I am not perfect. I have last-minute cancelled on photoshoots because of feeling ill (I have a history of gastritis and attacks of nausea), feeling not my best to model that day (usually a combination of insecurity due to some sort of physicality issue and feeling emotionally drained), or because I have forgotten about a previous commitment. It is usually something that I can reschedule with the photog, if he/she is willing - but understandably, they are not always. But I wonder how easy it is to find (nude) models? It seems the photog is hurting him/herself and the model by not allowing some degree of flexibility.
(For photography it seems pretty easy to find models, and to be honest I have only ever last-minute cancelled on photography, never for life drawing or painting).
Sometimes the photog is part of a team that does not reschedule "flaky" models
(I say in quotes because I personally do not think it is flaking if there has been communication that I can't show - even last minute. I personally think of flaking as simply not showing at all, with no serious thought or attempt to communicate. I do realize this is not the general meaning of the phrase, but, maybe because I know I have good intentions and would follow through if given a chance to reschedule, is my reasoning)
or no-shows which to a fundamental degree I can "get", but I feel it's a bit of a harsh rule. Not only does the photog by their own "rules" lose a model completely, but the model loses a photog completely, even before meeting! Somehow that just seems wrong to me. If there was a negative experience or a lack of communication than that by all means would allow for the model and photog to cancel each other out. I would agree that a "flaky" model may not ever get a third chance to model for the team again due to that last-minute cancelling, but writing them off the list of potential models right away seems harsh to me. Maybe that's just me & my way of doing things. I would always give a second chance, and then strike out.
But to be fair, as a 'professional' model I do need to stop doing that. It's all a matter of taking care of myself, which I am still working on. (Funny, you'd think that models had their shit together, but some of us, like myself, don't seem to....)
What do you guys think? Am I just not taking things seriously enough? To be honest I feel with art models there is or could be room for flexibility - we're not doing high end fashion-y stuff or anything that needs to be done by a deadline, right? So what is all the fuss about? o___O
I may just need some convincing words to get my thoughts straightened out. Or not.
*ponders*
Hmm. I think in general, professionals should try their hardest to be punctual and reliable because others depend on them. It also does help your chances of getting hired again. With that said, modeling is a creative profession (sort of like a performing art that aids in creating other art?) and it's difficult to force yourself to be creative when you just aren't "feeling it" that day for whatever reason. Maybe some of those days going out for a modeling session could be just what you need when you're feeling not your best--who knows? In any case, people should leave room for other people to be human.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem sort of unreasonable for a photographer to scratch off a model completely for canceling. But I'd guess it's a reaction some photographers have developed to protect themselves. They may have had really flaky models before with whom they've rescheduled over and over again. After a while it would have gotten both annoying and costly, since the photographer may have spent time preparing for the session already and probably wouldn't be able to find a model last minute.