Advice for new models

Making money on the Internet

Please click here if you are thinking of trying to make money on the Internet.

Helping new models

I have worked with a lot of models who have had a mixture of good and bad experiences so I think this advice is sound.

If you know any large-boobed girls who might be suitable as photographic models please suggest that they read this page and get in touch with me via my email page - I will do everything possible to make sure they get off to a good start - and who knows, we might even see some of their pictures on this site!

The rest of this page is written for girls thinking about doing some modelling.

Think for yourself and don't be stupid

You will be ripped of if you don't take care. Guaranteed. 100%. You will be ripped off.

Off comes your blouse, off comes your bra, "click, click" goes the camera, "promise, promise" goes the photographer, "sign this", "sign that", cash in hand, "goodbye" - the end.

You have the boobs - they make the money.

If you are stupid enough to fall for the flattering line of some smooth-talking, all-promising, photographer or Internet site owner, you will have only yourself to blame when you make a little cash up front, you are tied to an exclusive contract and other people are making loads of money off you back. (Or, to be exact, off your front!)

Read this advice and don't be stupid - think before you act - and get a trusted friend to talk to (see below).

Introduction

Photographic modelling can be a very rewarding career and has a lot of advantages:

• Top models can earn over £300 ($500) for half a day's work.
• You can work part-time if you wish. Modelling can provide a lot of useful extra income if you already have a career, or if you are studying - a great way to pay College or University fees.
• With the agreement of the photographer you can work at times to suit yourself - during the day, evenings, weekends etc.
• If you are much in demand you will be offered the chance to work in exotic places round the world - with all your fees and expenses fully paid.

First warning

There is always the possibility that you will get ripped-off in the highly competitive world of glamour modelling. The vast majority of photographers are totally respectable but they can all spot a new naive model a mile off and they have years of experience getting their own way. Remember: your interest is not always the same as theirs - no matter what they say and how nice they are.

That's the down-side. The up-side is that if you have the looks and the talent you could travel the world and make a great deal of money. Don't expect to be on top fees on day one - you will be earning £50 ($80) or less per hour to start - but if you have the looks, the body and the talent you could soon be heading for the big-time.

Second warning

These notes are here to help you so take time to read them - if you don't read them, or you ignore the advice, then you will have only yourself to blame!

You can ask for help later and I will do my best to assist - but it might be better if you contact me before you dive in on your own.

Agent or no agent

You can work without an agent and you, or your trusted friend, can be your manager. Obviously agents charge for their services (they will take 20% or more of your fees) but they have been in the business for years and they should know how to find you work and how to avoid problems. On the other hand agents usually represent lots of models so you are one amongst many - models often complain that their agents are not making enough effort to keep them in work.

If you feel that you have the contacts and the management skills you can do the job yourself but, be warned, it is time consuming and it is not as easy as it sounds. If you absolutely refuse to go to an agent, and you don't think you have the necessary skills yourself, maybe your trusted friend can help - but again, make sure that your friend is willing to put in the time and work on your behalf and make sure she/he has the skills necessary to look after the business side of things - after all, you don't want a massive and unexpected tax bill at the end of the year!

If you get stuck, and you are not sure where to start, please don't hesitate to contact me. I have the experience and skills so I will be pleased to help.

You must have a trusted friend

• Find someone you can totally trust. This may be your mum, your dad, a close friend or someone in the business who you have known for a long time. I cannot stress this point enough - you must have a trusted friend - someone you can talk things over with and someone whose advice you can trust.
• Don't make any decisions, and never sign anything, until you have discussed it with your trusted friend.
• Never go anywhere alone unless you have been there before or someone you trust vouches for it. When you start modelling always go to sessions with a friend - the photographer won't mind and it will make you feel more secure.
• The vast majority of photographers are perfectly respectable and honest. Some aren't - so take care and always assume the worst to start with.
• Who owns the photographs taken of you? The answer is that the photographer pays you a fee and he owns the copyright in the photographs - you have absolutely no rights to those photographs, or what is done with them. The Model Release that you sign at each session defines who owns what and it is possible to have a Model Release that does give you some future rights.
• Get a manager. This could be an agent, a trusted friend or yourself. I can help out here if you wish since I have seen all the problems and I know how to handle them - leaving you free to enjoy the benefits of a very rewarding career as a photographic model.

What to sign

• Never sign anything with the word "exclusive" in it.

  If you are new, if you have gorgeous looks and a superb body which will sell lots of photographs, the first photographer you see will try to get you to sign an "exclusive" contract so that only he can take your pictures. You will be tempted by a great deal of money - many hundreds if not thousands of pounds.

  An exclusive contract stops you working for anyone else. The original photographer may only need to have a few sessions with you to generate thousands of photographs that he can sell world-wide while you sit around with nothing to do. Being offered a thousand pounds for 3/6 months exclusivity may seem a good idea - but think how many sessions at £300 ($500) a session you could have done for other photographers in 3/6 months!

  Best advice: don't sign unless you have discussed all the details with an accountant or trusted friend!

• Watch out for Model Releases. A photographer must have your written permission before he can sell photographs he has taken of you. In return for your modelling fee, and maybe an additional fee, he will ask you to sign a model release. Always try to take your own model release with you so that it has been checked by your trusted friend. If the photographer wants to use his own model release make sure he sends you a copy before the session so that you can have it checked.

  If in doubt, don't sign - no matter what the pressure. If you are presented with new Model Release at a session you can always take it away, have it checked then sign and return it later.

Making money on the Internet (is very hard work!)

Setting up your own web site

Please click here to see notes about setting up a web site.

Background to using the Internet

The "Adult" Internet is a minefield full of sharks. Well, 99.999% sharks! First rule: don't trust anyone.

50% of the world's population has breasts and there are thousands of sites offering pictures and videos of large breasted models - in fact 99% of them are offering the same models!.

However, the rewards are never what was promised. Repeat: the rewards are never what was promised.

If you have the right computer and programming skills you can set up and run your own site.

Most models can't do this - and they have other things to do in life than sit in front of PC screens all day! Life is too short!

Someone can set up and run a site for you - they may do it as a favour (lucky you!) or they may charge for it - this is the normal case.

Making money on the Internet, even with your own site, is not straightforward. If you open a subscription site you will have to go through some third party company to handle the financial transactions and they will charge between 15% and 25% to do it.

Men are fickle - and so is fame. Models soon become "stale". You could have the most wonderful breasts in the known Universe but after a while men get bored and they want something new. You will have to put other things on your site: regular updates (weekly or monthly) are essential and new models can help. This all involves a lot of work.

Copyright and exclusivity

Photographers normally keep the copyright (the legal right/ownership) of the photos - especially if they pay a model fee. Don't allow this if you pay for the photos to be taken. Make sure you get a written document stating that you own the copyright. Copyright can be worth a lot of money in the future - every time your image is used, you should receive a fee - in theory!

Some sites want exclusivity "so we can have confidence that you won't run off elsewhere when we have spent money marketing your images."

Don't have anything to do with exclusivity because you will have no way out if they fail to generate the income they promise.

Short-term and result-based exclusivity might be OK - "I will give you exclusivity for 3/6/12 months as long as you continue to generate me an income of at least £x per month." Make sure it is in writing.

Profit sharing is never as good as it sounds

You could have your photos on someone else's site - and this is where profit sharing may come in.

Someone may offer you a fixed amount of money to use your photos for a fixed period - say 6/12 months. Fine - but what happens afterwards? Is there any guarantee that they will stop selling at the end of the agreement? What can you do about it if they don't? The answer is: you have lost control and there is almost nothing you can do about it.

Profit sharing sounds tempting: "We will offer you 25% of the profits made from sales of your photos and videos."

The problem comes in the definition of "profit".

Profit is income minus costs. The trouble is, "costs" can be almost anything: the cost of setting up the web site, the cost of time running it, the cost of handling financial transactions, the wages of the web master, the cost of running an office, the cost of renting web space, the cost of buying computers and consumables, the cost of the site owner's company Ferrari, the cost of his holiday home, the cost of his yacht etc.

It is a well known fact in business that costs can be made to equal income. That way there is little or no profit, that way there is no tax!

So your 25% share of a profit of zero is - zero!

It might be OK if the site owner is up front and says "profit is income from downloads of your images minus £x for site maintenance costs - and we provide you with a way of checking income at any time."

Do not sign any agreement or contract relating to web sites until you have taken the advice of your trusted friend - and make sure your trusted friend knows about business!

Getting paid - and the tax man!

• The 50% rule. If this is your first time with a photographer/studio, or you are working abroad, get 50% of the booking fee and 100% of any expenses up-front before you leave for the session. Make sure the money is in your bank or with your agent. You may relax this rule if you trust the photographer/studio but never relax it when asked to work overseas.
• Make sure that you have received the whole of your fee, and any expenses at the start of the session - if you have the money you are less likely to be pressured into doing things not agreed beforehand.
• Find out if the photographer wants you to sign a Model Release and make it clear before the session starts what you charge for this. Sign the Model Release after the session but make sure you have the payment before you sign. If any pictures or videos have been taken that were not part of the original arrangement, or which you do not approve of, do not sign the Model Release and do not take the Model Release fee.
• The photographer may not publish photographs or videos without a signed Model Release. If you do not wish to sign you should calmly explain your reasons to the photographer and you must immediately call your trusted friend or agent so that matters can be resolved quickly. Do not get into an argument with the photographer - let your trusted friend or agent handle things for you.
• The tax man: you, your trusted friend or your agent, should keep daily records of your work and income. Make a note of where each session was, who the photographer was, what sort of pictures were taken, whether or not you signed a Model Release, what you were paid and what expenses you incurred.

  You will have to provide income and expenses details on your tax forms - do not try to fiddle the tax-man - he charges very high interest rates for unpaid taxes and fines can be very steep. Best advice: use an accountant to do your annual accounts - it should not cost too much and it will make sure that everything is legal - a good accountant should save you more than he/she charges in fees.

  If you are tempted to cheat just remember that the photographer has to record your fee as an expense, so if the tax man goes through the photographer's accounts he will know who was paid what and when!

What to watch out for

• Set your own rules about what you are willing to do. If you will do topless but no more say so - and stick to it. If you are willing to do full figure nude but no hard core say so. If you are asked to do "erotic", "continental" or anything else, find out exactly what it means and then decide if you want to do it.
• Never agree to do anything more than was agreed when the session was booked. You will be pressured to do more - don't. Trustworthy photographers will always tell you what they want when the session is booked - don't accept the booking if you don't want to do it.
• Remember: the photographer has paid to take your photograph - nothing more. When the session is finished - leave. If you are invited to stay for a cup of tea - fine. If you are invited out to dinner or out for a drink then you are no longer working and the decision is yours.

  You may think he has other things on his mind (if he is straight he will almost certainly try to get into your knickers - but you should be able to handle that by now!) but a smooth-talking photographer, or agent, will buy you an expensive meal, give you plenty to drink, and then "sell you the dream".

  He will tell you about exotic places round the world (his contacts in Hollywood, his visits to Las Vegas, his room at the Beverly Hills Hilton, the deserts round Palm Springs, the beaches of Bali, the excitement of New York) and convince you that you could make vast amounts of money by signing an exclusive contract with him.

  Best advice - leave. Don't mix business with pleasure. Any respectable photographer will make his offer in writing directly to you, your manager or your agency so that it can be checked before you commit yourself.

  Remember: don't do anything, or sign anything, without talking it over with your trusted friend.

Working in exotic locations

• If you are particularly stunning you will be asked to work abroad - maybe in Southern Spain, in the Caribbean, on a yacht, in the Seychelles, in America or anywhere else. You will be tempted to shout "Yippee!" and rush into it.

  Don't rush in. Stop and think first.

• Of course you want to work in such places - it's great fun believe me - but the key word is "work". You must look after your own self-interest if you are working in Birmingham or in Los Angeles. Never accept an overseas location booking until you have asked your trusted friend or agency to check out the photographer and his organisation.
• Never leave the country without a firm contract that defines what is to be done, where and when and also specifies where you will be staying on each day and when you will return. Make sure a copy of the contract is lodged with your agent and with your trusted friend.
• Make sure someone knows exactly where you will be on every day you are away from home - and get contact phone numbers for each day so your friends can check that everything is going okay.
• Remember the 50% rule - make sure that 50% of the contract fee is with your agent or in your bank before you leave. Many models have paid their own way to places like the USA only to find that promised work just did not materialise.
• Never pay your own way. Your air tickets and hotel reservations must be in your hand before you leave. When you arrive at the hotel check that the bill is being picked up by the photographer or his organisation. Don't take anyone's word for it - ask at the front-desk.

  Even better: every hotel is on the Internet and every hotel can be contacted by email. Send an email to each hotel booked for your trip and request confirmation that your room is booked and that someone else will be settling the bill.

  No hotels booked? No-one paying the bills? Don't go!

• Get the balance of your fee up-front before you start shooting.. This is difficult if you are 6,000 miles away from home but the rules remain the same. For security reasons make sure it is lodged in the hotel safe or it is deposited in a local bank.
• Take your mobile and make sure it is set up to make calls from where you are going. Alternatively get a BT charge card. With a BT charge card you can call home and pay for it on your home telephone bill. So, don't do anything you feel uncomfortable with - if in doubt, ring home for advice.
• Key thing to remember - the rules remain the same wherever you are in the world - the weather and surroundings may be better but the rules remain the same!

Taking the first step

Once you have taken the decision to give it a try the most obvious question is: "what do I do next?" So, here is an action list:

• Find the person you can trust: parents, friends, boyfriend.
• Get a portfolio taken. You can do this in a number of ways:
  • Take some pictures yourself - maybe your boyfriend can do this for you. The down-side of this is that they may not be top-quality.
  • Ring up a local photographic studio, tell them what you want and ask if they will do it. This will probably cost you between 40 and 50 pounds.
  • Contact me and I will be glad to help - "have digital equipment - will travel" - that's me!. I will need to see at least one sample photo before arranging anything but this can be a snapshot or even something taken in a photo-booth - just as long as it is topless - for obvious reasons!
• Get an agent. You can find these in Yellow Pages - or even the Internet version of Yellow Pages.
• Make sure you read all the advice on this page and stick to it!
• Don't do more than you are willing to do - don't be forced into hard-core if you only want to do topless glamour etc. The decision is yours - so stick to it.

These are the tasks involved in setting up a web site along with their approximate costs in GBP (UK pounds).

Assumptions

• A professional photographer is paid to take photos so that copyright remains with the model and not the photographer. Copyright is king - you must retain copyright.
• A professional web designer is used to develop and maintain the site.

You can reduce these costs significantly if you have friends who are skilled photographers, skilled web designers, skilled computer people and experienced business-people.

Tasks and costs

Summary

• Setup cost: £6,000
• Running cost: £1,000 per month plus 15% - 25% of income in transaction fees.
• Income required to break even in first year allowing for 25% transaction costs: £24,000.
• £24,000 per year is the equivalent of 300 subscribers paying £5.00 per month (£60.00 per year) - 300 x £60 = £24,000.
• So, more than 300 continuous subscribers = profit, fewer = loss!

© 2008 StudioB