People are ridiculous....

[Bumgardnern]

I understand your pain. When I fist got started I had this problem a lot with models from model mayhem. I have found that if you go though a modeling agency that you do not have problems with having models arrive late or not show up.

[PashaPhoto]

there is somewhat of a snowball effect to mm...

as your work improves, the quality of models starting to inquire about shoots improves and so does their reliability...

but it's tough to get the ball rolling since you need models to improve your port to begin with, and they all want to see a well developed port before they book... i see a lot of guys stuck in that mm circle...

shoot attractive friends, and friends of friends, until you get rolling... then it gets easier

[JayCee Images]

Originally Posted by PashaPhoto

shoot attractive friends, and friends of friends, until you get rolling... then it gets easier

X2...

Friends, family and other acquaintances have been my biggest and best source of portfolio material and honestly, if your good enough at what you do, nobody is going to know the difference between a professional model and someone random. I actually enjoy shooting non-professionals much more...they dont have a chip on their shoulders, make you feel like you are wasting their time or carry around a snotty attitude like many "pro" models do. I am in no way saying all of them are like this...but a good portion from what ive experienced.

I tried putting free shoot ads in CL, FB, MS and MM to build my port and after advertising for 3 months, i had probably 50 people interested and a whopping 2 follow through with their end of the commitment...both of which turned out to be great clients and booked further shoots. I can usually tell 5 mins into the conversation if someone is truly interested or if they are just another flake...guess its my inner sales man sense. Be more selective in who you choose to take pictures of and if all possible, have them come to you so you dont waste time going to them. After you hook them with an email, setup a time to sit down with them face to face and go over what they want...face time with a potential client, even if its a free one, is worth its weight in gold. If they are keeping good communication with you, chances are, they will keep the appointment. Stay on top of them...keep them talking and giving you ideas on what they want to see, send reminders, follow up.

[PashaPhoto]

here's a good "flake" thread on mm, that is actually filled with some pretty good advice... often times an anomaly on mm

http://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=602379

[cdifoto]

I only ever had one girl flake on me (reschedule, not total cancellation) and I simply told her that she goes to the back of the queue now, paid or not.

I didn't do TFCD though. It was "I'll waive the session fee but you don't get squat unless you purchase it."

[f1nut]

I have had my fair share of this the worst was about two weeks ago. I spoke to the young lady 3 times on the day of the shoot with one of those times being only an hour before the shoot. I turned up in plenty of time only to wait for half an hour and then give up. It was a nice day and down by the beach so I just sat on the wall and watched the world go by. When I got back home none to happy she was on fb chatting away to her mates. I did not say a word I was not going to lower myself to her level. To this day she has not said a word.

[FranciscoJ]

I was about to cancel my account in MM, for the same reason, you start the communication with the models, even if you offer the TFCD or they contact you because you are offering it, and they just cancel, or suddenly they stop the communication.
My most recently examples are:
I receive a 3 am phone call, from the model (20 years old) to cancel the 8 am shot, because she feels ugly at that time. (Sure all of we, models or photographers and common people are ugly at 3 am; well that is what the bathroom mirror told me as soon as I hang off the phone!)
I receive a mail from a model (25 years old) Saturday 1:30 am to cancel the 9am shot because she just return from the Bar were she receive a hit on the face during a drunk discussion. (Who appear to a photo shot whit the hang over and red eyes?), days later I find her on the Messenger and ask how are the face going, and she answer me: Please stop asking me like a 2 year girl!!!
I was going to shoot a model (22 years old) in the park, and she sends me her boyfriend with the dog (how cute), because she can’t find something to wear, it takes me more than 45 minutes from my home just for nothing, just because she told me the park was sooooo nice, and no so far away of her place. (I was about to take the photos of the dog biting the boyfriend and upload the photo, but I was not sure if I need the MM# of the dog)
The other one (18 years old) want that I sign a TFCD - Contract were she was going to receive from me as a product of the TFCD session, at least 40 edited photos, for an hour of shots during the next 3 days. That’s mean one good photo every 90 seconds, plus the time I need to PS. (Speechless!!!! Don’t even can thing in an answer!)
The last two (26 and 21 years old) just stop the communication in MM, messenger and by mail.
So, the bottom line is that I think this is something we need to suffer if we want to gain some experience, and also we want to give some private time to the people we live with. (Who can start thinking to live far, far away from a camera and the man behind the camera!)
The good thing is that they were a lot of workshops, were you can really learn something or at least find good people to help you and answer some question you can have, because if you try to contact the model for a TFCD, you can start having the same headaches lines before. Otherwise you can contract her and know what to expect.
Hope you understand me. And I like the point somebody else writes above, they will be the time, when they will be looking for you, because at that time you will develop your own style and then… well it depends on you what you can do then. For sure it will not be next month, but maybe next year. And for sure you won’t say NO!!! at 3 am just because at that time they will be more beautiful!
And that’s it.

[Halliday]

Originally Posted by ootsk

The key is, they have to WANT to be shot by you.
Don't take this wrong, but just as there's tons of models out there, there's also tons of "guys with cameras". Is your work good enough that they will go out of their way to show up?
If not, it's a frustrating place to be, but just like any garage band or starving artist, you've got to struggle through the early phasees before you can start rising to the top.
I had models flake on me as well, and I still do. It seems that the ones that contact me
are more reliable than the ones I ask.

Seconded. I don't see any examples of your work but the sad fact is the better you are the more models want to work with you. I'm not saying my shots are great, but I usually have pretty good luck with my MM models. A few flakes here and there. If it really is that bad hire a model and get started that way.

[jetcode]

I pay my models and have had very little problems whatsoever. I pay them at least $25 for a session and often $100 for a good 4 hour shoot plus prints. You would be surprised that not only does the quality of model go up they want to be there.

[USER876]

I had 3 good shoots and this just happened to me last night. I didn't bother touching base on the phone because our email communication was so good (she had a blackberry). We discussed details the day before, and I sent her an email earlier that day confirming everything. I drove to the location, waited.....waited. Finally texted her and she said she forgot and wants to reschedule, she was at the hospital because a friend got into an accident. I don't know if I should just walk away or reschedule. While the excuse could be real, it's far fetched and she had plenty of opportunities to give me a head's up on the situation., esp having the blackberry. To think I was going to pay her a small fee for travel expenses even though I was coming from 35 mins away and she was coming from 5-6 miles away. These people should be paying us.

So now, I will touch base oh the phone an hour before to confirm, and if I can't get a hold of them, I won't show!

[ayn]

It helps to have a pre-shoot meeting to talk about the shoot and to get comfortable with each other first, at least with amateur models like most on MM, it's hard to turn good captures if you had just met each other 5 minutes before starting to shoot. Definitely get her phone number so you can call or text to confirm an hour prior the shoot, before you setup your background and lights and everything. I wouldn't do TFP if you're going to have to rent gears, just not worth the risk of them flaking and you with $100 worth of profoto rental gears. My clients pay for models (usually through agencies) so I don't have much experience with TFP, but I can see this to be a problem when you're starting out, and TFP sounds like a good way to build up your portfolio. I'd network into your local model agencies too, get them to send you some models to test, they are typically more serious about modeling and they will show up.

[Bilsen]

I've been on Mayhem (other sites are smaller but the percentages remain the same) for about 18 months and I've learned to arrange contacts into fairly predictable categories. I'm a hobbyist who only shoots TFCD.

Contactors: They contact me, tell me how great my work is, I respond positively and they disappear. Mostly, they just want you to say you think they're pretty.

Non-Responders: This used to tee me off but honestly, it means a model isn't interested and in that case it saves time if they don't bother to respond. If a model is particularly interesting to me, I may politely send a second message and, once or twice, they actually do shoot. Not often though. I have NO problem with non-responders.

Ozones: Contact established, messages exchanged, a date is set and a week before the shoot **poof** they're gone. The best sign of an ozone in the making is the refusal to move to e-mail for communication after 2-3 exchanges.

Rabbits: I always ask for cell phone exchange about a week prior to the shoot and I give mine first. Any genuine model takes this in stride. Rabbits head for their boroughs and are never heard from again.

Canceler/Rescheduler: All set to go and within 48 hours pre-shoot something happens. Their cancel message tells me a lot. If they just say "xxxxx so I have to cancel", they aren't coming back and it's a waste of time to chase them. IF they say, "I'm really sorry and can we reschedule soon" (or even give alternate dates) they're probably for real and life just happens. I've had two of these this week. One I believe. One I don't.

Flakes: To me a flake is a cancel on the day of the shoot OR a no call, no show, no response. This is an automatic goodbye unless it's Elle MacPherson. I've never actually had one of these, but I've come close.

After 18 months, I generally get a good feel about at least a week out. I've had as many streaks and slumps as A-Rod and my contact to actual shoot ratio is probably 10:1. By the way, as Pasha can tell you, paid shoots have a better percentage but are not a guarantee by any means.

For all of that, the models I have actually met on Mayhem have been just great women. I've done a bunch of repeat sessions and become friends with many of them.

[Beachcomber84]

Prioritise people that contact you.
Have an up-front policy about non-refundable deposits.
Secure a contact number for the model.

I have never shot with a 'model' as such, but have had cancellations for tutoring appointments, and I have a 24 hours notice policy, or I'd charge anyway. I explain that if my time is set aside for client X and they cancel, I can't tutor (i.e. make any money from) client Y.

But... people can be slouches about this sort of thing. Very rude.

[USER876]

Happened again today....what a flake.....

18yrs old, first tells me they have to cancel because they have an interview that came up. Then ten minutes later said they rescheduled the interview....

So then basically says that they tried on the outfit they were going to wear, but it showed horrid tan lines.

So I suggested something simple like a black tank top (this was head shots only and 3/4 length)

Her reply, 2 hours before the shoot.....
---------------------------------
"Yeah I tried pairing a black tank top with a skirt, but I can't even find my black tank top...I'm really sorry but I'd rather just do it some other time with an outfit that works, and the person who was going to do my hair can't do it today either..."

[Bilsen]

Your response is simple --- NEXT !!!!!!