Posted by Leila: 
I'm tempted to give examples but I'm sure this post in and of itself is going to offend enough people.

g'head..ya know ya want to...

Posted by Leila: 
How come when I look at some models profiles that have poor quality photos that look like amature porn, I see decent photographers who leave comments like "great work"? I'm no professional but I know sh*t when I see it.  I'm tempted to give examples but I'm sure this post in and of itself is going to offend enough people.  I am the only one who notices this? 

several reasons:

1.--the photographer is into amateur porn and they can't help themselves from being excited

2.--the photographer wants to shoot with the model and this is their way of buttering her up

3.--the model is super hot and the photographer in the cyber presence of a super hot model just acts giddy and starts saying stupid stuff, stuff that he'd never say were the subject not so hot.

Posted by Leila: 
It just really makes the photographers who give the posative comments look...well, like idiots. I mean, if you think poorly lit photos of some half naked chick in her bed room taken by a cheap camera is "great work" than why would any serious model want to work with you? It also gives those models a false sence of reality and they are much more likely to get taken advantage of.

Agreed.  Could that be an indication of a photogroper, making comments like that? May be something to that... Otherwise, I can't imagine the motivation of an adept shooter raving about shit. If they think a model has potential and want to express it, maybe something like, "I think you have potential and would like to assist in developing your book".

Maybe MM should have an image review process for new members, kind of like dating sites (so I hear).

Posted by AshleyDanielle: 
Why do you care or why does it matter?

Maybe the photographers see further into the photo into the actual person and not the quality of the photo. Someone they would like to work with and the beauty that the person  may possess in "their" eye, and think, would be great with the right lighting and with a better photographer (ie them)

Ashley, you provided a very accurate answer.  I know that I have contacted and worked with models when the only images available were webcam or digital snapshots done by a b/f, etc. 

Posted by SayCheeZ!: 
I've notice that on OMP, whenever there's a brand new portfolio created  (with no photos displayed) and the model indicates that she'll do nude work, at least ten people will immediately "Recomend" that model.

On the other hand, there are many instances where a model posts a few surpisingly good photos on OMP, but does not check off the 'nude' categories.  Let's just say that it usually takes that model alot longer to get any recommendations at all.

That is definitely the truth. I bet if I had put on my OMP profile that I would do fetish/glamour nudes/adult work, I would get a lot more responses than I have in the past. Seeing as how I am not wanting to head in that direction, though, and am weeding out the scumbags that do only want to work with the girls they can see naked, I post that I want more commercial work.

Not surprisingly, I have received more legit offers to shoot and more compliments, etc. from photographers on this site than any other. I believe MM to be the most professional site I have been on so far. I imagine that MM will only get better, but I also think that we should weed out the portfolios that only have cruddy webcam images. Now, don't get me wrong, I have seen some models who take their own photos to start with, and some of those are pretty good, though not professional quality. However, those models have also only had those photos up for a small amount of time until they had their first professional shoot. I have seen some models on here and mostly on OMP that just have webcam pics that make them look like they do their "modeling" in the red light district.

Posted by AshleyDanielle: 
Why do you care or why does it matter?

Maybe the photographers see further into the photo into the actual person and not the quality of the photo. Someone they would like to work with and the beauty that the person  may possess in "their" eye, and think, would be great with the right lighting and with a better photographer (ie them)

I better get my eyes checked to see if I'm missing something. I do agree that this is the case now and then, but some of the images are not worthy of the over-the-top raves bestowed upon them. If the potential model is indeed attractive to someone, I would think a photog would comment on her looks rather than saying the crappy webcam shot is "great work" or other nonsense.

Posted by Lesley Slenning: 
I've noticed the same thing as well.  If I see a model with crappy web cam pics...but she has a great look, I will usually leave a comment like "You have a great look, I am looking forward to seeing more work from you." or something like that.  I don't think that the models that only have web cam pics should be slammed though.  We all have to start somewhere.  They either have it, or they don't.  If they have it, you are going to see it, even if it's a crappy web cam photo.

Well said!! But I do understand others point of view.

Posted by Josie Nutter: 
Would something like this help?

I don't think its fair to kick someone off the site or remove thier photos just because they are not very good. All models have to start somewhere. If someone has had no experience maybe the only photos they have are crappy webcam photos. But from there they can find people willing to do TFP with them and eventually build a real portfolio.
The point I was trying to make is if you see someone with shitty photos, don't lie and say they're great. If you think the model is pretty or has a nice look then say that. It makes the person giving the compliment look dumb for saying a piece of shit is "great work".

Posted by Leila: 
How come when I look at some models profiles that have poor quality photos that look like amature porn, I see decent photographers who leave comments like "great work"? I'm no professional but I know sh*t when I see it.  I'm tempted to give examples but I'm sure this post in and of itself is going to offend enough people.  I am the only one who notices this? 

Posted by AshleyDanielle: 
Why do you care or why does it matter?

Maybe the photographers see further into the photo into the actual person and not the quality of the photo. Someone they would like to work with and the beauty that the person  may possess in "their" eye, and think, would be great with the right lighting and with a better photographer (ie them)

Ash..you just hit it with a sledgehammer.Direct and to the point.

Posted by Leila: 
How come when I look at some models profiles that have poor quality photos that look like amature porn, I see decent photographers who leave comments like "great work"? I'm no professional but I know sh*t when I see it.  I'm tempted to give examples but I'm sure this post in and of itself is going to offend enough people.  I am the only one who notices this? 

Let me give an answer totally on point:  The image that made me interested in working with YOU was one you yourself described as "not a great pic" -- But it told me a lot of things the other images on your port did not...simple as that.  To me, being a photographer means having the ability to look at a person or thing and see possibilities and beauty that others might not.  Case in point:  To you it's just a green pepper; to Edward Weston it was a revelation. 

To be honest, I actually prefer webcam shots or polaroids or snapshots sometimes, because [at the risk of offending] I think a lot of photographers just don't "get it."  They're so busy trying to impose some commercialist ideal onto models that they miss what's truly beautiful or individual about each one.  Sometimes the MODELS THEMSELVES don't even see these things.  An undoctored and simple webcam pic is often the remedy for this problem. 

And yes, saying to a model "your portfolio sucks" isn't always the best introduction either.

Posted by Lesley Slenning: 
I've noticed the same thing as well.  If I see a model with crappy web cam pics...but she has a great look, I will usually leave a comment like "You have a great look, I am looking forward to seeing more work from you." or something like that.  I don't think that the models that only have web cam pics should be slammed though.  We all have to start somewhere.  They either have it, or they don't.  If they have it, you are going to see it, even if it's a crappy web cam photo.

There's some kind of moral dilemma here that needs an ethicist to sort out.  I definitely agree you can tell if a model has some potential even from a crappy picture.  But would anyone post something like "would be great if you learned a second, perhaps a third, expression."  Drawing the line on honesty - very hard.  I pretty much just punt, and don't leave comments at all.  In the end, if someone posts bad pictures and has no talent, it doesn't cause people to starve to death or die of disease.

I know how painful it can be to be brutally honest.  I taught with a couple racing schools, and because I was willing to be brutally honest, I got designated as the "send people home" instructor.  "Have you ever thought about selling your racecar and taking up golf?"  In that case, brutal honesty DID keep people (the driver included) from getting hurt and perhaps dying - it wasn't "is he a talented racer" but "is he careless, sloppy, and dangerous to be around."  Slow wasn't bad.  Careless was.

Here - well, seems to me a whole lot of people are living a fantasy that makes them happy.  Who am I to rain on that parade?

Posted by Melvin Moten Jr: 
being a photographer means having the ability to look at a person or thing and see possibilities and beauty that others might not.

I agree. Having an eye is one thing separating a photographer from a GWC.

Posted by AshleyDanielle: 
Why do you care or why does it matter?

Maybe the photographers see further into the photo into the actual person and not the quality of the photo. Someone they would like to work with and the beauty that the person  may possess in "their" eye, and think, would be great with the right lighting and with a better photographer (ie them)

Well said..and you have a great port...(smile)...

Posted by Studio200: 
wow what a bunch of arrogant f$%^ks in this thread! I hardly ever leave any comments on people profiles and I could care less if someone out there says "great work" to a model with webcam pics. You can't ever know their reasons for leaving the comments and who cares? As a side note, I looked at a few profiles in this thread and saw a few pretty bad ones (in my opinion), and yes, they had tags like "great work". 

She can correct me if I am wrong, but I didn't get the idea that the original poster was angst ridden over this issue, unable to sleep for days, anxious over the scope of it all.   Her question was simple, have you ever noticed that some "bad pix" get good comments?   Lots of folks said, yeah.  Why might that be?   People offered ideas.

I didn't see anyone's panties getting in a terrible wad, just wonderment at human nature.

It's a webforum, that's what folks do, pose questions, think out loud, and share impressions.

Posted by Leila: 
It just really makes the photographers who give the posative comments look...well, like idiots. I mean, if you think poorly lit photos of some half naked chick in her bed room taken by a cheap camera is "great work" than why would any serious model want to work with you? It also gives those models a false sence of reality and they are much more likely to get taken advantage of.

I take a lot of pictures of half naked chicks in bedrooms with VERY cheap cameras and the general consensus is that I'm doing okay with it. 

As for models being "taken advantage of" -- we've been through this before.  If a model uses her BRAIN when dealing with people and situations, they can't EVER be taken advantage of.  If you hadn't noticed, there are some models with GREAT portfolio pages doing and saying some might dumb things around here.

Posted by Leila: 

Posted by Josie Nutter: 
Would something like this help?

I don't think its fair to kick someone off the site or remove thier photos just because they are not very good. All models have to start somewhere. If someone has had no experience maybe the only photos they have are crappy webcam photos. But from there they can find people willing to do TFP with them and eventually build a real portfolio.
The point I was trying to make is if you see someone with shitty photos, don't lie and say they're great. If you think the model is pretty or has a nice look then say that. It makes the person giving the compliment look dumb for saying a piece of shit is "great work".

Some people just aren't very imaginative conversationalists.  They say what they say to begin a dialogue and hope for the best.  Or maybe they see something in a model's "sh*tty" pictures that you don't.  Frankly, there are a lot of models and phtographers around who don't seem to know anything except what the mainstream magazines were doing LAST year -- and I don't pay a lot of attention to what  they think is "sh*tty".

Posted by KM von Seidl: 

Posted by Studio200: 
wow what a bunch of arrogant f$%^ks in this thread! I hardly ever leave any comments on people profiles and I could care less if someone out there says "great work" to a model with webcam pics. You can't ever know their reasons for leaving the comments and who cares? As a side note, I looked at a few profiles in this thread and saw a few pretty bad ones (in my opinion), and yes, they had tags like "great work". 

She can correct me if I am wrong, but I didn't get the idea that the original poster was angst ridden over this issue, unable to sleep for days, anxious over the scope of it all.   Her question was simple, have you ever noticed that some "bad pix" get good comments?   Lots of folks said, yeah.  Why might that be?   People offered ideas.

I didn't see anyone's panties getting in a terrible wad, just wonderment at human nature.

It's a webforum, that's what folks do, pose questions, think out loud, and share impressions.

Thank you. Actually I was deciding weather or not to take up an offer from a certain photographer. Then I noticed that he had made a comment on another model's profile saying "great work". All of her pictures were her posed in very sexual ways. They were poorly lit and taken in very cluttered rooms (most likely her house). Partially because of this I decided not to work with him. If that was his idea of "great work" than I really didn't want him creating ant "great work" for me.

Posted by KM von Seidl: 

It's a webforum, that's what folks do, pose questions, think out loud, and share impressions.

Exactly!..I hope you appreciated mine.. I wasn't responding directly to Leila though, you did understand that right? I said "people in this thread". I didn't get the impression that it was that big of a deal to her as well, but she did post a thread to see what people thought, so I gave my thoughts. I was being brutally honest because this thread was about brutal honesty. When I interact with people that are more sensitive I'm more sensitive in the way I word things.

-Dennis

Posted by Peter Dattolo: 
I notice it also and they look like web cam crap. Those are the "photos???"  i think should be pulled.
I hope they do pull them, those low quality pics will damage MM down the road. If they are serious they can post some good photos.

I totally agree with this.  Webcam photos are an insult to those of us who work hard to put together our photoshoots.  It speaks poorly on those who have these "photos".

Posted by paleosam: 

Posted by Peter Dattolo: 
I notice it also and they look like web cam crap. Those are the "photos???"  i think should be pulled.
I hope they do pull them, those low quality pics will damage MM down the road. If they are serious they can post some good photos.

I totally agree with this.  Webcam photos are an insult to those of us who work hard to put together our photoshoots.  It speaks poorly on those who have these "photos".

I think I've mentioned this before, but one of the best models I've worked with to date approached me with nothing but webcam shots to her name.  I'm glad I was openminded enough to look past them and see her potential instead of pouting and taking offense where none was warranted.  If I'd approached her with an attitude like yours, a large chunk of my last years' work wouldn't exist.