Their continues to be threads about no show or no call models usually
connected to a TFP shoot.  Some people question why bring it up at
all.  They feel things happen so just move on.  I have a different view as
usual.  The reason photographers rant is because it bothers them.  They
begin to doubt their ablity or appeal.  They wonder what they said or did
after countless e-mails or phone calls to make the models flake.  Well because I'm a amateur and less educated Dr. Phil, let me help.  Its not
YOU.  These are not your friends.  They don't care about your art, time,
feelings or you.  Its not personal.  They don't mean you any harm but its
not about you.  All the lame excuses we hear add up to,  I don't want
to shoot with you.  Should it trouble you? We are all human so things will
hurt us but only if we allow them to.  Don't give others power over you.  Don't let your self worth be connected by any way to what someone does or doesn't do.  Sure its a pisser but always remember they don't know you.  They aren't your friends.  Even if you did a shoot would you become friends?  Its not personal for them.  Don't let it become personal for you.

For me it is always business, I view no shows like a regular work, if you no show at a regular job, chances are you may get fired, in words, I'll move on and think about shooting them if I'm contacted by them again(everyone deserves 2nd chance). Why waste time on time you'll never get back, move ahead and learn from the exprience.

It isn’t just this business.  I’ve had no-shows in other endeavors including appointments at their business locations.  The secretary said he just left for (fill in the blank) and when checking his day book noted I was on time for an appointment.  Others business people failed to show at my office or other alternative site.  So, what do we have?

We have people that are very self centered.  As noted above, they don’t know you or care a wit about you.  They’re only interested in themselves and what ever is most appealing to them at the moment. 

I will email or telephone people that failed to materialize and “hope nothing physically serious happened to keep them from making their appointment”.  Sometimes I get a lame excuse; more often I never hear from them.  Some asking to re-schedule once got re-scheduled, depending on the excuse they forwarded.  Experience taught me most won’t keep the second appointment.  Now I’m not apt to re-schedule.

I don’t chase models.  When I send a model an offer I expect a reply.  S/he may make an alternative offer, decline, or accept.  Many times models have replied  “really want to work with you” but fail to confirm a suggested time or offer an alternative date.  If a model wants to work they will have positive communications.  Those that don’t I ignore.  And don’t contact me sometime in the future; I remember when you failed to communicate in the past.

Life is too short to get upset with no-shows.  It’s not personal; it’s their selfishness.  I move on to those that want to work.  It’s not personal; it’s my selfishness.  :-)

Tony sorry to hear people have put you out in that fashion.

And going on a bit more about positive communications...

no matter how busy you may (or may not) actually be at the moment, once you recieve a message from someone if you do intend of working with them (even in the future) it's appropriate to send a message letting them know how desired and busy you are at the moment (tongue in cheek) but that you would love to work with them in the future and will contact them when your schedule becomes less hectic.

OR

You could be even more proactive, and organized and have a dayplanner or PDA, then you always know when you'll be busy and when you won't. Then when someone contacts you, you can let them know your availability to see if they can find time to work within that schedule. Hey, open communication!! It actually works! haha.

I've never no-showed, but have had to cancel on a TFP shoot that was already booked for a studio. I called as soon as I knew something came up, and it was for a paying gig, so they understood and we rescheduled. They hadn't put a deposit on the studio yet. I try to be courteous at least. Not, oh.. :::2 days later::: "I am so sorry...I know we had a photoshoot yesterday but I chipped my nail, and like, my pomeranian was running out of the house and he went across the street, and I'm late on my cell phone bill so I had to like go and, oh and while I was driving there I almost got ran off the road by some maniac"

Yeah, none of that.

no shows ,whether on paid or tfcd shoots have crippled my business and my health,i am a wreck from this bs. 20ks worth of cameras that do not come out of the bag in my own studio anymore.lights,cameras, nothing in 06, its a f-ing epidemic.

If all you do is work with models I'd imagine that you'd probably be putting a gun to your head at this point.

If you're a photographer you'll find other subjects to work with. That's what I do. I shoot B&W landscapes, product shots, travel photography, NYC street scenes and anything abstract and interesting that attracts me to photograph it, from doorknobs to steetsigns.

Working with models is just another aspect of my work. In some respects it's very rewarding, in some respects it's downright frustrating due to the lack of professionalism on the part of many models. To some an appointment to shoot at 2pm really means that if they have nothing better to do they'll maybe show up sometime between 2:30and 3:30, though if they get a call from their boyfriend to go to the beach or if their girlfriends call up an invite them on a shopping trip to the mall, they'll just blow off the photographer and not bother showing up. To them an appontment to shoot isn't a job, it's just a casual hobby thing.

The trick is to assume that the model will flake out, then you're not disappointed when they do! If it's a location shoot I try to pick locations where I can photograph something else if and when they don't show up.

Flakey models are annoying, but they are par for the course these days. Like I said, if your main interest is shooting young women in various states of undress, then you're going to get very frustrated indeed if you "book" models off websites, especially it it's all TFP work.

Even when money isn't being exchanged it's business.  Therefore when someone shows me they don't respect my skills as an "artist" I become a business man and then charge them what I'm "worth" to bring reality crashing down on them.  You'd be surprised how many models express regret when you tell them that in order for you to work together again they need to be prepared to pay a minimum of 500 not including make up for the same shoot that they just passed up for free.

The fun part is ignoring the messages for a "second chance" after they realized that it's not a game any more. lol.