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Pay rates based on experience
I was looking through the profile pages and I noticed under experience there are four options under that box, no experience, some experience, experienced and very experienced. So I'm wondering should there be a sliding pay scale based on a given model's level of experience? Does anyone base thier pay for photo shoots on that criteria? The scale I have in mind is something like this: No experience $100/hr. Some experience $150/hr. Experienced $200/hr. Very Experienced. $250/hr. Any insight or suggestions are welcome, feel free to tell if I'm being a cheap skate. Apr 18 24 07:15 pm Link I prefer models with little or no experience. The photos always look more candid, and that's the look that I'm going for. Plus, the prices have gotten out of hand. $250-$300 for a 4 hour nude beach photoshoot should be more than enough for anyone. Apr 29 24 12:12 pm Link Zap Industries wrote: some rates are high Apr 29 24 06:06 pm Link AdamKnight wrote: It's way too broad of a question to merit a conversation as to how experience in a model equates to their rate. I may want an inexperienced agency model for a project if she has the right look for what I need, for which I will be paying the same amount as a model who's been on 100 shoots with the same agency. Furthermore paying a lot for a model for a very simple shoot may not yield the results I'm looking for if I'm on a budget. It also depends a LOT on the shoot as well. What a model charges for a billboard shoot for a Fortune 500 company may be different than beach photos with a GWC. Apr 30 24 07:11 am Link While there should be a correlation between experience and results there often is not. There is a difference between 5 years experience an one year x 5 With a model it is more than experience to consider, looks, body type, tats, location etc. A good experienced model can accomplish more in one hour than a beginner in three or more. Apr 30 24 08:28 am Link I prefer an experienced model- gwnerallly the rates expected are not much more than the more casual “new model” and I’ll get more consistent and superior results. May 19 24 09:35 pm Link This is a duplicate post! You posted one exactly like this .. so I'll post my answer here too; It's been more than a few months .. maybe a couple years since I've done a model shoot, but I find the $100/hr for a "No Experience" model rather high! I don't know for sure, but I believe you are starting rather on the high end with pay a bit early. I don't want to come across as cheap. I I like you asking, and I like the pay scale you propose .. IF one can afford it. My own personal finances are not such that I can afford those hourly rates at those levels at this time. Much of life involves negotiation. I wish I had an unlimited money supply or I were making a large enough profit, as I would love to just pay in cash and not even worry about it! Camera gear costs. Inflation is holding me back, but I do see things getting better. May 20 24 02:33 pm Link AdamKnight wrote: Bear in mind that experience is one thing but what field of modeling the experience is in is entirely another. One model may have experience as a hair model, a make up model, a clothing model, a nude model or a shoe model. You need to find a model that works in your chosen genre. May 20 24 07:22 pm Link Nope. It's whatever works for both parties. If the model has all the experience in the world but isn't booking anything, then what's the point of bringing that up anymore? Same for a photographer, if you're not getting any more models to pose for you anymore despite having an awesome portfolio, what's the point of mentioning your history? May 20 24 08:45 pm Link The premise in this post -the proposed pay scale- is simplistic and out of whack. $100/hour for a model with zero experience? Nope, and nope. I guess there is some corner case where that makes sense but zero experience equalsTFP at best - but more likely this photographer is the one getting paid in that scenario. May 21 24 04:44 am Link Studio NSFW wrote: I've shot one cover and two layouts with two models on their first shoot. Their model fees were a more than reasonable expense. Experience standing in front of GWCs over-rated. I look at what a model brings to my shoot or how they fit the project. I have seen more occasions of experienced models picking up bad habits from bad photographers than I have with new models that I couldn't find a way to direct. May 21 24 04:53 am Link Point taken. Corner cases and all that and something to be said for natural talent. May 21 24 05:22 am Link I would think pay rates would be based on what a model thinks he/she can get. Of course, what one thinks they and get and what they actually do get may not be the same. May 21 24 09:13 am Link For this thread I've been thinking about this over the years I've photographed models. There are newspaper photographers that capture a scene or situation. And there are art directors that create the scene. In my photography when the situation arises I've tried to be more like an art director. A model that can follow directions has been more important than experience. Pay then tends to be based on the appearance of the model fitting my needs. May 21 24 09:19 am Link I get many request from models to have me hire them at some high hourly rates. I have no problem paying them. I ask one question. I ask them what their unique selling proposition is. I want to know how making photos of them is going to benefit me either artistically or financially. I'm not interested just to see a model standing in front of me clothed or nude. I'm not interested to see gratuitous erotica. A couple times a week, I get emails from new models that have taken photos of their genitals with their IPhone as proof(?) why I should hire them. So, in any situation, a model should validate her rate experienced or not. If a model has difficulty substantiating her rate and/or getting clients to hire her, then the tribe has spoken and the model needs to listen. The situation is pretty much the same for me as a photographer. While quickie photos taken with an IPhone will satisfy the needs of many people, I moved into other markets where there are technical challenges that preclude selfie type photography. I find a trend with models is that they want to book just one shoot a day and the income from that will be sufficient. In years past, models would book several shoots a day, but at a lower rate. Yes, there was often a bit of travel involved and more hours taken in the day, but, at the end of the day their was more $$$ in the bank. So for any models with a high rate, demonstrate that you are unique, with premium offering and the benefit I will receive from your engagement. May 21 24 10:30 am Link Photo Monochromatica wrote: A USP? Seriously, for a primarily visual thing. Ok, whatever. May 22 24 03:33 am Link Dan Howell wrote: Yes, a USP forces the model to think about her offering, As a photographer, I have a USP. Having one shows that I have thought about what I do and why someone wants to engage my services. When I've asked models, some have said that they can offer unique opportunities like work with fire, underwater and even high fashion that will add value to my portfolio or art for sale. Some will say they can offer a lot of different themes as that have lots of clothing, can change their makeup/hair quickly to different styles and have a range of looks/pose they can hit in a millisecond. Others are involved heavily in commercial modelling and can put me into contact with potential clients. Compare this to a model that you have to supply all the clothing, tell the model how to pose and have to stop every ½ hour to have a vaping break. A model that has a USP that describes how working with her will always get the top $$$ from me. May 22 24 07:30 am Link Photo Monochromatica wrote: So are you hiring a model or hiring a closet? What you are talking about is essentially being talked into booking a model. Frankly I and numerous other photographers and art directors are able to make booking decisions without a contrived marketing sales pitch. May 22 24 10:30 am Link Pay rates for models are based mostly on what photographers are willing to pay. It's that simple. I'm on Reddit, and there is a sub-reddit that is /modeling .. and it is ridiculous! Post after post is of people who ask if they could "model" and people who have no qualifications to make such opinions will either be ultra critical or be the reverse which is to blow up their ego with unrealistic praise. I've stopped trying to bring any common sense to the sub-reddit. What my point is that the Internet and digital technology has opened the door to so many people to either use the tools to better their lives, or to believe unrealistic or wrong information to give them hope that they will make tons of money as a photographer or a model. There will never be an era of Super Models like we had in the 80's through the 90's, but there will be more people able to make a somewhat decent living using the Internet. Some of those asking unrealistic hourly amounts will get a few takers, but most will not. Again, I see nothing wrong with asking, but we all have the option to hire or not hire at those rates. May 22 24 03:14 pm Link Patrick Walberg wrote: Bingo bango. Someone has to say it. I'm of the mindset a lot of the people on here should be a little more humble and "realistic" about things. We all got eyes and brains. We know if we're good or not at whatever we do. Unless there really are people that delusional, then you can't help them anymore. Imagine a broke model and a broke photographer never working together because they're egos are too big, and that could have possibly been what blew up their careers. I believe in that mystical star stuff sometimes. May 22 24 03:21 pm Link Dan Howell wrote: I always recommend that you do what works best for you. With many models offering their services for high rates, I provide them the opportunity to support their benefit to me. I will not profess to know all the capabilities that models have available. When asked, often models will mention something special about their work that can elevate my work. In some cases, it is a model that is available locally on short notice. Other things are models that excel at underwater or aerial work. When I'm in coversation with a client I will mention the USP that I have that will benefit them. As well as modeling, I work with banking, military, advertizing, maufacturing and motosports. I have a lot of competion and much of it is good. So If my competition don't mention why a client should hire them and I do, I get the business. In business school, you learn about a USP and it is important for both models, photographers and anyone else in business to have one. In conversation, a model can mention her USP directly or indirectly. When she does, I understand that she has though about her career as a model and takes a more professional approach. So rather than pay a model based on what is assumed to be experience, I will pay the model based what they say they can do for my business. There are many fine models here on MM that have high rates. When I read their profiles, I see that they have included the elements of a USP that is applicable to my needs. So, if they quote a hight rate, I just pay it. Call it contrived if you like, I call it providing an opportunity. May 24 24 08:42 am Link Photo Monochromatica wrote: In regards to modeling, the things you mention are not USP, more like GSP, but still. Your original post, to me, sounds like a flex, or an attempt at a flex. It tells me more about you than it could possibly tell you about a model. May 24 24 04:14 pm Link I find experience on model mayhem to be questionable. After all it is self-reported. As Dan Howell already said, "Experience standing in front of GWCs over-rated." Models can find work from GWCs who will pay them a very good rate. But a portfolio filled with GWC quality photos is going to look as good as a portfolio of new model that is filled with only selfies. I don't criticize them for working with GWCs. Many of the known models here have worked with GWCs and the like in the past. Some still do. Difference is they don't really share those pictures in their portfolio and social media. When I see a portfolio of amateur looking images, I will skip that model or will only consider them for a trade. Model claims they've been working for years and been published but I see nothing in their portfolio that supports this. Is the amateur quality the fault of them as model or the photographers? Those other models are savvy enough to only include the good stuff in their portfolio. If a model's got a good portfolio, I'm more willingly to believe this is an experience model who knows what they are doing. Even better if I see pictures from photographers whose work I approve of. If they've worked this model, then I'm more willingly trust this model to show up on time and do a very good job. All of this making more willingly to hire them. Unfortunately, I'm finding fewer of these models. My word of advice to these models with amateur looking portfolios is to hide those photos and start working with better photographers. If they don't want to hire you at your going rate offer a discount. Offer a trade. Be willingly to even pay them. Such an investment will pay off as other photographers will see those better pictures and will be more willing to pay your going rate. This same advice applies to photographers as well. May 24 24 10:12 pm Link |
