Melissa Lynnette wrote:
Ok, before I say this I want to make the point that I don't mind paying a photographer for a shoot if I currently have the available funds in my budget.

However:

I had an ad up on backpage.com looking for TFP/CD or reasonably priced photographers because I'm new and need experience.  Also, at the time I put it up I wasn't sure what I wanted to focus on so I figured I'd do a few shoots and figure out what area I was best suited for.
Anyway, I got a couple offers, the obligatory GWC's etc., but I did get contacted by a guy that seemed legit.  We met beforehand so that I could check out his profile and we could get to know each other a little.  Then he said he'd call me when he had finalized his schedule and let me know when we could shoot.  No problem.  When he contacted me, he said it would be TFCD swimwear.  A month went by and he gets back in touch with me.  But I still had some room to shoot, so I didn't care, I let him know when I was available.  While we were discussing the set up for the shoot, he says "Oh would you like to also shoot some casual fashion or dressy looks also?"  I said, sure sounds great.  He asked me how many looks I might be bringing, I said 3.  Then he tells me he'll have to charge for the non swimwear looks.

What?!?!  When I let him know that I was moving soon and didn't have any wiggle room in my current budget, he backed out of the whole shoot completely.  I'm not being cheap, but if he had wanted to get paid I would have liked to know that when we first started talking so I could've worked that into my plans.  I know this is getting long so I'll stop here.

That rather sucks. To me a TFCD session is a TFCD session, especially if discussed up front and no talk of payment was brought up. When I do TFCD photo sessions I try to get photos the model wants, as it is TFCD; I think he or she should be able to get something useful out of it as well. I don't understant why he wanted payment for the other two outfits; in my mind it would make no differance.

  Anyway, there are a lot of good photographers out there; I'm sure you'll find one you can work with who won't pull this sort of thing.

  -P-

jade83 wrote:
Crazy...looks like the "boy I got screwed" thread from the model's perspective...very annoying when Anyone asks if I'd like anything additional and Then mentions a price.

Yeah, I know.  I just didn't want to highjack the thread, so I posted a new one.

bang bang photo wrote:
"Charge for the non-swimwear looks?" !!

What part of "eeeeewwwwwww" don't you understand?

I would send him a simple email saying that you thought it was clear you were booking a TFP shoot, and that you are cancelling the whole thing. Life is too short to mess with fools like that.

Oh, no.....I didn't get a creepy vibe from the guy.  It just pissed me off because first of all, if I wanted to pay a photographer, it wouldn't be him, I already have some in mind that are way better, IMO, for the looks I want.  And secondly, when I said I couldn't pay him, his tone of voice changed like I had conned him into the TFCD or something.  But when we met he wasn't pervy or anything.  He just wanted the swimwear for his port, that's why he was offering it free.

ericphotonyc wrote:
The bright side is he told you before you showed up so you didn't have to deal with him again.

Very true.

Melissa Lynnette wrote:
Then he said he'd call me when he had finalized his schedule and let me know when we could shoot.

Here was the tip-off that he would eventually flake.  All of us who've been around awhile learn to recognize the "I'll get back to you when I know my schedule" line as a warning sign that any plans to shoot will probably fall apart at some point.  He wasn't really interested in TFP, so, when pressed to it, he found a way to wiggle out.

phcorcoran wrote:

Here was the tip-off that he would eventually flake.  All of us who've been around awhile learn to recognize the "I'll get back to you when I know my schedule" line as a warning sign that any plans to shoot will probably fall apart at some point.  He wasn't really interested in TFP, so, when pressed to it, he found a way to wiggle out.

That sucks.  I never looked at it that way.  Boo.   I guess I learned something.

Experimental Photoworks wrote:
Crazyness, he can use the casual and the dressy images of you in his port as well.
check your  messages.

Melissa Lynnette wrote:
It just pissed me off because first of all, if I wanted to pay a photographer, it wouldn't be him.

What an arrogant statement!

Chances are he wouldn't pay you either... that's why he wanted to make the TFP worth his time by charging you for something.  If the Photog is an aspiring Bikini Photog he has nothing to gain shooting women with clothes on. 

What he did was not wrong, he told you BEFORE the shoot.  You did say TFP/reasonable rates...  The dude was trying to make a buck.  You can't hate him for that.  You still could have shot TFP Swimsuit with him if you wanted to or you could have told him that if he needs TFP Swimsuit, you would do it in "exchange" for casual or fashion work for you.

phcorcoran wrote:

Melissa Lynnette wrote:
Then he said he'd call me when he had finalized his schedule and let me know when we could shoot.

Here was the tip-off that he would eventually flake.  All of us who've been around awhile learn to recognize the "I'll get back to you when I know my schedule" line as a warning sign that any plans to shoot will probably fall apart at some point.  He wasn't really interested in TFP, so, when pressed to it, he found a way to wiggle out.

What's wrong with you people?  You obviously don't work freelance!  You all must all have 9-5 jobs and do this part time.  For those of us that do this FULL TIME, it means 24/7 for us.  My schedule can change at ANY given moment in order to keep my "Paying Clients" happy.  TFP is at the bottom of our lists...  I personally don't know my schedule because it changes daily.  If I am free on Sunday, plan a TFP shoot, then a client calls, I try to schedule the client around my TFP shoot, if I can NOT, sorry, no TFP... 

If  you don't believe me, ask any Fulltime Photographer.

Hamza wrote:

Experimental Photoworks wrote:
Crazyness, he can use the casual and the dressy images of you in his port as well.
check your  messages.

Melissa Lynnette wrote:
It just pissed me off because first of all, if I wanted to pay a photographer, it wouldn't be him.

What an arrogant statement!

Chances are he wouldn't pay you either... that's why he wanted to make the TFP worth his time by charging you for something.  If the Photog is an aspiring Bikini Photog he has nothing to gain shooting women with clothes on. 

What he did was not wrong, he told you BEFORE the shoot.  You did say TFP/reasonable rates...  The dude was trying to make a buck.  You can't hate him for that.  You still could have shot TFP Swimsuit with him if you wanted to or you could have told him that if he needs TFP Swimsuit, you would do it in "exchange" for casual or fashion work for you.

Wow!  He suggested the additional looks because he was trying to get paid.  I didn't go "Oh, by the way, can you shoot me in blah blah blah?" 
It's not arrogant!  It's me saying that when I spend my hard earned money on someone I want it to be someone I'm willing to pay for, not some guy trying to sneak it in.  I don't mind that he didn't want to pay me, I'm not a professional yet.  I wasn't really saying it was wrong, just that it irritated me.  Yes, I did say reasonable rates, but that was in March.  Why didn't he bring that up then?  And that was also when I had nothing to show in my port.  If he had asked back then, I would have considered it.  Now I've done about 8 shoots, I've got some images I like and am no longer completely desperate for a chance to show what I can do.

Hamza wrote:

phcorcoran wrote:

Melissa Lynnette wrote:
Then he said he'd call me when he had finalized his schedule and let me know when we could shoot.

Here was the tip-off that he would eventually flake.  All of us who've been around awhile learn to recognize the "I'll get back to you when I know my schedule" line as a warning sign that any plans to shoot will probably fall apart at some point.  He wasn't really interested in TFP, so, when pressed to it, he found a way to wiggle out.

What's wrong with you people?  You obviously don't work freelance!  You all must all have 9-5 jobs and do this part time.  For those of us that do this FULL TIME, it means 24/7 for us.  My schedule can change at ANY given moment in order to keep my "Paying Clients" happy.  TFP is at the bottom of our lists...  I personally don't know my schedule because it changes daily.  If I am free on Sunday, plan a TFP shoot, then a client calls, I try to schedule the client around my TFP shoot, if I can NOT, sorry, no TFP... 

If  you don't believe me, ask any Fulltime Photographer.

Now, about this.  This guy is a fulltime photographer.  That's why when he said this to me, I understood.  But I didn't ask him to do the TFP, he sent me a message.  If it wasn't high on his list, then fine.  No problem.  I get it.  I can't imagine what the hostility is for.