographer and you cannot get
along with them, it is not easy to get good pictures when you work with
them, as your discomfort will show up in the images. Find a good photographer
who is easy to work with.
A
photographer who bad mouths their competition.
Unless the "competition" is breaking the law, hurting models,
or doing something unethical, talking bad about other photographers
and their work is unprofessional. Why is the photographer talking bad
about others? If you just met the photographer and do not know them,
you have no idea how credible their opinions are.
If they just met you and talk bad about others, what will they say about
you to others in the industry?
A
photographer with a bad reputation.
If you hear bad things about a photographer from several different sources
who do not work together or know each other, you need to investigate
and find out if there is any truth to what they are saying.
Pictures
that remind you of others you have seen.
Some photographers don't know what they are doing or just plain don't
respect the property and the rights of others who are professionals.
They will copy the pictures of other photographers, and will sometimes
ask a model to bring pictures with them for "ideas".
Such photographers may not be creative enough to give you the variety
of pictures that you need. Do you really want pictures that are copies
of work done by real professionals? Do you really want to look like
every model that they have worked with? You don't want to look like
all the other models and pictures that people have already seen. Don't
buy a cliche. What is the advantage of that? Strive for pictures that
are different and show your best looks. Quality is good, but the best
deal are high quality, creative images that no one has seen before.
Set yourself apart from the pack and make people notice you by finding
a photographer who is fresh and creative!
A
photographer who lies to you.
If the photographer lies to you, what else will they do which is dishonest?
There are way too many trustworthy, honest photographers out there who
know what they are doing and do excellent work. Keep looking- We recommend
looking for recommended photographers listed in the links section of
Tampa Bay Modeling or in the TALON database of Independent Modeling,
IndependentModeling.Com (notice that these recommended photographers
do not always work together and that they are competitors in many cases-
that is a good sign for us. Feel the trust growing?).
A
photographer who seems too good to be true.
If their portfolio shows too MUCH range, they could be using the work
of other photographers and passing it off as their own. If the photographer
is a big fashion photographer from New York, why are they working here
and not there? If the photographer is a commercial photographer who
can get you jobs that they are working on, why are they shooting model
portfolios, which is work that is considered to be a step backwards
in their career? If they have been published in major magazines, can
they show you the physical magazine with their credits on the page (not
a copy, as that can be faked)?
If it's too good to be true, it usually is. Check their references and
ask questions!
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